RHS Garden Bridgewater

Description

Following the popular BBC series, this book is the comprehensive guide to one of Europe's largest and most ambitious gardening projects, the magnificent RHS Bridgewater.

RHS Garden Bridgewater has a rich history, deeply entrenched personal connections with the local community, and now a dazzling and exciting future, all of which is brought to life in this sumptuous book.

Set on the site of the former Worsley New Hall stately home in Manchester, bordering the Bridgewater canal, the Bridgewater garden is one of the most exciting public garden projects undertaken anywhere in the world in recent years. Guided by a masterplan from the renowned landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, it is a showpiece of horticultural excellence with a rich array of attractions, from walled gardens and Chinese streamside features to aromatic kitchen gardens and verdant wooded areas, all placed at the heart of the community.

RHS Garden Bridgewater charts the glory years of royal visits to the site, the decline and fall into disrepair, and the subsequent restoration and development of the gardens into what they are today.

Chronicling personal memories from the people who shaped the gardens, the book is beautifully illustrated and provides a complete insight into how a garden was and will once again become an integral and inspirational part of the community.A celebration of RHS Garden Bridgewater, the Royal Horticultural Society's newly reopened public garden

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Yorkshire), Rosemoor (Devon) and Bridgewater (Greater Manchester); flower shows including the Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Tatton Park Flower Show and Cardiff Flower Show; community gardening schemes; Britain in Bloom and a vast educational programme. It also supports training for professional and amateur gardeners

Introduction/overview: brief history and its importance to the RHS and the public.

Early years: before the hall; geology of the area, Roman and Iron age, early mining.

Garden shaper profile: William Nesfield.

The glory years: the hall, the industrialisation of the region, the prosperity, the part Bridgewater played in this success. Plus breakout box ‘Challenges for Bridgewater: Arsenic

Garden shaper profile: Lord Egerton.

The war years: uses of the hall and gardens.

Key buildings throughout the history of Bridgewater: landing platform for the Queen’s visit; the hall, the bunker, the grotto, the bothy, the welcome building.

The decline: hall falls into disrepair; new uses by fishing clubs and scouts; scrumping and garden centre.  Plus breakout box ‘My Bridgewater – personal recollection.

The takeover: discussions on how RHS found the garden, negotiations to make it happen. Interviews with Sue Biggs and her team.

Key plants throughout the history of Bridgewater. 

Early developments of the garden: the longest journey starts with the smallest steps. Framework of the garden plus essential infrastructure.  Section on volunteers and importance.

Garden shaper profile: Tom Stuart-Smith.

Up to speed: soil, plants, containers, lakes and structures.

Garden curator profile: Marcus.

Bridgewater now: learning centres, teaching gardens, wellbeing garden, social prescribing, a garden for all

Beyond the Bridgewater walls: community projects, social prescribing, gardening and mental/physical health

Future projects; woodland, Streamside garden, new hall plans.

RHS Garden Bridgewater timeline.

Map

Index

Additional information

Dimensions	1 × 9.7 × 10.95 in
Imprint	Frances Lincoln
Format	General Trade
ISBN-13	09780711274334
ISBN-10	0711274339
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	HIS015060, GAR014000
Subjects	herb, venue, aristocratic, manor, historic, victorians, rebuild, attraction, canal, salford, manchester, regeneration, orchard, walled, stately home, the Great Northern Garden Build, HIS015060, uncle, shrubs, inspire, history, kitchen, peas, tom stuart smith, ellesmere, weston, peel, moon bridge, worsley, edwardian, maze, hedge, fennel, books for, bridge, lake, meadow, sanctuary, sights, staycation ideas, grandad, essya, restored, grandparents, landscape, vegetables, public, garden, photos, forest, fruit, queen victoria, heritage, paradise, community, flowers, Chinese, father, mother, members, interviews, english, dad, mom, greenhouses, illustrated, visit, passion, BBC, mum, National Trust, design, secluded, architecture, beans, horticulture, royal horticultural society, RHS, GAR014000, aunt, plants, grandma, tourist, trees, 18th, 19th century, 20th, 21st, 1800s, 1900s