Description
Book SynopsisWith a foreword by Alan Titchmarsh, this beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the Royal Horticultural Society, the perhaps the foremost gardening institution in the world. The RHS is the
world's largest gardening charity but what it does and why is little understood and rarely celebrated. From defining new gardening trends at the
Chelsea Flower Show, to ranking the best dahlias to grow at the Wisley trial grounds, to inspiring communities with
Britain in Bloom, educating children to grow and eat their veg through the
Campaign for School Gardening, the
RHS works tirelessly to improve the gardener's lot. With the use of
evocative archive images and
contemporary photos by award-winning Jason Ingram, this beautiful book explores the
past, present and future of this most influential organisation by listening to the voices of those working today.
Table of ContentsContents
6 Foreword
by Alan Titchmarsh
8 Introduction
by Sir Nicholas Bacon
12 Chapter 1: In pursuit of excellence
The story of the RHS
22 Chapter 2: A greener and more beautiful place
Investing in the future of horticulture
36 Chapter 3: Wisley
Surrey garden
54 Chapter 4: Gardening for all
58 Rocket science
The Campaign for School Gardening
62 Flower power
Britain in Bloom
66 Community gardening
It’s Your Neighbourhood
70 Up front with gardening
Greening Grey Britain
74 Gardening changes lives
Community garden in London
78 Seven days to celebrate
National Gardening Week
82 Chapter 5: Rosemoor
Devon garden
94 Chapter 6: Behind the scenes
98 Ask the experts
Gardening advice
102 Under the microscope
Scientific research
106 Climate change
108 Keeping gardens safe
Plant health
112 Cut and dried
Herbarium
116 It started with daffodils …
Plant registration
120 Helping hands
Volunteers
124 Chapter 7: Hyde Hall
Essex garden
134 Chapter 8: The shows
must go on …
138 RHS London shows
144 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
154 RHS Malvern Spring Festival
and Autumn Show
160 RHS Hampton Court Palace
Garden Festival
166 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
172 RHS Flower Show Cardiff
176 RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
180 RHS garden flower shows
186 Chapter 9: Harlow Carr
North Yorkshire garden
198 Chapter 10: Inspiring
everyone to grow
202 Compare and contrast
Plant trials and the Award of Garden Merit
206 A global knowledge bank
Libraries
212 Teabags and bumblebees
Citizen science
214 RHS website
215 A connected society
216 Publishing across platforms
Print and digital
220 Strength in numbers
Affiliated societies
224 Giving and receiving
Partner gardens
228 Green fingers
School of Horticulture
232 A world of opportunities
Bursaries
234 Chapter 11: Bridgewater
Greater Manchester garden
242 Chapter 12: The purest
of human pleasures
The RHS vision
252 Index
255 Acknowledgments
255 Picture credits
