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Gardening: History of the Royal Horticultural Society

on May 30, 2010 – 3:04 am

 

  • 1804 Founded on 7th March 1804, by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood, the aim of The Horticultural Society of London was to collect plant information and encourage the improvement of horticultural practice.
  • 1820s A series of floral fetes were held the RHS garden in Chiswick.
  • 1850s Financial crisis led to the sale of the Society’s library which contained many rare books and original drawings.
  • 1861 The Society was renamed the Royal Horticultural Society, after Prince Albert, its then President, arranged a new charter. A new garden in Kensington was also secured and remained its headquarters until 1888.
  • 1862 Royal Horticultural Society’s Great Spring Show held in the RHS garden in Kensington, London.
  • 1866 The Society was able to rebuild its library by purchasing the collection of John Lindley.
  • 1888 The Great Spring Show moved to Temple Gardens near the Embankment, London.
  • 1903 Sir Thomas Hanbury purchased the garden of a former Society council member, George Fergusson Wilson, at Wisley, Surrey, and presented it to the Society as a new experimental garden.
  • 1904 The opening of the RHS offices and exhibition hall at Vincent Square. The RHS London Flower Shows were first held.
  • 1908 First publication of classified list of daffodil names.
  • 1912 The Great Spring Show at Temple Gardens was cancelled to make way for the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London. 1913 The Great Spring Show was held at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London, where it has remained ever since.
  • 1928 A further exhibition hall, the New Hall, now Lawrence Hall, was openedon an adjacent site.
  • 1987 RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon was given to the RHS by Lady Anne Palmer.
  • 1993 Mr and Mrs Dick Robinson gave RHS Hyde Hall, in Essex, to the Society.
  • 1990 An flower show was first held on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. The RHS took it over the running of the show in 1993.
  • 1999 The RHS held its first show at Tatton Park.
  • 2001 The RHS amalgamated with the Northern Horticultural Society and acquired Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire.

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Victorian Christmas

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