The John Tradescants: Gardeners to the Rose and Lily Queen

by Prudence Leith-Ross (Editor)

The John Tradescants, father (1570-1638) and son (1608-1662), were two of the most remarkable and significant gardeners in British history. Working for a series of eminent patrons, including Robert Cecil, Charles I and the Duke of Buckingham, they supervised the creation of some of the greatest gardens of the seventeenth century. Their own botanic garden in Lambeth, south London, became the centre of horticultural interest in Britain. They travelled widely in pursuit of exotic plants, as far as Russia, Algiers and Virginia, and imported many exotic species now commonplace. Keen collectors, their museum of books, coins, weapons, costumes, stuffed animals and curiosities from all over the world, known as The Ark, was the first public museum in Britain and was to form the basis of the Ashmolean in Oxford after the widow of John Tradescant the younger was cheated out of her inheritance.
As well as charting the lives and achievements of the Tradescants and providing a vivid picture of this age of enterprise and exploration, the book discusses the plants introduced by the pair and features substantial appendices reproducing their original plant lists, with the addition of the modern botanical names. This definitive biography is essential reading for all those interested in the history of the garden and of European plants.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Philippa Gregory's 'Earthly Joys', a very fictional account of John Tradescant the Elder. That book led me to this book.

A book that is definitely worth the read if you happen to be interested in the history behind England's upper class and royal gardens. The lengths that were taken to make these gardens so magnificent were incredible. The most frustrating thing is that there's just not enough known about the two John Tradescants to really and truly satisfy your curiosity. They did leave a legacy behind and more is known about their contributions to gardening, botany, and 'their cabinet of rarities'. However, I'd love to know more about them as men and husbands and fathers. This does not reflect negatively on the author as her research seems to be impeccable. There simply isn't enough material out there to learn more about the personal lives of these two intriguing men.