Library talk: The Wisley Account Books

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Join us on a Library talk at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. These short talks by our Librarians and the RHS Archivist showcase items from the library collections. Sessions are free and pre-bookable. They take place on a Friday morning in the Foyle Reading Room. Most tours are about 15 minutes long.

The Wisley Account Books
A look at the first few years of the RHS at RHS Wisley Garden through the pages of the early Wisley account books, starting in 1903. From the purchase of ‘store pigs’ to the sale of the old cart horse, the ledgers open up a world of horse-drawn mowers, nectarine pineapple plants and fish guano. They track rapid development across the garden, curious fire brigade remittances, and culminate in First World War enlistment payments and wages for prisoners of war, providing a window on to the sights, sounds and smells of life at RHS Wisley Garden 120 years ago.