Hosted in partnership with The Gardens Trust, join us for an interactive day of investigation, discussion and talks on garden history.
From still-life art to tools, books and breakthroughs in plant science technology, our speakers will use ten key garden-related objects to chart the history of garden design, horticulture and landscape architecture. Talks will be hosted by two experienced garden historians Dr Jill Francis and Sandra Pullen.
After enjoying a day of lively talk and discussion, you’ll leave with plenty of ideas and inspiration to continue reading and researching the rich world of garden history.
Programme
10am–10.15am
Arrivals
10.15am–10.30am
Introduction
Dr Jill Francis and Sandra Pullen
10.30am–11.15am
An interactive handling session, where there will be an opportunity to handle five garden-related objects and discuss their purpose and significance.
11.15am–12.15pm
An illustrated lecture with Dr Jill Francis situating the five object discussed in the handling session in the wider context of garden history, from the earliest recorded gardens to circa 1700.
12.15pm–1pm
Lunch
1pm–1.45pm
A second interactive handling session. Sandra Pullen leads the exploration and discussion on the purpose and significance of a further 5 objects.
1.45pm–2.45pm
An illustrated lecture with Sandra Pullen situating objects from the second handling session in the wider context of garden history from 1700 to the present day.
2.45pm–3pm
Conclusions
Speakers
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Dr Jill Francis
Dr Jill Francis
Jill Francis is an early modern historian, specialising in gardens and gardening in the late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries. She teaches history at the University of Birmingham and the University of Worcester. She contributes to the MA programme on West Midlands History at Birmingham. She is an occasional lecturer on the IHR Garden and Landscape History programme and the Gardens' Trust online provision. She also works at the Shakespeare Institute Library in Stratford-upon-Avon. Her first book, Gardens and Gardening in Early Modern England and Wales, was published by Yale University Press in June 2018.
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Sandra Pullen MA
Sandra Pullen MA
Sandra Pullen had a career in learning and development before taking up garden history. She has been involved with the Gardens Trust series of online lectures since 2020. She sits on the Gardens Trust Education and Training Committee. She is a member of the research and recording committee of the Surrey Garden Trust and regularly lectures on aspects of garden history and the local history of Twickenham. She has a MA in Garden History from the Institute of Historical Research.
