Historic garden conservation is a specialised type of historic preservation and restoration concerned with historical and landmark gardens and designed landscapes. Practitioners predominantly come from backgrounds in horticulture, garden design, landscape design, and landscape architecture. To prepare a management plan for a historic garden, such experts require knowledge and skills in environmental design, horticulture, landscape history, and architectural history, and management. Specialist educational programs are available.
Historic garden restoration is the professional task of restoring historic gardens to the character they had at a previous point in history. Since the use of old gardens is in flux, this normally involves a consideration of current and future use. The job of researching historic gardens and preparing a policy for their conservation involves landscape archaeology, historic knowledge, design judgment and technical skill in horticulture and construction.
Recent and ongoing UK examples of garden conservation and restoration include Lowther Castle in Cumbria, Lever Park in Lancashire, Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire, Wrest Park in Bedfordshire and the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.
Famous quotes containing the words historic, garden and/or conservation:
“It is, all in all, a historic error to believe that the master makes the school; the students make it!”
—Robert Musil (1880–1942)
“My garden is run wild!
Where shall I plant anew—
For my bed, that once was covered with thyme,
Is all overrun with rue?”
—Mrs. Fleetwood Habergham (d. 1703)
“A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.”
—Aristide Briand (1862–1932)