The Shakespeare Garden in Stanley Park

History of the Garden

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Gardens for Shakespeare

Throughout his plays, William Shakespeare writes of gardens and plants. It seems that Shakespeare had a special interest in the subject of horticulture. Rumors speculate that he was an avid gardener and had a vast knowledge of plants, for his time. There are over 180 plants referred to in the works of Shakespeare.¹

There is a trend in landscape architecture that pays homage to Shakespeare by creating 'Shakespeare Gardens'. They are more common in Europe, but some Shakespeare Gardens have been created in North America. One of the most well known is in Central Park, New York. It was created in 1872. Many Shakespeare Gardens were built around 1916, the three hundred year anniversary of the Bard's death. The famous American landscape architect, Jens Jensen, designed a Shakespeare Garden at Northwestern University, Illinois, to demonstrate empathy for England during World War One. There are two Shakespeare Gardens in British Columbia. One garden was recently built at the University College of the Fraser Valley, the other one has a long history in Stanley Park.²

Stanley Park Shakespeare Garden

In 1916, Mrs. Jonathan Rogers planted an oak tree near the site of the Rose Garden in Stanley Park, on behalf of the Vancouver Shakespeare Society, to honor the tercentenary of Shakespeare's death. There is a plaque at the base of this tree to commemorate the event. In 1921, two subsequent plaques were placed, with two more oak trees, planted by famous actors of the day. One plaque denotes the tree "Tragedy," planted by the actress Eva Moore, the other is "Comedy," planted by the actor Sir John Martin Harvey. No doubt in homage to the works of the Bard. A fourth plaque was placed mid-century in memory of the actor, John Draine. This small grove dedicated to the theatre may have played a role in the selection of the site for the Shakespeare Garden in Stanley Park.

The idea for a Shakespeare Garden in Stanley Park was first presented by the Kilbe Shakespeare Circle and the Vancouver Shakespeare Society in 1932. The Vancouver Shakespeare Society and the Shakespeare Club proposed to pay $1000 in 1934 for the construction of a Shakespeare Garden. In the same year Mr. Duncan (a Shakespeare Society member) and Alderman Dean made a proposal for the concept of the garden, complete with preliminary sketches. E.C. Thrupp was commissioned to paint a concept plan of the garden, which is still kept at the Vancouver Archives. By 1935, the architect J.F. Watson had sculpted the Shakespeare monument with the quote from Ben Johnson's poem 'Memorial to Shakespeare,' which reads "He was not of an age, but for all time." The monument was placed near the works yard adjacent to the Rose Garden, where it remains today. On August 28, 1936, the Shakespeare Garden was officially opened for the Golden Jubilee celebration in Stanley Park by Lord Tweedsmuir, the Governor General of Canada.³

Lord Tweedsmuir opened the garden by saying, "I like to think of Shakespeare as someone who lived and worked with flowers. He made his gardens beautiful and you have followed his pattern in true spirit. Nothing has amazed me more than the beauty and luxuriousness of the gardens. Shakespeare, I am sure would have loved to live here. I have great pleasure in opening and dedicating these gardens."⁴

The Shakespearean Society of Vancouver and the Shakespearean Club planted the Shakespeare Garden with trees mentioned in the works of Shakespeare. These trees included the red oak, fir, beech, catalpa, fern leaf beech, tree of heaven, flowering ash, pacific dogwood, and laval hawthorn. Most of these trees are still present in the garden, along with a diverse selection of tree species. They create a wonderful arboretum as an accompaniment to the Shakespeare monument.⁴

The original concept plan for the garden was never realized. What we find in the garden today is much different from the Elizabethan style usually seen in Shakespeare Gardens. The Stanley Park Shakespeare Garden has a uniquely west coast style, with towering trees creating a diverse canopy for the quiet grove. The history of the garden continues to be written, as plans for garden enhancement are currently being considered..

References

1. Jongerden, H. This Other Eden. Stratford Festival of Canada, 2002.
2. Hales, M. Shakespeare in the Garden. New York, 2006.
3. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation minutes. MCR 47 - 11, 1932 -1936: 48 F2, File3
4. Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, communications document 1