History and Higos

The history of horticulture is social history. Over millennia the highs and lows of civilisations has been reflected in horticulture, from early 'cottage gardens' where people grew vegetables and herbs (including or even especially medicinal herbs) close to their homes, right through the introduction of ornamental gardens and the landscape movement, and right up to today's gardening styles and trends.

The explosion of exploration in the 19^th century brought thousands of new species to the gardens of Europe, many of which were tended by legions of dedicated gardeners, and many of which suffered serious decline after two wars tore Europe apart and decimated the army of labourers and gardeners. In the post-war years, increasing through the 1960s, Britain saw a major change in that more leisure time meant that more people were looking for ways to improve their gardens. Lawnmowers became affordable and accessible, meaning that pristine swathes of grass could be kept, and nurseries catered less for the major land owners and more for the 'man on the street', offering an ever widening range of plants. Garden centres were born, providing easy access to anything the modern gardener might need.

Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta; exotic to us but a native tree in China!

Looking back it's easy to think of horticulture as being a recent thing, but civilisations have been growing things for centuries. In Japan horticulture was traditionally intertwined with customs and culture; one very old Japanese tale tells of a man who had to burn his prized bonsai trees to keep a visiting Shogun warm during a bitter winter, and it can be argued that the concept of growing plants in pots is originally ancient Japanese, with Hepaticas and Asarum popular candidates. Japanese gardens are typically very precise, almost ritualistic; traditional Japanese gardens are often based around landscapes, with key features represented in miniature by stones or particular plants.

Higo- 'Okan'

If you ask people to think of things connected with Japan sooner or later they will mention Samurai, the elite military noblemen. Far from just being feared and revered noblemen the Samurai, these were clans with their own customs and rites. Revered among the elite of Japanese society, as well as by the Samurai, were a particular group of Camellias, now known as Higo varieties; these varieties were admired for their single flowers which framed a large number of stamens. Often families would have their favourite Higo variety, and these were planted on the graves of family members.

Higo- 'Jitsugetsusei'

Although Japanese culture has changed massively there is still a great affection for surviving Higo types. Best of all the Higo Camellias are simply flower forms of Camellia japonica, so if you can grow Camellias you can grow Higos! 

Higo- 'Goshozakura'