The Kyoto Garden in Holland Park was opened in 1991 to commemorate friendly relations between the UK and Japan that have burgeoned after the Second World War. It is one of about eight Japanese gardens in the UK today.
Until 1853 Japan was closed to foreigners. In 1862 the first Japanese diplomatic mission came to England. A party of thirty-five stayed at Claridge’s and aroused great interest with the general public. Botanists were able to visit Japan and send plants and trees back creating enthusiasm for all things Japanese including gardens. The Rothschilds were caught up in the craze and designed one at Gunnersbury Park.
“Gunnersbury Park was the first major Rothschild garden in England; the huge trees, notably the famous cedars, rose arches on the lawn, the Temple overlooking the lily ponds and astonishing variety of fruit, made it one of the most famous of its day.
It was under the subsequent generations of Nathan’s son, Lionel (1808-1879) and his grandson, Leopold (1845-1917) that the house was altered and the gardens transformed. Leopold was responsible for the development of the wide range of gardens at Gunnersbury including a heath garden, a bamboo garden and an Italian garden. The Japanese garden was inspired by the beautiful gardens at Lake Como in Italy, and was the most formal part of the landscape at Gunnersbury, including a bamboo avenue, using thirty different species and varieties, and a bamboo bridge. Complete with an elegant tea house, it caused a sensation when it was planted in 1901.” (The Rothschild Archive)
Rather sad remnants of it exist today. The current owners, the London boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow, and the Gunnersbury Museum & Park Development Trust have ambitions to recreate it. Meanwhile in 2022 they planted a grove of eighty cherry trees as part of the Sakura cherry tree project.
This Japanese emperor oak is thought to be one of only a few growing in England. Its huge leaves distinguish it from native oaks.
Weeds are just flowers
Sprouted in the wrong places
Beauty forgotten
Two things in particular stoked interest in Japan: the Japan-British exhibition at White City in 1910 and The Mikado, first performed in 1885.
It is encouraging to hear that there are at least ambitions to restore the Japanese garden at Gunnersbury Park. It often seems to require someone(s) with unusual vision in a local or regional authority to lead them to go beyond anything other than the most basic maintenance of cultural properties in their care.
No zeal like that of a convert, so a propos of Japanese gardens, please let me bang the drum for my adopted city a bit:
Here in the U.S., there are at least 300 Japanese gardens, with the one here in Portland, (the city in Oregon, not the one Maine after which the Oregon one was named, decided by a coin toss) thought to be among the finest.
The idea for the Portland Japanese Garden was conceived in the late 1950’s as a means of “forging a healing connection to Japan on the heels of World War II.” It was built in the 1960’s (amid some protest, name-calling, etc.) on the old site of the local zoo.
Our friend, wiki, explains the basic details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Japanese_Garden
The Portland Japanese Garden now has an ambitious new Japan Institute that — among other efforts to broaden the mission of the garden — two years ago with Kew co-organized a Peace Symposium in London:
https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/JAPANUKEvent/event/2022/202212/06-PeaceSymposiumLondon2022.html
If you ever stray as far as Oregon, the Japanese Garden is well worth a visit.
Yours certainly knocks Kyoto in Holland Park into a cocked hat.
I’m so pleased that you went to Gunnersbury. I went for only the first tie a couple of months ago and was very impressed by the whole history of the place and the charming “local exhibition”on the top floor. Some very fine tree specimens in the garden/park. I had no idea about the Rothschild connection before going there. I want to see Boston Manor next but haven’t fixed a date.