Marianne North’s legacy, Hastings

January 12, 2014 by Elizabeth Melton Parsons 9 Comments

Marianne North used to live across the road a century and a half ago.
She was a famous botanical painter who traveled with Charles Darwin across the globe collecting rare plants. She helped create Kew Gardens in London, where there is a permanent gallery showing her botanical paintings.

She also created a beautiful garden here in Hastings. It is now protected in a Conservation order.
Edward Lear used to visit, and there is a story about how he would paint her fig trees and other exotic trees and plants, pretending to be somewhere else entirely. He wrote the poem ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ for Marianne’s niece.

During the last year or so, the Headteacher of the Sacred Heart Catholic School who occupies part of her former garden has, without proper consultation, allowed contractors to cut down many of the trees Marianne North planted.

The neighbours, who live in…

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Author: Elizabeth Melton Parsons

I'm a novelist, poet, and artist. I love books, nature, art, and gardening. I'm a rock hound and there's a photo of me with a cool fossil rock on my about page, I take a lot of nature pictures. The background here is one of mine. Unfortunately I recently lost my wonderful husband, but I'm grateful to have the blessing of two beautiful sons. elizabethmeltonparsons.wordpress.com is © Elizabeth Melton Parsons 2007-2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Elizabeth Melton Parsons with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.