Harcourt Arboretum is taking part in celebrations occurring in gardens and arboreta throughout the UK and Ireland to mark the 350th anniversary of John Evelyn’s Sylva, and the publication of a contemporary version – The New Sylva.
A large panel from the Sylva Trail at the Harcourt Arboretum
Harcourt Arboretum, part of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, is hosting a Sylva Trail from April until the end of November. It guides visitors while informing them about trees and their purpose, and delighting them with selected text and drawings from The New Sylva. Read more.
Twelve individual panels are distributed throughout the beautiful arboretum, which includes many majestic and some rare tree specimens, as well as areas of natural woodland. It is well-known for its show of bluebells towards the end of April.
Setting up the Sylva Trail at Harcourt Arboretum. Left to right: Ben Jones, Arboretum Curator; Rodas Irving of Oxford Oak, designer of trail leaf boards; Guy Horwood, Arboretum Arborist.
Silvologist Gabriel Hemery and artist and Sarah Simblet co-authored The New Sylva. It is published by Bloomsbury, and was sponsored by forestry charity the Sylva Foundation (www.sylva.org.uk). Its 400 pages explores the future of our forests along with forty-four detailed tree profiles, brought to life with 200 exquisite drawings that capture the delicacy, strength and beauty of our trees. www.newsylva.com
