The Regency in Great Britain refers to the time period when King George III (1760-1820), the guy blamed for losing the colonies to the original guerrilla warriors in the American Revolution, was deemed unfit to rule; his son ruled as Prince Regent. On his father’s death in 1820, the Prince Regent became George IV. The regency period was a time of sweeping change due to industrialization. To offset its impact, cities in Europe and the United States began designing parks in the picturesque style-asymmetrical pathways and emotionally charged vistas-for city dwellers to enjoy while strolling past carefully designed flower beds.
And of course, Regents Park, designed by John Nash and Humphrey Repton, named for George IV’s efforts at beautifying London, is where the great love story between Pongo and Purdy begins.
Just like Regent’s Park in London, America’s first public botanical garden was the Boston Public Garden, in 1837.
Much like Regent’s Park, the Boston Public Gardens is meant for strolling and taking in the flower beds. The riot of colorful flowers was considered garish by Victorian Bostonians. Designed by George Meacham, who was paid 100.00 for his award winning design, far less than the award granted to John Nash.vvOver 80 variety of flowers are grown in the greenhouse and planted in the garden.
As an artist looking for New England scenery to capture in my work, I have long been inspired by the beauty of the Boston Public Gardens. Below are two limited edition prints of original paintings I’ve created of the gardens. Both are available for purchase.
Looking for some juicy gossip? Watch my short video about Regents Park, the king, and the gardener’s wife. Scandalous!
