Citations

Citations

Downing , Sarah Jane . "Green and Pleasant ." Observer[London ] 04 04 2009, n. pag. Print. <http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/05/pleasure-sydney-gardens-vauxhall-bath>.

Friends of Victoria Pleasure Gardens, . "Bandstand ."Victoria Pleasure Gardens . N.p.. Web. 6 Oct 2013. <http://www.victoriapleasuregardens.org.uk/>.

Hindess , Paul . Nightingale singing extended version vol 2. 2012. Video . Youtube Web. 5 Oct 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYesmSQpteM&list=PLEA5A57CA67A4AC89>.

omskirk, . Bandstand in the park . 2007. Video . Youtube Web. 5 Oct 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2huzp16vh6w>.

"Pleasure Gardens and Popular Recreation ." Miniature Worlds . Word Press, n. d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://miniatureworlds.wordpress.com/gallery/pleasure-gardens/>.

"Pleasure Gardens ." British Library . British Library Board . Web. 4 Oct 2013. <http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item104823.html>.

Saurdy, Barbara . "1800's Public Pleasure Gardens of African Americans In New York City ." Early American Commercial Pleasure Gardens & Public Grounds. Blogger, 03 05 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. <http://publicpleasuregarden.blogspot.com/search/label/Amer Commercial Gardens - African Americans>.

"The Pleasure Gardens of Lower Manhattan." Ephemeral New York . Word Press, 04 05 2011. Web. 3  Oct. 2013.

"Victoria Pleasure Gardens, Burgess Hill." One-O-Clock Printers Pie . N.p.. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.nzsc.co.uk/PleasureGardens/victoriapleasura.html>.

Pleasure Gardens In New York And Across America

Vauxhall, New York

 New York was the hub for early American pleasure gardens. 

 Vauxhall is one of the most recognized pleasure gardens in America. It was located by Broadway and Bowery, which today are famous places. Though there is a Vauxhall in England, the one in New York was able to stand alone. It was a place that offered co-ed social gatherings with a country club atmosphere. The gardens were huge and kept perfectly manicured. Alcohol and ice cream were served at the gardens. Ice cream was a fairly new treat and it delighted costumers to be able to have a cold refreshment.  A visitor to Vauxhall once remarked “At the side of this…Battery is a Voxhall: it is illuminated at night in the summer and has music and cold refresments. There is another one a mile from town with a much bigger garden. They are both kept by French people who through the sale of ice cream alone have gained a large fortune. Both these places are very much frequented. The inhabitants here are much more lively, much gayer, and enjoy their recreation much more than in Philadelphia.” 

Other gardens soon started to pop up all over New York. Niblo’s Garden, Contoit’s Garden and Palace Garden were all very popular in the late 19^th-early 20^th centuries. They all mimicked each other in design and entertainment. 

After American’s from other states saw how grand the pleasure gardens in New York were they wanted to have them in other states too. The gardens moved down the east coast and spread across America. Men and woman, adults and children, low and upper classes were able to mingle within the gardens. They all were able to enjoy the various forms of entertainment. Alcoholic drinks, ice cream and bandstands wowed Americans and distracted them from their everyday routines. It gave them the perfect escape from reality. The Pleasure Gardens became a big deal in the southern states. The country club atmosphere was fully embraced in the south. Woman particularly enjoyed the Pleasure Gardens, being able to sip tea and gossip with their girlfriends was a great form of entertainment. The experience spawned gardening clubs for the woman across the south. 

Entertainment

Blindman's Bluff

Entertainment in Victorian pleasure gardens were meant to be fun and distracting. City life was fast and tiresome. Cities were over crowded, and there wasn't a lot of green space to enjoy.The pleasure gardens served as an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. People could come to relax and forget about their jobs and responsibilities.The gardens had a country club feel to them. The public came to gossip with friends and enjoy a break from reality. Card games were very popular in American gardens. They were simply played recreationally in the gardens as gambling and card playing was considered frivolous, and addicting just like it is today. Many people became bored playing cards and would try to build houses out of cards instead. It was a practice in patience and a test of steady hands. Blindman’s Bluff and leap frog were also popular games at the time. Blindman’s Bluff was a game like tag, which was played by kids and younger adults. It gave young men an excuse to chase around pretty young girls. 

Other forms of entertainment like musical acts played at pavilions for crowds. Bandstands were very popular acts in the gardens and played well into the evenings. Fireworks were often set off in the evenings while people enjoyed a drink and ice cream. Pleasure Gardens in America were the precursors to modern day amusement parks.

Garden Desgin

The design of pleasure gardens date back to the time of Sultan Mehmed II and the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan wanted to enjoy the outdoors in Istanbul. He would tour surrounding estates, but they would always be secluded, so that he would not be disturbed. The Sultan then started to create public gardens. The Victorian pleasure gardens in America were derived from their Istanbul counterparts. Pleasure gardens are vast, but made in a way so that crowds can be controlled.

 Pleasure gardens are surrounded by large walls and there are normally gates at the entrance.  Thick hedges or groups of trees will typically line the outside of the gardens walls, and then gave way to pavilions and fountains. The sitting areas are surrounded by flower gardens and paved walkways. 

Victorian Gardening

Gardening in the Victorian era was thought of as an art. European gardens were the envy of gardeners in America. English gardens were known for being large and colorful. The English style of gardening was known as “natural” gardening. The gardens were overgrown and packed with color. The flowers were not evenly spaced, or overly pruned. These gardens had a more natural look to them, unlike the perfectly manicured lawns of mansions or castles. Whimsical landscapes were inspired by the English countryside. English artist and landscape architect Gertrude Jekyll has said that “the first purpose of a garden is to give happiness and repose of mind.” That happiness came from being able to sit surrounded by beautiful and fragrant flowers. Typically one would see bellflowers, columbine, corabells, daisies, dame’s rocket, delphinium, and dianthus to name a few. These flowers all vary in color, size and shape. 

Dame's Rocket 

                                                                       Delphinium

It wasn't until the late 19^th century to the early 20^th century that American gardeners caught on to the art of Victorian gardening. Domestic gardens became very popular in America and grand pleasure gardens filled with a wide variety of flowers became accessible to Americans. Americans were finally able to find their “happiness” in gardening. 

What is a pleasure garden?

Do you know what a pleasure garden is? I kind of had an idea when I first started research for this project. Turns out that there's more to the gardens than I originally thought... 

It's pretty self-explanatory. A pleasure garden is a garden in which the public can come to relax and enjoy various types of entertainment. The gardens were privately owned and were open to the public for a price. Entry fees were collected at the front gate. Since there was a fee, it was more common to see the wealthy frequenting the gardens. The Victorian pleasure gardens of the 19th-20 centuries had beautiful plants in varying colors and scents. Nightingales could be heard serenading visitors from the tree tops. 

Visitors could walk along paved and cobblestone pathways that wound through the flowers, or relax on benches. Victorian pleasure gardens also featured entertainment. Music, animals, and bandstands were staples of the 19^th-20^th century pleasure gardens. The gardens were the prefect distraction from city life. They could leave the over crowded streets and work behind to enjoy some relaxation. Pleasure gardens really were all the rage back in the day for the newly wealthy, and old money who were looking for a country club atmosphere and beautiful surroundings.