The Festival of Britain, although centred around London’s South Bank and including the Royal Festival Hall and Skylon sculpture, included a vibrant countrywide horticultural programme intended to lift spirits amid post-war austerity.
This included flower-festooned bike rides through London’s Haringey, mass tree planting in Blackpool’s Stanley Park and a new conservatory and gardens in Sheffield’s Weston Park. An estimated 1,600 green spaces across the country were thought to have been permanently enhanced as a result.
The RHS is appealing for photographs, postcards, leaflets and memories to help tell the tale of these gardens and events including:
- Displays created in private gardens to celebrate the festival including hanging baskets, front garden plantings, kerbside displays
- Public spaces such as parks and festival gardens created in your local area, in or around 1951
- Local Festival of Britain celebrations with a horticultural element, for example horticultural competitions, floral displays or floats incorporating flowers
Submissions will be added to the charity’s archives which documents the history of gardening in the UK and includes a wealth of horticultural treasures. These include letters from Charles Darwin regarding plants found abroad, a copy of one of the most expensive books ever published - the Flora Graeca - created at a cost equivalent to more than £6million in today’s money, and the first dedicated gardening manual to be published in English - Thomas Hill’s 1558 Profitable Arte of Gardening.
RHS Head of Libraries, Fiona Davison, said: “The RHS Lindley Library tells the story of gardening in the UK through a treasure trove of items collected over its 200 years but stretching back many more. We want to ensure that this history reflects the gardens and events inspired by the 1951 Festival of Britain that played an important part in ushering in a public garden revival, many of which are still benefitting local communities today.”
The public can submit their memories and memorabilia by emailing [email protected]. Further information can be found on the RHS website: Festival of Britain gardening appeal / RHS
For more information about the RHS Lindley Library and to see some of its contents online visit: Find out about our RHS Library Collections / RHS
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