If you were anyone in Georgian society, your garden would have been designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Wealthy lords and ladies, and even the royals, commissioned Brown to landscape their vast estates, which revealed much about their status and style. Moving from formal to functional with ...
Topiary sculptures come in all shapes and sizes - from decorative balls and spirals to massive hedges and ornate birds and animals. Michael Klemperer, Senior Gardens Advisor, advises on how we sculpt and care for topiary creation in English Heritage's historic gardens. And he shares tips for how yo...
The art of shaping shrubs and sculpting hedges into ornamental figures is known as topiary. The visual impact of topiary adds a dramatic touch to gardens, especially in the winter. We asked Landscape Architect Deborah Evans to explain the history of topiary, and pick the best place to see inspiring...
In medieval bestiaries, there were many terms for dragons – dragon, wyrm, worm, orm, serpent, and even wyvern. However, over time these gradually differentiated into several different creatures. We've put together this useful identification guide to help you recognise the mythical reptile you ar...
How many times have you walked around a garden and wondered about the people who created it? In many cases, the stories of the gardeners who got dirt under their fingernails and weeded until their backs ached in the 18th and 19th centuries are unknown, or recalled simply as a name on a list of w...