Walled garden
**Benefits of Walled Gardens:**
– Creation of microclimates:
– Enclosing walls raise ambient temperature by several degrees.
– Stone or brick walls absorb and release solar heat, enabling growth of plants not suited to local climate.
– Well-designed walled gardens create stable environments for diverse plant species.
– Heated walls:
– Some British walled gardens feature hot walls or fruit walls for additional heat.
– Hollow walls with central cavities allow fires to be lit inside for fruit protection.
– Modern adaptations include lining walls with pipes connected to boilers for heat distribution.
**Design Elements of Walled Gardens:**
– Traditional design:
– Consists of four quarters separated by paths, with a central wellhead or pool.
– Originating from Persian gardens, evolved into the medieval hortus conclusus.
– High Medieval Europe gardens were enclosed by hedges, fencing, or cloister arcades.
– Kitchen gardens:
– Walled kitchen gardens in the UK were distinct from decorative gardens.
– Ranged from one to thirty acres, with a one-acre garden expected to feed twelve people.
– Elaboration peaked in the 19th century, serving large households like Queen Victoria’s.
**Historic and Notable Walled Gardens:**
– Notable British walled gardens:
– Found at various historic sites across England, Scotland, and Wales.
– Examples include Alnwick Castle, Osborne House, and Muchalls Castle.
– Croome Court’s walled kitchen garden:
– Located in Worcestershire and one of Europe’s largest 18th-century gardens.
**References and Further Reading:**
– Hobhouse, Penelope. “Plants in Garden History”, Pavilion Books, 2004.
– Trouilleux, Rodolphe. “Unexplored Paris”, Parigramme, 1996, 2009.
– Campbell, Susan. “Walled Kitchen Gardens”, Shire Publications, 2013.
– Tovey, Jill. “A Summary of the History of Croome Walled Garden”, Friends of Croome Park, 2011.
**Additional Resources:**
– Media related to Walled gardens at Wikimedia Commons.
– Gardening portal.
– List of garden types.
– Season extension.
– Hortus conclusus.