Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Camden Park House from the East Lawn. Photography by Leigh Youdale

Selected plants in the Hortus

Corylus avellana ‘Cob Nut’

A cultivar of Corylus avellana L. ‘Husk hairy, shorter than the nut, and much frizzled. Nut large, obtusely ovate. Shell of a light brown colour, rather thick. Kernel large. A good nut for early use, but does not keep well.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.131/1860].

 

 

Added on April 25 2010

Sinningia speciosa ‘Grandis’

A cultivar of Sinningia speciosa (Lodd.) Hiern. It is not listed under this name in the main Gesneriad Register – Sinningia, or in the Appendix.  I have found no detailed description for this plant but the description in the Journal D'Horticulture Pratique de La Belgique  implies that it is a slipper gloxinia with white flowers with a marked crimson stripe at the base.

Added on September 06 2009

Rosa ‘Général Castellane’

Hybrid Perpetual.  In The Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1855 it was described as a newer Hybrid Perpetual, with brilliant velvety crimson flowers, and a profuse late bloomer, not a very robust grower and of somewhat dwarf habit.  Elsewhere it was described as somewhat after ‘Lord Raglan’ in type, very fine and perfect in all aspects.  It was considered moderately resistant to mildew but required good soils to flourish.  [Rivers 1857, Paul 1863, FC p.61/1855].

 

 

Added on February 12 2010

Malus domestica ‘Manx Codlin’

‘Fruit, large; conical, and slightly angular. Skin, smooth, greenish-yellow at first, but changing as it ripens to clear pale-yellow, tinged with rich orange-red on the side next the sun ; but sometimes, when fully exposed, assuming a clear bright-red cheek. Eye, small and closed, set in a small, plaited, and pretty deep basin. Stalk, three quarters of an inch long, more or less fleshy, sometimes straight, but generally obliquely inserted, and occasionally united to the fruit by a fleshy protuberance on one side of it. Flesh, yellowish-white, firm, brisk, juicy and slightly perfumed. A very valuable early culinary apple, of first-rate quality. It is ripe in the beginning of August, and continues in use till November.’ [Hogg p.131/1851].

Added on April 16 2010

Justicia spicigera Schltdl.

Evergreen shrub with large glossy leaves and tubular crimson to orange flowers in one-sided terminal and axillary panicles.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Added on February 25 2009

Malus domestica ‘Gogar Pippin’

Fruit; Medium size, roundish, angled and slightly flattened. Skin; pale green, thick, strewn with small russet dots, faintly mottled red next the sun. Flesh; greenish white, tender, juicy, sugary, brisk. [HP pl.LIV/1878].

Added on April 16 2010

Cyathea cooperi (Hook. ex F.Muell.) Domin

Medium to tall treefern with narrow trunk patterned with ovate scars and fronds to 5m long.  To 12m.  [FNSW, Beadle].

Added on February 10 2009

News

Improvements to Hortus Camdenensis

The Hortus software has been upgraded. This led to some minor errors in the layout of plant names, particularly in the headings of Plant Profile pages but these have now been largely overcome. Improvements are also progressively being made to the content of the Hortus in three main areas, botanical and horticultural history, cross referencing and illustrations. Some enhancements will be done as the opportunity arises but most will be completed family by family. This will take at least two years to complete.

 

 

Published Sep 14, 2010 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Aug 12, 2012 - 04:36 PM

Sir William Macarthur on Vines and Vineyards

Sir William Macarthur wrote extensively on vines and Vineyards. It is our intention to publish all his writings in the Hortus.

Published Aug 01, 2010 - 04:58 PM | Last updated Oct 04, 2010 - 04:47 PM

Working Bee dates

Working Bee dates for 2012.

 

Published Jun 29, 2010 - 02:59 PM | Last updated Jan 10, 2012 - 05:19 PM

Open House and Gardens

Camden Park House and Gardens will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd September, 2012, from 12.00 noon until 4.00 pm, and Sunday 23rd from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

 

Published Dec 30, 2009 - 02:58 PM | Last updated Jan 09, 2012 - 05:31 PM

Essays

Florists’ flowers

Floristry, in the 17th, 18th and 19th century meaning of the word, the growing and improvement of flowering plants for the sake of their beauty alone, has a long history in China and Asia but is of relatively recent origin in Europe.  From quite humble beginnings, the small scale leisure activity of artisans and labourers, it attracted the attention of the owners of the great pleasure gardens and botanic gardens of Europe.  Specialised nurseries began to appear to service great and small gardens, providing a means of disseminating the beautiful new varieties which the nurseries were both breeding and obtaining from enthusiastic amateurs.

Published Mar 12, 2010 - 03:41 PM | Last updated Jun 27, 2010 - 05:30 PM

Thomas Harris (1885-1948)

Thomas Harris, born in Worcestershire in 1885, was a gardener at Camden Park from 1913 to 1938.

Published Aug 16, 2012 - 11:09 AM | Last updated Mar 16, 2015 - 02:12 PM

Establishing an Orchard in Colonial Australia

Every Colonial gentleman with a household to maintain needed to keep an orchard of sufficient size to meet the needs of his kitchen and dining table at all times of the year. In 19th century Australia planting trees was an almost entirely manual operation, and establishing an orchard an expensive undertaking. William Macarthur developed a thriving and profitable nursery business in the 1840s, with an extensive and varied catalogue of plants for sale but heavily dependent on trees and shrubs, particularly fruit-bearing trees such as vines, oranges, apples, pears, plums, peaches and apricots. It was in the interests of Macarthur to ensure that the plants he sold were of high quality and that when received by the customer his plants not only survived but thrived and were productive. To this end he published a brief but detailed guide to what needed to be done to ensure that the planting of trees was as successful as possible and provided the best long-term results for his customers.

Published Jun 26, 2010 - 04:30 PM | Last updated Jun 26, 2010 - 04:36 PM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 5: Management and Replenishment of the Vineyard

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters VII and VIII deal with the management of the vineyard after planting, the use of manures and the replenishment of an exhausted vineyard. The illustration used here is Macarthur’s Plate 2, a section of a vineyard. This is referred to in detail in Part 4, however it does illustrate the method of vine culture recommended and described here, the dwarf-standard method which at this time was practiced mostly in the north of France.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

 

 

Published Sep 09, 2010 - 05:49 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:15 AM

About the Hortus

The Hortus attempts to correctly identify, describe, illustrate and provide a brief history of all the plants grown at Camden Park between c.1820 and 1861.

Plants in the Hortus

The Hortus plants served a wide range of purposes: ornament, living fences, fibre, dyestuffs, medicine, food from the garden and orchard, and many others.

Plant Families

Plants in the Hortus are grouped by Family, perhaps the most useful of the higher order classifications.

Essays

Essays enhance the Hortus by providing a level of detail about the gardens, people, and plants that would be inappropriate for an individual plant profile.

Hortus News

News provides an opportunity for people interested in the gardens to keep in touch with the work being done to maintain and reinvigorate the gardens and receive advance notice of events such as Open Garden days.