Napoleon’s Garden Island: Lost and old gardens of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean

There is more to St Helena than an exiled emperor; the tiny island in the middle of the wild South Atlantic Ocean has a rich garden heritage and an extraordinarily diverse flora, both exotic and endemic. St Helena is a tiny island in the middle of the wild South Atlantic Ocean, rich in garden heritage and exotic and endemic flora. The island was once the stopover for vast East India Company fleets, carrying cargos of spices and plants from China, Malaysia and India. In the age of sail, only a small number of plants survived such voyages, so they were placed to rest on the island, before their last voyage. Maintained by enslaved labour and Chinese gardeners, once such place is the Emperor Napoleon’s Garden at Plantation House. This amazing book is illustrated throughout, with stunning drawings, maps, and manuscripts and looks at St Helena’s future and its past, taking the reader on a botanical exploration of the island’s native and introduced flora and placing it in context today. Featuring 45 colour photographs and 30 b/w illustrations. •The first garden history of the remote island St Helena, in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean•St Helena became a plant resting place in the 18th century for trade fleets carrying plants and spices from the east on the way to Europe •As a result the island became a botanical hub and developed extraordinarily botanically diverse gardens•Fascinating addition to the literature on St Helena, away from military history, and based on primary research by the author •A botanical exploration and history of the island’s native and introduced flora•Illustrated throughout with stunning drawings, maps, and archival manuscript material

• | Author: Donal P. McCracken
• | Publisher: Royal Botanic Gardens
• | Publication Date: May 05, 2022
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• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781842467480
• | ISBN-10: 1842467484