William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919) was a crazy rich gardener – or, more accurately, a crazy rich man who paid other people to garden.
He was the scion of a family that took root in 18th century America when Astor’s German immigrant progenitor built a fortune from the fur trade, the sale of opium in China, and New York real estate.
By the time William Waldorf came along, the Astors had become famous for their wealth, and for their family feuds and scandals.
A sample: A cousin, John Jacob Aster IV, divorced his first wife and married a woman 29 years younger. He died on the Titanic, but the second wife, who was pregnant, made it onto a lifeboat and survived – an incident worthy of an episode of the HBO series Succession. And if you delve into their New York real estate deals, the family may resemble . . . well, never mind.
In 1891, in the midst of another spicy family feud, William Waldorf Astor decided that New York was no place for a gentleman and decamped to England. In 1903, he bought Hever Castle and its 3,500 acres in Kent. The castle is famous for being the home of Ann Boleyn, the ill-fated wife of Henry VIII.
He was quite the job creator. He hired 800 men to restore a moat around the castle, and then build a second moat to assuage his fear about his family’s safety. Next, the workers rerouted a nearby river and created a 38-acre lake with an island in it. This project was so big they built a temporary railway to haul the dirt around.
That was just the beginning. Needing a special place from which to view his new lake, Astor had his minions build an Italianate colonnaded loggia with a replica of Rome’s Trevi Fountain. (He had previously served as a U. S. Ambassador to Italy.)
He employed designers and gardeners to create a Tudor Garden in honor of Ann Boleyn. It included fragrant herbs for cooking and others for “masking medieval smells.” Inspired by the sight of a Tudor-era chess set, he also paid his workers to create a gigantic topiary replica. Still not satisfied, he added a giant maze of yew shrubs, a 5,000 plant rose garden, and a replica Tudor village. And this is just a partial project list.
The question is why he did all this. This puzzled and perplexed me for weeks. What would possess a person to hire 800 men to move a river, create a lake, and build not one but two moats around his house?
It’s pretty safe to say that Astor never sank a shovel into the earth, planted a seed, or got dirt under his fingernails. From an ordinary gardener’s point of view, that’s as sad as a marriage that was never consummated. His aim was clearly command and control, not intimacy with nature.
But he did have a deeply held appreciation for art and sculpture, especially all that came from Italy. In large measure, his gardens were a setting for his vast sculpture collection. Did he also intend the castle grounds to be a showcase for his own wealth and importance? It’s impossible to say, but hard not to judge.
Maybe extreme wealth, family estrangement, loneliness, and a consoling love for Italian culture could lead a person to do the grandiose things he did, and maybe even to find happiness.
But his story has me thinking about why people garden. What made us start, and what keeps us coming back, year after year? What do we think we’re accomplishing for ourselves, each other, and the natural world?
Over the last few months, I’ve been asking friends and readers why they garden, and I’m collecting their responses. If you’d like to weigh in, please do, via email or the comment section below.
In the next few weeks, I’ll report on the motivations of the non-crazy-rich gardeners – the ones who don’t move rivers or build moats.
Jill Severn writes from her home in Olympia, where she grows vegetables, flowers, and a small flock of chickens. She loves conversation among gardeners. Start one by emailing her at jill@theJOLTnews.com
7 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Drutty
Interesting history and I had heard bits of this on "Escape to the Country" (fabulous show on CBUT). Formal gardens seldom appeal to my soul but "English" gardens of colour & gay abandon do appeal. I like my garden to be more not less, crowded with complimentary colours and not too restrained. It all feeds my soul to watch it change and develop each year. It's own kind of therapy!
Friday, January 12 Report this
susanh
Gardening is a form of meditation to me. I lose track of time planting, dead-heading, weeding and get so much enjoyment out of seeing what blooms each spring.
Friday, January 12 Report this
TimRansom
This is fun! Looking forward to more installments.
Saturday, January 13 Report this
sunshine39
Another great column, Jill. One which has your usual "interesting" thought on gardening.
Thank you
Saturday, January 13 Report this
hptrillium
I garden because I love to create beautiful gardens with plants that I am attracted to. I love the blooms, the smells, the colors that complement each other and the taste of the edible plants. I enjoy giving to others who see the gardens the experience of beauty. I seek just the right place for each plant to thrive and to have a lot of variety in my garden.
Saturday, January 13 Report this
PegGerdes
Terrific column! For me, gardening is a joy that feeds all my senses. I love the smell of the earth especially - it removes thoughts and cares and worries, smooths my brow, keeps me in the moment to just do what is right in front of me ... and then over there ... and then right there. It clears my head and helps me think, solve, and plan in the back of my mind. And it makes me feel a part of something much bigger than me, humble and grateful.
Monday, January 15 Report this
marygentry
I've always loved gardening as it is a way to express a modicum of creativity with color and structure. Plus, if something doesn't work out as planned or a plant dies - so what? Especially during my working life, it was a relief to know that if I made mistakes, I could laugh about them as no one else would be hurt or damaged because of it. For me, gardening has always provided a benevolent escape.
Wednesday, January 17 Report this