William of Orange and Mary Stuart ascended to the English throne in 1689. King William refurbished the gardens at Hampton Court to balance the new east front of the palace that had been designed by Sir Christopher Wren. According to Daniel Defoe "in a few years fine gardens and fine houses began to grow up in every corner" of England.
King William loved the formal style used on the continent. This style used clipped hedges, topiaries, and elaborate geomantic beds. This style even crossed the sea to the American colonies and can be seen in the Governor's reconstructed palace in Williamsburg, VA today.
Queen Mary loved exotic flowers and even sent one of her gardeners to Virginia to collect specimens.
Alas, here comes Queen Anne on the scene. She followed William and Mary on England's blood-stained, inherited monarchial throne and had all the lovely manicured boxwood hedges removed for she detested their scent. Queen Anne is remembered by the Daucus carota or Queen Anne's Lace.
The landscape movement of the 18th century did away with the formal gardens of England and the continent.
King William loved the formal style used on the continent. This style used clipped hedges, topiaries, and elaborate geomantic beds. This style even crossed the sea to the American colonies and can be seen in the Governor's reconstructed palace in Williamsburg, VA today.
Queen Mary loved exotic flowers and even sent one of her gardeners to Virginia to collect specimens.
Alas, here comes Queen Anne on the scene. She followed William and Mary on England's blood-stained, inherited monarchial throne and had all the lovely manicured boxwood hedges removed for she detested their scent. Queen Anne is remembered by the Daucus carota or Queen Anne's Lace.
The landscape movement of the 18th century did away with the formal gardens of England and the continent.
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