First buds of new growth for Liverpool’s Botanical Collection
One of Britain’s oldest botanical collections is now on show for the first time in over 20 years.
Visitors will be able to view a significant part of the Liverpool Botanical Collection in the glass houses and walled garden of Croxteth Hall & Country Park from Wednesday, August 15 2007
And the collection is set to play a starring role in the European Capital of Culture programme, as the inspiration behind ‘Liverpool Fragrant’, a major artistic project for 2008 led by international visual artist Jyll Bradley.
Established by William Roscoe in 1802, the complete botanical collection has not been on display since 1984. The move to Croxteth is the first step in bringing the collection back to public attention. Approximately one-third of the plants and flowers will now be available for view, including the once world-famous orchid collection. The rest of the collection will remain in nurseries for the time being, with the intention of reuniting it in a permanent home at some point in the future.
The Liverpool Culture Company has commissioned Jyll Bradley to deliver Liverpool Fragrant, a special artist-in-residency at the Botanical Collection, which will be a major artistic highlight of the 2008 programme. Jyll’s work will culminate in an artists’ book, documenting the many stories behind the collection and creating a complete archive of its history for the first time. Other plans for the project include a photographic public art exhibition as part of next year’s Liverpool Biennial, and the collection’s first exhibition at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show since 1962.
More details: http://www.croxteth.co.uk/news/2007/botanics.asp