Matthew Biggs is a well-known gardening expert and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time and author of several books including RHS Lessons from the Great Gardeners and RHS Great British Village Show.

Contents

6 Foreword
by Alan Titchmarsh

8 Introduction
by Sir Nicholas Bacon

12 Chapter 1: In pursuit of excellence
The story of the RHS

22 Chapter 2: A greener and more beautiful place
Investing in the future of horticulture

36 Chapter 3: Wisley
Surrey garden

54 Chapter 4: Gardening for all
58 Rocket science
The Campaign for School Gardening
62 Flower power
Britain in Bloom
66 Community gardening
It’s Your Neighbourhood
70 Up front with gardening
Greening Grey Britain
74 Gardening changes lives
Community garden in London
78 Seven days to celebrate
National Gardening Week

82 Chapter 5: Rosemoor
Devon garden

94 Chapter 6: Behind the scenes
98 Ask the experts
Gardening advice
102 Under the microscope
Scientific research
106 Climate change
108 Keeping gardens safe
Plant health
112 Cut and dried
Herbarium
116 It started with daffodils …
Plant registration
120 Helping hands
Volunteers
124 Chapter 7: Hyde Hall
Essex garden

134 Chapter 8: The shows
must go on …
138 RHS London shows
144 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
154 RHS Malvern Spring Festival
and Autumn Show
160 RHS Hampton Court Palace
Garden Festival
166 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
172 RHS Flower Show Cardiff
176 RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
180 RHS garden flower shows

186 Chapter 9: Harlow Carr
North Yorkshire garden

198 Chapter 10: Inspiring
everyone to grow
202 Compare and contrast
Plant trials and the Award of Garden Merit
206 A global knowledge bank
Libraries
212 Teabags and bumblebees
Citizen science
214 RHS website
215 A connected society
216 Publishing across platforms
Print and digital
220 Strength in numbers
Affiliated societies
224 Giving and receiving
Partner gardens
228 Green fingers
School of Horticulture
232 A world of opportunities
Bursaries

234 Chapter 11: Bridgewater
Greater Manchester garden

242 Chapter 12: The purest
of human pleasures
The RHS vision

252 Index
255 Acknowledgments
255 Picture credits