Planting Diaries is a personal project exploring gardening as a cultural activity.  Using the vast digital resources now available from some of the world’s greatest libraries and museum archives, I examine representations of gardens in art and popular culture, people who’ve influenced garden styles and trends, vernacular gardens, flower shows, and historic garden design.  From time to time, I also record my visits to gardens across the UK.

Whilst re-training in horticulture and planting design, and volunteering  at the Museum of the Home, I became fascinated with the special atmosphere created by the planting in the museum’s period gardens.  I’m now an enthusiast for all types of heritage garden plants, many of which are still in cultivation, and deserving of a place in our modern gardens.

Currently a freelance gardener, I manage the garden at the Girdlers’ Company in the City of London and maintained the Cloister Garden at the Museum of the Order of St John from June 2019 – August 2022.  In March 2023 Planting Diaries was named by The Gardens Trust as one of the top 5 blogs and podcasts for those that have just discovered garden history.

Siân Rees 2022
Twitter:  @PlantingDiaries

© Planting Diaries 2022