Tudor and Stewart charactersThe Tradescants (1570 to 1662)The Renaissance movement was sweeping across Europe and eventually Britain in the 15th century. The movement endeavoured to capture the classical arts styles of ancient Roman. The Tradescants were two of the first professional gardeners to start scouring the world in search of plants that could be brought back to England and used ornamentally in gardens. John Tradescant the Elder (1570 to 1638) was head gardener at Hatfield House and travelled extensively to Europe, particularly Holland and France, to bring back plants. Putting his life at risk over his passion for plant collections, Tradescant the Elder joined an expedition to fight Barbary pirates off the coast in North Africa in the hope of securing a golden Barbary apricot. He also travelled to Russia in 1618 on a plant hunting expedition. In 1630 he became gardener to Charles I. John the Younger (1608 to 1662) originally trained and worked as his father's gardening assistant. He travelled extensively in Virginia, America, collecting plants until he was called back to England to take over as royal gardener after his father's death in 1638. Many of the plants commonly associated as being typically English were introduced by the Tradescants, including phlox, lupins, golden rod and Michaelmas daisies. Both father and son are buried at St Mary-at-Lambeth, now the Museum of Garden History. John Gerard (1545 to 1612)John Gerard was born in 1545. He originally trained as a barber and surgeon but developed a passion for plants which he pursued in his garden in the village of Holborn. After becoming superintendent at Theobalds in Hertfordshire for the aristocrat William Cecil, Gerard introduced the white mulberry and distinguished 12 types of phillyreas, which were used for topiary. In 1599 his book Herball was published. It listed native plants and introduced ones with descriptions of their medicinal and 'magical' properties. |
