About Unearthed: The Power of Gardening

From beautiful botanical illustrations to the world’s oldest mechanised lawnmower, ancient herbals to guerrilla gardening zines, Unearthed reveals how gardeners have cultivated more than just plants – they've sown the seeds of change.

Dive into gardening’s role in our health and wellbeing, see how people have reimagined our homes, towns and cities to create green spaces, and uproot the tangled histories of the plants that grow in our gardens today.

Among an incredible collection of books, manuscripts, photographs, artworks and historical tools, highlights include:

the first English gardening manual: Thomas Hill’s 1558 guide on how to tend a garden
Charles Darwin’s vasculum, for collecting plant specimens on the Beagle voyage
the only surviving illustrated Old English herbal
an oil portrait of John Ystumllyn, one of Britain’s earliest documented Black gardeners
Gertrude Jekyll’s boots: a trailblazing gardener, writer, artist, and one of the 20th century’s most influential garden designers
striking botanical art by European, Indian, Chinese and Caribbean artists
four short films following Coco Collective, an Afro-diaspora led community garden that opened as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic
a Victorian Wardian case, the mini travelling greenhouse that enabled thousands of living plant specimens to be moved around the world.

Unearthed celebrates gardening as a force for creativity, resilience and community through the remarkable stories of the people and plants that shape our gardens.

The exhibition is supported by a donation made in memory of Melvin R Seiden, with thanks to Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust for additional support.

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Concessions

British Library Members go free with a guest. Click book now, and then login to your box office account to book your free tickets. Please bring your Membership card with you when you visit. Find out more about becoming a British Library Member.

Other concessions are available, including for under 25s, students and those with a disability. Please see the ticket options for more details and select the ticket type you require. We also offer discounts for groups of 10+, and these will automatically discount once added to your basket.

ICOM, NMDC and other reciprocal free entry scheme organisation cards are accepted for free entry into this exhibition up until 27 July 2025. There is no need to pre-book, please visit the Library with your card or relevant ID for entry, subject to availability.

Camden resident tickets

If you are a resident of Camden, you can visit Unearthed: The Power of Gardening for £1! Book your ticket online by selecting ‘Camden Resident (with proof of address)’ as your ticket type. All adults will be required to provide proof of address upon entry to be eligible for a £1 Camden Resident ticket*. Each accompanying child (under 18) requires a £1 ticket but does not require proof of address. Adults can purchase additional tickets for up to 4 children for £1. This offer cannot be used for school or educational groups.

*Accepted proof of address must have been issued within the last 12 months and includes driving licence, utility bill, bank or building society statement, financial statement (e.g. pension or endowment) council tax statement, benefit statement or other at the discretion of staff.

Opening times

The exhibition is open:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 09.30 – 18.00

Tuesday 09.30 – 20.00

Saturday 09.30 – 17.00

Sunday 11.00 – 17.00

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening

About Unearthed: The Power of Gardening

More information

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