Hydrangeas and Mill Hill

Mill Hill School is sited on the estate of noted botanist and plant collector Peter Collinson. Working with John Bartram who collected many plant species in the American colonies, Collinson planted many specimens in his estate thus introducing dozens of new plant types to Europe. In 1739, the hydrangea – one of Collinson’s most famous introductions – blossomed for the first time in the grounds of Mill Hill School.