Description

Botanical gardens brought together the great diversity of the Earth's flora. They displaced nature from forest and foothill and re-arranged it to reveal something of the scientific principles underpinning the apparent chaos of the wild. Through a study of three botanical gardens, belonging to the University of Cambridge, the Royal Dublin Society and the Belfast Natural History Society, this book shows how the design and display of such gardens was not determined by scientific principles alone. It explores how the final outcome involved a complex interplay of ideas about place, identity, empire, botanical science and aesthetics, creating spaces that would educate the mind as well as please the senses. This highly engaging book offers a wealth of fresh insights into both the history and development of botanical gardens as well as connections between science and aesthetics.