27155312
Vanished Gardens: Finding Nature in Philadelphia
By Sharon White
The University of Georgia Press
$28.95
Available at Bartram’s Garden or www.ugapress.org
Philadelphia has long prided itself on the nature and beauty of the city. From the annual Flower Show to the flora found in local parks, many parts are decorated by the natural world.
In her newest work, Fairmount resident and Temple writing professor Sharon White explores the history and cultivation of Philadelphia’s unique gardens, as well as her own found love affair with gardening. Her personal story is combined with a detailed glimpse of the horticultural history of the area, tracing the story of John Bartram who traveled the nation bringing plants and wildlife to the region.
The past of botany and wildlife cultivation in the city is essentially the story of Bartram, who was named Botanist to His Majesty on the eve of the American Revolution. William Penn was intent on creating public squares throughout the area when it was in the developing stages and Bartram contributed greatly to this. His life was a quest to maintain and intensify the inherent beauty of the landscape, bringing his knowledge and love of botany and gardening to Philadelphia.
The Bartram name has become synonymous with gardening and natural wonders in the area, with the family home and garden on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. The oldest surviving botanical garden in North America, Bartram’s Garden at 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philly is a major attraction and recognized nationwide.
White offers a glimpse into Bartram’s personal life through letters from his wife, Ann, son William and fellow gardening enthusiasts, documenting the arrival and cultivation of greenery brought to the area. These personal letters and White’s own reaction are the most enjoyable excerpts. The author beautifully relays the love between Bartram and his wife, and their lifelong romantic correspondences. William’s life also is a point of interest. He shared his father’s love of nature and traveled the southern United States looking for an environmental bounty to bring back to the city, greatly enhancing its vast and individualistic wild and plant life.
White, a long-time Massachusetts resident, has brought her personal love and talent for gardening to her home, and describes the changes in neighborhoods and gardens throughout the past century. As the city experienced an economic depression and a change in the population, the upkeep and their past splendor have, for the most part, become an afterthought in the hustle of modern urban living. White recalls sections once well-cared for public and private places, including the area surrounding Fairmount Park, once known as "Philadelphia’s Garden." She does so through historical vignettes and descriptions of beautification efforts in her own neighborhood.
Her style is at times lyrical and introspective, but the immense detail and personal anecdotes White dives in to can occasionally be verbose. For readers who share her passion for gardening, the book provides a thorough and thoughtful look at the evolution of Philadelphia gardens, as well tips and personal practices demonstrating her vast knowledge of the art. It is the chronology of the growth and later descent of gardens in the city that will charm all, especially residents.
Overall, White’s book is an insightful study in to the area’s environmental history and the fascinating life of one of the city’s most celebrated families. For anyone with a love of gardening, history or the region, "Vanished Gardens" is an educational and pleasant personal work from a local, up-and-coming author.
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