Exhibition: The City Gardener

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City gardeners have long battled lack of space, lack of light and poor air quality to carve a space for nature in the urban jungle. Taking inspiration from The City Gardener, the first practical guide to urban gardening, this exhibition at the Lindley Library explores the delights and challenges of urban gardening through the ages.

Fairchild published The City Gardener in 1722, hoping to inspire his fellow Londoners to continue their gardening efforts in even the most inhospitable urban environments. He was secure in his belief that being closer to nature would bring great benefits to mind and body. Nearly 300 years later, modern scientific research has proved him right. Comparing Fairchild’s theories with the results of recent studies by the RHS Science team at Wisley, this exhibition investigates the important benefits of gardening for people, for plants and for pollinators. From the 18th century to today the great need to increase green spaces in our cities has been ever present. Greening Grey Britain, the RHS campaign to encourage people to green their grey front gardens, clearly has a long pedigree.

Image: (partial view) Frontespiece of ‘The City Gardener’ by Thomas Fairchild, 1722 

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