The landscape architect Lancelot “Capability” Brown got his nickname from his persistent use of a euphemism.
He was known for telling his clients – a roster of lords and ladies that included none other than King George III and his humble residence at Hampton Court Palace – that their grounds had “capabilities” for improvement. This of course was a genteel way of saying, in other words, that they looked like c***.
The deft blow would come after Brown, an accomplished rider, had assessed an estate on horseback. He would then sketch plans for undulating lawns, serpentine lakes, scatterings of oak, elm and beech trees, and his signature cedar of Lebanon.
Crucially, he was a man who had perfected the subtle art of the ha-ha. These sunken fences achieved the twin goals of uninterrupted views and protection of said lawns from Awol sheep.
Never again since has Britain known such an “it” gardener. Brown became synonymous with social cachet among the 18th century landed gentry. He landscaped the grounds of some 270 stately homes, including Chatsworth House, Blenheim Palace, Harewood House and Petworth.
