Flora's Empire

Liketheirpenchantforclubs,cricket,andhunting,theplantingofEnglishgardensbytheBritishinIndiareflectedanunderstandableneedonthepartofexpatriatestoreplicatehomeasmuchaspossibleinanalienenvironment.InFlora'sEmpire,EugeniaW.Herbertarguesthatmorethansimplenostalgiaorhomesicknesslayattherootofthis"gardenimperialism,"however.Drawingonawealthofperiodillustrationsandpersonalaccounts,manyofthemlittleknown,shetracesthesignificanceofgardensinthelonghistoryofBritishrelationswiththesubcontinent.ToBritisheyes,shedemonstrates,Indiawasanuntamedlandthatneededthevisiblestampofcivilizationthatgardensintheirmanyguisescouldconvey.Colonialgardenschangedovertime,fromthe"gardenhouses"ofeighteenth-centurynabobsmodeledonEnglishcountryestatestotheherbaceousborders,gravelwalks,andwell-trimmedlawnsofVictoriancivilservants.AstheBritishextendedtheirrule,theyfoundthathillstationslikeSimlaofferedanidealretreatfromtheunbearableheatoftheplainsandaplacetocoaxEnglishflowersintobloom.Furthermore,Indiawaspartoftheglobalnetworkofbotanicalexplorationandcollectingthatgathereduptheworld'splantsfortransporttogreatimperialcenterssuchasKew.Anditisthroughcolonialgardensthatonemaytracktheevolutionofimperialideasofgovernance.EveryGovernmentHouseandResidencywascarefullylandscapedtoreflectcurrentidealsofanorderedsociety.AtIndependencein1947theBritishleftbehindalastinglegacyintheirgardens,onestillreflectedinthedesignofparksandinformationtechnologycampusesandinthehorticulturalpracticesofhomegardenerswhocontinuetosendawaytoEnglandforseeds.