Capability Brown

Lancelot Brown, who was to be known as Capability Brown was a Landscape Architect rather than a gardener but he is often described as England's greatest gardener.  In his liftime Capability Brown designed over 170 parks, many of which can still be seen today.

Capability Brown was born in Kirkharle in the county of Northumberland.  His first job was as gardener's boy with Sir William Loraine's family in Kirkhale.  He went on to work for Lord Cobham and became one of the gardeners at Stowe in Buckinghamshire where he served under William Kent who was one of the originators of the English landscape garden.

Capability Brown became much sought after by the English country estate owners who were determined to 'improve' their fine houses and parks.  His work has endured and can be seen today in at Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Harewood House, Bowood House, Milton Abbey and Croome Court.  He also did some work at Kew Gardens but did not want to works in Ireland until he had inished England.

The Capability style was new and modern, it did away with the formal terraces and and fancy flower beds.  Capability Brown favoured the undulating lawn that would lead right up to the house with a few large trees dotted around the landscape.  He created serpentine lakes by damming small rivers which was a totally new concept.  His landscapes soon became very fashionable and he was much in demand among the wealthy English families.  Praise for Capability Brown was not universal and not everyone was in favour of the 'new look'.  Scottish architect Sir William Chambers, who knew a little about garden design himself, thought that there was little difference between Brown's designs and nature.

Capability Brown died in London in 1783 and his popularity did not survive long after his death, his landscapes were seen as a pale imitation of wild nature.  During the 19th century Capability Brown's style was not popular at all but he returned to popularity during the 20th century when his reputation was revived by the likes of Marie-Luise Gothein in her History of Garden Art, which first appeared in her native Germany and was published in England in 1928 and Christopher Hussey's praise in his book The Picturesque, published in 1927.