Our Congratulations go to MPGA Vice President Rosie Atkins and Committee Member Mark Lane.
Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth honoured Mark by elevating him to a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) on his retirement in 2022 as Gardens Manager for the Royal Palaces. He was subsequently installed by King Charles at a private audience in November 2023.
Mark is a Committee Member and responsible for our Elms4 London project.
Rosie was honoured with the RHS Peoples Award for those who distinguish themselves in the service of horticulture – the Elizabeth Medal of Honor (EMH). Only 63 medals are held at any one time.
Rosie launched Gardens Illustrated magazine in 1992 and became Director of Chelsea Physic Garden in 2001. In 2021 she chaired a panel on funding charity gardens at Chelsea Flower Show, which became Project Giving Back.
Taylors Bulbs awarded 31st Gold Medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Huge congratulations yet again to Taylors Bulbs, our partners in the Bulbs for London initiative. Over 100 varieties were grown for the show, 22,500 bulbs were planted and 5,565 perfect flowers used for the display in the Grand Pavilion. The flowers are cropped fully open and kept in cold store for up to 2 weeks. They only have an average life span of a few days so the display is re-staged twice to keep the standard high.
Thanks to Taylors, many of these varieties have been seen flowering across London's public parks and gardens. Click here for Spring pictures of some of the many sites which have benefitted from the Bulbs for London scheme.
FANNY WILKINSON BLUE PLAQUE
We're delighted to announce that Fanny Wilkinson has been awarded a blue plaque by English Heritage.
Fanny was the first woman landscape architect in England and was employed by the MPGA from 1884 to 1904, during which time she created over 75 public gardens in London.
The plaque was erected on 7 June 2022 at her first Bloomsbury home, where she also worked, at 239/241 Shaftsbury Avenue, recently renamed Princes Circus
The unveiling of the plaque, which was organised jointly by the MPGA and English Heritage, was carried out by Rachel de Thame, writer, gardener and television presenter. Also involved in the event were Rebecca Preston of English Heritage, Wesley Kerr OBE, MPGA Vice President, Trustee of the Royal Parks, freelance broadcaster, writer and journalist, as well as Jeanie Northover, Fanny's great great niece, representing the Wilkinson family.
Fanny Wilkinson and the Blue Plaque were the subject of a couple of interesting articles.
Click here to view 'Blazing a Trail', an article about Fanny written by Jodie Jones, journalist and MPGA Committee member. This feature appeared in the GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL of July 2022 and was accompanied by pictures of Fanny's gardens.
Click here to view Ian Morton's article in the January 2023 edition of COUNTRY LIFE, with accompanying pictures of Myatt's Fields Park and Paddington Street Gardens which were transformed by Fanny.
Click here to view 'Blazing a Trail', an article about Fanny written by Jodie Jones, journalist and MPGA Committee member. This feature appeared in the GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL of July 2022 and was accompanied by pictures of Fanny's gardens.
Click here to view Ian Morton's article in the January 2023 edition of COUNTRY LIFE, with accompanying pictures of Myatt's Fields Park and Paddington Street Gardens which were transformed by Fanny.
Many of Fanny's gardens are still enjoyed today, here are two of them
LONDON OPEN GARDENS WEEKEND
In 2023 the MPGA was delighted once again to be one of the sponsors of this very special event in which over 100 gardens participated. To find out more about London in Bloom visit their website
After the pandemic, it was wonderful be able to visit some of London's private and secret gardens which are not usually open to the public. There were also guided walks, including a walk in Bloomsbury, one at St George's Garden and another in St Giles Churchyard. Here are just two of the many gardens which were open to visit:
LONDON IN BLOOM
London in Bloom is a wonderful initiative with which the MPGA have been involved for over 30 years. Full details on their website.We have very similar aims but our main objective is to make London a more pleasant and greener place to live and visit.
Each year we make a contribution towards their running costs as well as sponsoring two of their highly prized awards.
London in Bloom Gold Award 2019
Congratulations to London in Bloom winners 2021
GOOGLE ARTS AND CULTURE –
GARDENS UNITED
Launched in July 2021, the Google Arts and Culture project is a collaboration to celebrate the unique, beautiful gardens of the UK, from royal palaces to local allotments.
We were delighted to take part and here's the link to the MPGA's section
Do check out Gardens United – an amazing project for us to be part of.
The MPGA section can also be accessed near the top of the home page under 'and 26 more partners'.
RECENT ARCHIVE DISCOVERY!
We've recently been sent a Play Bill which a member came across on Ebay advertising an evening back in May 1894 which a Bayswater amateur dramatics group put on for the benefit of the MPGA!
It's extraordinary that this fragile 'flyer' has survived for well over a hundred years.
In the 1895 MPGA Annual Report we read that Colonel Basevi, whose daughter performed in the production, gave the proceeds of the evening to the MPGA. Details appear in the 'donations' section of the accounts.
It's the first time we've seen funds being raised for the MPGA in this novel way - is anyone up for a repeat performance?!
Built in 1863 and initially called the Victoria Hall, the building is now known as the Twentieth Century Theatre and Archer Street Bayswater is part of Westbourne Grove.
LONDON'S LOST DRINKING FOUNTAINS
Back in the early days of the Charity Lord Meath, our Chairman at the time, would approach MPGA members asking for donations to finance drinking fountains in specific parks, squares
and churchyard gardens across London.
When we delved into our archives we came up with Lord Meath's list of around forty fountains and their sponsors. Many of these ornate Victorian fountains have been lost over the years but miraculously some still survive, like the one erected at Christchurch Gardens, Blackfriars in 1900. Recently we also gave a grant to St Peters Walworth for planting around the fountain which was donated in 1895 and both can be seen below. Unfortunately neither of these fountains are currently in working order.
However, with the drive to address single plastic bottle pollution, the question of refurbishing the drinking fountains in London has come to the fore. So far only one or two London Borough have responded but we are hoping more will follow. Recently the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) has restored the fountain opposite St James Bermondsey. A second fountain at Stepney Green in Tower Hamlets is also going to be reinstated to full working order – we've also heard that there may be a third in the pipeline.
As well as the MPGA another Victorian organisation, the Metropolitan Drinking Fountains & Cattle Troughs Association, were also funding new decorative fountains across London around the same time.
Follow Lost Drinking Fountains of London
Discover the story of the Wallace Fountain now residing at Hartford House in London. Researched and presented by Suzanne Higgott, Curator of Glass, Limoges Painted Enamels, Earthenware and Early Furniture at the Wallace Collection.