The PLANTS project: an artist’s garden at Broughton House

As Japan began to open up to the western world in the mid-1800s, there was a strong interest in the country and its culture, including its plants and gardens. Hornel first visited Japan in 1893, when he spent 18 months there on a sponsored trip. The ‘Japonisme’ fashion peaked in the UK in the late 19th and early 20th century, coinciding with Hornel’s work in both his art and garden.

Read more about Hornel’s trip to Japan

By the time Hornel visited Japan, there were greater opportunities to acquire Japanese plants than ever before. The Japanese government even set up a plant nursery in the port of Yokohama, and then other nurseries sprang up to meet the demand. Hornel owned several catalogues from the Yokohama Nursery Company – their beautiful woodblock prints of plants are sometimes displayed in the house.

It is hard to imagine our gardens today without the familiar sight of Japanese plants such as lilies, camellias and peonies. However, before the 19th century they would usually have only been seen outside of Japan in art, including decorations on wallpaper or porcelain. In fact, many people did not believe such beautiful flowers actually existed.

Although we do not have extensive plant records from Hornel’s time, we know that several original Hornel plantings still thrive in the garden today. These include the Hydrangea petiolaris (climbing hydrangea) trained on the studio wall, the Wisteria sinensis (the Chinese wisteria planted c1909) whose winding and gnarly stems have created an archway over the central path, and the Magnolia × soulangeana (saucer magnolia) that stands near the summerhouse. These plants have been propagated to continue the living link between Hornel and the garden.

During the PLANTS project inventory of Broughton House, we’ve felt lucky to be surrounded by a wonderfully diverse range of plants; it is a testament to the gardeners over the years who have carefully selected new plants that sit harmoniously within Hornel’s landscape.

Three tree highlights from Japan include: Styrax japonicus (Japanese snowbell), Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura tree) and Acer palmatum ‘Aconitifolium’ (full moon maple). There are also many unusual Japanese ferns and herbaceous plants, 20 different species and cultivars of Paeonia (peonies), 4 species of Tricyrtis (toad lily) from Japan, and Iris ensata (Japanese water iris).

Though strongly influenced by the country, Hornel did not adhere rigidly to Japanese garden design or the sole use of Japanese plants. He used his artistic licence to evoke the feel of a Japanese garden with his use of stone, winding paths, ponds and stepping stones, as well as through the plants he chose.

Further back in the garden, the Japanese element lessens, and the various garden rooms take on a more cottage garden feel. The vegetable garden at the far end includes gooseberries, rhubarb and strawberries. Beyond the replica of Hornel’s Edwardian greenhouse sits a bench, where Hornel used to admire the view over the estuary – a view he would also paint.

The central path running through the garden is where the boundary wall with the neighbouring garden once stood. Hornel effectively doubled the size of his garden into the ½ acre plot seen today by buying the adjoining property. He rented the house out but kept most of the land. At one point, it was rented to fellow artist and friend Charles Oppenheimer, another artist closely linked with Kirkcudbright and its artistic community.

Hornel was clearly a talented garden designer. He was also a knowledgeable horticulturist and was elected a non-resident Fellow of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in June 1927.

Hornel’s sister Elizabeth (Tizzy) lived with her brother at Broughton House. Tizzy was equally involved in the garden’s creation and cultivation and was a respected plantswoman. An orchid has been named after her (Dactylorhiza ‘Tizzy Hornell’) and it grows in the garden. The garden’s friendly cat is also named Tizzy.

It’s a real privilege as part of the PLANTS project team to spend time in so many different Trust places and to discover what treasures are growing in our gardens. As we record the plants and their history within the garden, we learn more about what has shaped the garden over the years.

By recording the plant collections on our new database, it helps our understanding of what we have now, demonstrates how the garden links to the past and will document how the garden evolves in the future.

Plant Listing at the National Trust for Scotland (PLANTS) is the biggest horticultural audit project undertaken by the Trust and aims to celebrate, protect and better understand the flora and vegetation across our gardens and designed landscapes.

Read more about the PLANTS project