The English Garden – September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 109

BOOKS

Whileresearchingyourbook,wasthere

aparticulararchiveorlibrarythatproved

especiallyuseful?

I consultedthearchivesofallthecolleges,which

sometimesmeanttranslatingaccountsfrom

MedievalLatin.Thisworkhas,I hope,resultedin

manyintriguingdetails,suchasthe‘blackwalks’,

coveredwithcoaldust,whichappeartobepeculiar

toa handfulofCambridgecolleges.Themost

valuablearchivalfindwasthe‘gardenbook’inthe

MunimentRoomatChrist’sCollege,whichhasnot

thusfarbeenlookedatbygardenhistorians.Dating

backtothe1680s,it is a potentiallyunrivalledsource

fortheperiodbecauseofitsdetailregardingthedaily

costsofplants,tools,buildingsandlabour.I quoted

fromit sparingly,sincethisis a bookaimedatthe

generalreader,notacademics,butit’sfascinating.

Whoaresomeofthemorenotablefiguresthat

haveinfluencedthecollegegardens?

Greatlandscapedesignersincluding‘Capability’

BrownandCharlesBridgemanhavehadtheir

Cambridgemoments,thoughtheirlegacyis

contested.Moderndesignerswhohaveworkedin

CambridgeincludePenelopeHobhouseatGirton.

ArchivalworktheremeansI havealsobeenableto

establishthatplantingdesignscommissionedfrom

GertrudeJekyllinthe1920swereinfactexecuted.

Arethereanyplantspecimensinthegardens

thatareespeciallyworthseekingout?

Thereis excellentplantingdesignonshowat

a numberofcolleges,butforspecimensalone,

WolfsonCollegemusttakethelaurelsthankstoa

trulyplant-obsessedheadgardener– checkouthis

wintergarden.MurrayEdwardsis alsoa notable

plantswoman’sparadise.Themostfamousspecimen

thoughhastobeMilton’sMulberryinChrist’s:a

fineoldtree,althoughthepoetdidnotplantit.

Isthereananecdoteaboutanygardenor

gardenerofwhichyouarefond?

I wasamusedtofindseverallettersandevenplanting

plansfromLudwigWittgensteintotheheadofthe

gardenscommitteeathiscollege,Trinity.Thegreat

philosopherwasincensedbywhathesawasvulgar,

flowersandproposedspecificalterations.Andan

18th-centurymasterofPembrokemadea largemetal

sphereasa planetarium;it couldholdupto 30 people

andwaseventuallyconsignedtothegardenwhereits

dismantledremainsarenowburied.

WhichCambridgecollegegardensordesign

elementsareyourfavouritesandwhy?

Formymoney,TrinityHallis themosteective

gardenacrossthewholeuniversity,horticulturally

speaking,althoughClareCollegedeservesits

reputationforwonderfulbordersinthefellows’

garden.Personalfavouritesincludeoverlookedand

under-visitedcollegessuchasSelwynandespecially

SidneySussex.Thelatterhasa wonderfully

authenticVictorianair.Setinthecitycentre,it

hasfriendlyportersandfreeentryforall,sois a

goodplacetostopfora quietsandwich.Asfor

designelements,Cambridgeis notableforthe‘cold

baths’constructedinseveralcollegesinthemid-

18thcentury,whentherewasa crazeforbracing

submersionsinthewater.ThebathsatEmmanuel

andChrist’shavebeenenlargedandarenowusedas

smallswimmingpoolsbyfellowsandstudents.■

Cambridge College

Gardens

byTimRichardson,

Quarto,£40

Following on from Oxford College Gardens Tim Richardson has produced its

companion piece, Cambridge College Gardens, which was six years in the making

Q&A

INTERVIEW

VIVIENNE HAMBLY