The Subtropical Garden

Influential horticulturalist William Robinson changed Victorian garden style in this 1871 book, by using plants suitable for the English climate.

William Robinson (1838–1935) published numerous books on different aspects of gardening. This 1871 work encouraged the use of subtropical and hardy plants in English garden design, rather than exotic hothouse species. Robinson was one of the most influential writers on late Victorian gardening style.The Irish-born gardener and writer William Robinson (1838–1935) travelled widely to study gardens and gardening in Europe and America. In 1871 he founded a weekly illustrated periodical, The Garden, which he owned until 1919, and he published numerous books on different aspects of horticulture. Topics included annuals, hardy perennials, alpines and subtropical plants, as well as accounts of his travels. High Victorian garden fashion involved formal beds of exotic and hothouse flowers. Robinson was influential in introducing less formal garden designs, using plants more suited to the English climate. This work was published in 1871, and showed how impressive outdoor displays could be achieved from hardier species, rather than relying on expensive greenhouses for short-lived plants. Robinson's most famous books, The Wild Garden (1870) and The English Flower Garden (1883) are also reissues in this series.