Cambridge recreates 336-year-old garden of naturalist John Ray
8 reported
Gardeners at Trinity College, Cambridge have dug up their front lawn to recreate a historic garden planted by botanist John Ray in the 1650s, using clues from a 1690 engraving. The project commemorates the 400th anniversary of Ray’s birth next year. Ray, known as “the father of natural history,” coined the terms petal and pollen and is regarded as the greatest English naturalist of the 17th century. The garden is located in front of a descendant of an apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton, a Trinity alumnus. Head gardener Karen Wells focused on drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly plants that Ray chose, including wood avens, betony, golden rod, pasqueflower, and white-flowered moth mullein. The garden sits on a site where a 2005 soil test by Prof Peter Spargo of the University of Cape Town found metallic residues indicating the location of Newton’s private laboratory. Prof Richard Serjeantson, who teaches history at Trinity, said the new garden could be on “the most scientifically important spot of land in the 17th century.”
What’s reported
John Ray created his first known garden at Trinity College, Cambridge in the 1650s.
The garden was recreated using clues from a 1690 engraving.
The project commemorates the 400th anniversary of Ray’s birth next year.
Ray coined the terms petal and pollen and is regarded as the greatest English naturalist of the 17th century.
The garden is in front of a descendant of an apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton.
Head gardener Karen Wells planted drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly plants including wood avens, betony, golden rod, pasqueflower, and white-flowered moth mullein.
A 2005 soil test by Prof Peter Spargo found metallic residues indicating the location of Newton’s private laboratory on the site.
Prof Richard Serjeantson called the spot “the most scientifically important spot of land in the 17th century.”
Key figures
John Ray, botanist and naturalist
Karen Wells, head gardener at Trinity College, Cambridge
Prof Peter Spargo, University of Cape Town
Prof Richard Serjeantson, history teacher at Trinity College, Cambridge
Sources: The Guardian
