Recreating Eden: A Natural History of Botanical Gardens

Patrick Colgan is Director of Research and Natural Lands at the Royal
Botanical Gardens.

Totemic Eden is often in the minds of persons operating or visiting
botanical gardens. As owner of Cootes Paradise (western Lake Ontario’s
largest wetland), Royal Botanical Gardens boasts of “Paradise
Found.” In Recreating Eden, Soderstrom, a Montreal-based writer, has
produced a blend of history and personal touring of three trios of
botanical gardens.

The Gardens of Empire include Leiden, Paris, and Kew, with their long
and rich histories based on royal patronage, colonial collecting, and
national pride. The practical aspects of medicinal materials and
international trade are reflected in their collections. Singapore,
Missouri, and New York represent gardens established in the 19th
century, with the key figures of Stamford Raffles, Henry Shaw, and N.L.
Britton appropriately stressed. The development of gardens to include
extensive installations housing major research programs is correctly
included in the narration. The Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco and
gardens at Montreal and the University of British Columbia reflect
20th-century institutions benefiting from both vision and support.

For each of the nine gardens, pertinent civic and political events are
included in order to provide a context for appreciating the garden. The
text is lightly illustrated with black-and-white photographs and there
is an attractive set of color plates. Among the reference material the
contact information for the gardens discussed is especially helpful.
There is no general discussion of botanical gardens as cultural
institutions, although their key role in plant conservation is laudably
mentioned, and garden administrators will be glad to see the call for
more public support. But mostly it’s gentle strolls through a series
of eminent places and their family resemblances in terms of landscaping
and architecture. Recommended for those wanting a light overview of some
selected botanical gardens.