RHS Gardens of Imagination – A Modern Herbal

Gardens of Imagination is a creative programme that celebrates and centers the voices of local communities, through co-creation, collaboration and celebration. The work and activities expressed through the programme uses RHS Heritage and Collections as inspiration and stimulus.

Anna worked with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and The Walton Charity to create A Modern Herbal as part of the wider RHS Gardens of Imagination programme. This used new insights and perspectives on gardens and gardening using RHS collections to co-create with people engaging with green-growing communities and spaces (the co-creators) in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey as part of Gardens of Imagination Wisley.

Anna (she/her) has taken a participatory approach to co-produce a series of creative workshops to create content and co-curate the final exhibition. Workshops have been designed to explore the concept of A Modern Herbal. The questions

• What plants or green spaces help you and/or your community with health or wellbeing?
• How would you like to capture and communicate the effect of these plants or greenspaces?

were chosen to stimulate discussion and debate with the community participants around the relationships and attitudes humans have with plants and how this is reflected through feelings, wellbeing and contemporary social relationships. Anna undertook explorative research using the RHS Lindley Library Collections and combined this with place based practice to create original artwork.