Ceanothus divaricatus Nutt.

Frost hardy, evergreen shrub with smooth, pale bark, wide spreading, rigid branches, and clusters of pale blue or white flowers in spring or early summer.  To 4m.  [RHSD, Hortus].

Added on March 04 2009

Prunus armeniaca ‘Bidwill’s seedling’

A cultivar of Prunus armeniaca L. I have found no further information on this apricot. 

Added on April 20 2010

Picea abies (L.) Karst.

Fully-hardy evergreen conical tree, ageing to columnar, with blunt, 4-sided leaves, to 2.5cm long, pointing forwards and upwards on the shoots, and cylindrical female cones, to 20cm long, green turning brown.  To 40m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers'].

Added on July 14 2009

Mimulus alatus Ait.

Fully hardy, stoloniferous, herbaceous perennial with ovate to lance-shaped leaves, to 15cm long, and light blue or violet flowers.  To 60cm.  [RHSD, Hortus, Don].

Added on April 22 2009

Hippeastrum aulicum (Ker-Gawl.) Herb.

Bulbous perennial with strap-like leaves and a stout stem bearing an umbel with usually 2 funnel-shaped, crimson flowers with green throats, in winter or spring, the leaves following the flowers.  A variable species.  To 50cm.  [RHSE, Hortus, Baker Am.].  

Added on May 09 2009

Gladiolus cardinalis x (x gandavensis) [#6]

Gladiolus cardinalis x Gladiolus x gandavensis hybrid no.6 in Macarthur’s notebook no.5 in an entry dated 1847.  Robust scape, very large flower resembles last in colour but not so much yellow on lower lobes.  Good variety.  [MP A2948-5].

Added on October 22 2009

Corylus avellana ‘Cosford’

A cultivar of Corylus avellana L. ‘Husk hairy, as long as the nut, and deeply cut. Nut large, oblong. Shell of a light brown colour, very thin, so much so as to be easily broken between the finger and thumb. Kernel large, and well flavoured. An excellent early nut, and the tree is an abundant bearer.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.131/1860].

Added on April 25 2010

Improvements to Hortus Camdenensis

The Hortus software has been upgraded. This led to some minor errors in the layout of plant names, particularly in the headings of Plant Profile pages but these have now been largely overcome. Improvements are also progressively being made to the content of the Hortus in three main areas, botanical and horticultural history, cross referencing and illustrations. Some enhancements will be done as the opportunity arises but most will be completed family by family. This will take at least two years to complete.

Published Sep 14, 2010 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Aug 12, 2012 - 04:36 PM

Sir William Macarthur on Vines and Vineyards

Sir William Macarthur wrote extensively on vines and Vineyards. It is our intention to publish all his writings in the Hortus.

Published Aug 01, 2010 - 04:58 PM | Last updated Oct 04, 2010 - 03:47 PM

Working Bee dates

Working Bee dates for 2012.

Published Jun 29, 2010 - 02:59 PM | Last updated Jan 10, 2012 - 04:19 PM

Open House and Gardens

Camden Park House and Gardens will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd September, 2012, from 12.00 noon until 4.00 pm, and Sunday 23rd from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Published Dec 30, 2009 - 01:58 PM | Last updated Jan 09, 2012 - 04:31 PM

Florists’ flowers

Floristry, in the 17th, 18th and 19th century meaning of the word, the growing and improvement of flowering plants for the sake of their beauty alone, has a long history in China and Asia but is of relatively recent origin in Europe.  From quite humble beginnings, the small scale leisure activity of artisans and labourers, it attracted the attention of the owners of the great pleasure gardens and botanic gardens of Europe.  Specialised nurseries began to appear to service great and small gardens, providing a means of disseminating the beautiful new varieties which the nurseries were both breeding and obtaining from enthusiastic amateurs.

Published Mar 12, 2010 - 02:41 PM | Last updated Jun 27, 2010 - 05:30 PM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 10: The Wine Cellar

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letter XVIII, the final letter, describes the construction and operation of a wine cellar. Although Macarthur writes ‘I have not had so much experience practically in the construction of this description of buildings, as with the majority of the details, upon which, I have endeavoured to communicate information’ it seems likely that the building he describes in such detail is modeled on the Wine House at Camden Park, the remains of which survive. Indeed, in discussing the perfect site, he also writes that ‘such in fact is the description of site adopted at Camden’. The illustration used here is a photograph of the ruins of the Camden Park Wine House showing the brick and sandstone vats built in the cellar of this building 170 years ago. These are ‘of two sizes, which contain respectively, 900 and 1,700 gallons; and we use them, as well to ferment in, as to store the wine in afterwards.’ So well built were these vats that William Macarthur asserted ‘they will probably endure without repairs for generations’. He was certainly correct in this as, although they have not been used for more than 100 years and have been open to the elements for much of this time, three of these vats are still in good repair today. The other two are partly collapsed. In this final letter Macarthur also describes the construction of brick wine bins such as are to be seen in the cellars at Camden Park house. A photograph on one of these bins is given in Part 9.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

Published Oct 03, 2010 - 02:00 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:10 AM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine. Part 1: Introduction

‘Letters’ is an important book in the history of wine production in Australia and this is, I believe, the first time that the full text has been made available outside the major libraries. The value of William Macarthur’s book compared with earlier Colonial publications is that it is written from the perspective of over twenty years of experience of growing grapes and making wine in New South Wales. He does include theory from the pens of European authorities but the bulk of the book is written from personal experience. He is in effect saying ‘this is what we have found to work here’.

‘Letters’ is reproduced in 10 parts, beginning with the Introduction, which provides information on the history of the book and gives a synopsis of early experiences of vine importation and wine production.

Published Aug 27, 2010 - 05:50 PM | Last updated Nov 24, 2011 - 01:57 PM

Rambles in New Zealand - part 3

Rambles in New Zealand is the only published work of John Carne Bidwill of any length and an important document in the early colonial history of that country.
It is included in the Hortus for a number of reasons but mainly because, together with his letters to The Gardeners’ Chronicle, it completes the known published works of Bidwill. His importance in the history of the Camden Park gardens and the lack of any substantive treatment of his life and achievements make it appropriate to include all his published work here.
Rambles is published here in four parts:
Part 1 – dedication, Preface, pages 1-29
Part 2 – pages 30-59
Part 3 – pages 60-89
Part 4 – pages 90 -93, List of Subscribers

Published Feb 29, 2012 - 01:11 PM | Last updated Mar 01, 2012 - 06:02 AM