Comments on: A Brief Horticultural History Of The East End https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Mon, 01 May 2023 13:15:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Susanna Heron https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508440 Mon, 01 May 2023 13:15:39 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508440 some garden notes- When I moved into Norman Grove in 1979, I remember being told by Nora, a longstanding resident, that Queen Mary had awarded a prize to one of the gardens in Norman Grove. She arrived in a Daimler. Did you ever hear anything about that ?
There is a Campanula ‘Norman Grove’ , I often wonder if that is named after our Norman Grove.
The gardens in Norman Grove are particularly long and good for growing things, they face southwest and run to what had been a land boundary in the 1850’s. Lyal road that it backs onto, was built later to the same land boundary with much smaller gardens.

]]> By: Lynne Perrella https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508372 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 12:39:14 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508372 This posting was full of gems.

“the radical apothecary”. Wait, let that sink in. Imagine having an engraved business/trade
card made up for oneself, announcing your status as a radical apothecary? Something to
aspire to.

Also, the top photo. I felt like I was hovering above, peering down into the tiny greenhouse.
Hoping to get a glimpse of what might be simmering in there. A beautiful evocative photo.

It is still too early to plant anything here in the Hudson River Valley. But its been tempting, with our unusually warm weather. I have a yearly ritual of waiting until the weekend before Memorial Day, and then I pounce. But yesterday I bought a couple armloads of pussy willows, and those will get placed into my containers to provide a little texture and height.

]]> By: Christine Swan https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508367 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 10:19:49 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508367 I’ve always loved to see people growing in the City. I think sometimes being short on space makes you more creative with it. When I had a postage stamp-sized plot, I did much more with it. My grandparents grew chrysanthemums and I remember Dad telling me about how we were descended from Huguenots – and he was quite correct even though it took me a long time to prove.
I also make space for native plants. I think it arrogant to decide which plants do, or do not, have a place in your garden. Dandelions are incredibly tough but also very good for you. Culpepper knew all of this although he did embellish the reputation of some plants where medicine has subsequently proved him wrong, but at least, he was promoting the value of medicinal plants for the general population. Thanks for an interesting botanical wander through time.

]]> By: Bailey Jones https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508362 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 09:38:51 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508362 A really absorbing piece. Plants and flowers mean so much to us.
I especially enjoyed reading about the early allotments with there little ‘houses’.
The Huguenots brought some wonderfulthings to this country and the impact on our culture is clear.
I was also interested by the reference to Sandwich Port. Although a Northerner through and through, I love London (where I once lived and one of the reasons, I like to read Spitalfields Life ) and also Kent, where I have family. My step sister works in Sandwich, and I have visited it lots of times. The port is no more and the river is now so small and narrow, due to silting up over the centuries. Iis hard to imagine it as a bustling port with people arriving from the Continent on a regular basis. The town still takes pride in its Cinq Port history, however, and is wonderful place to visit for an afternoon – or longer. There is a lovely garden there known as the Secret Garden, in the grounds of a beautiful Lutchens’ house now, sadly, no longer open to the public, which had the most wonderful tulip displays. They also had a greenhouse with all kinds of dahlias. I love how dhalias have come back into fashion.
Regretfully, I have never been to Colombia Road on a Sunday, though I have visited the area and eaten at lovely Catalonian restaurant there. Next time in London, perhaps?

]]> By: Caroline Murray https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508357 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 07:55:27 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508357 A wonderful piece by the excellent Margaret Willes! You might be interested in my efforts on Fairchild and Garthwaite: https://professorhedgehogsjournal.uk/2015/05/28/mr-fairchilds-mule/ and https://professorhedgehogsjournal.uk/2020/11/04/anna-maria-garthwaite/

]]> By: Andy Strowman https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/04/30/a-brief-horticultural-history-of-the-east-end/#comment-1508350 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 05:17:55 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=195569#comment-1508350 An industrious article Gentle Author.
I owe my horticultural career which has followed me for many years to two people.
Namely people called Rosie Bocher and my dear Auntie Rachel Cohen.

Despite our garden being a tiny backyard in a very old terraced house of one hundred and fifty years they cultured plants.

Thanks to a very kind and caring trainee Vet I entered college to formally study it futher.

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