Until August 10, 2025, the British Library in London, UK, is hosting Unearthed: The Power of Gardening, a groundbreaking exhibition that explores the deeply rooted, often radical, influence of gardening across British history and society. Far more than a leisurely pastime, the exhibition reveals how gardening is a tool for healing, empowerment, and environmental resilience.

The exhibition spans centuries of horticultural history and presents rare manuscripts, artefacts, and contemporary media. Highlights include the only surviving illustrated Anglo-Saxon herbal remedy collection, John Evelyn’s 17th-century sketches of gardening tools, and the first mechanical lawnmower from 1832. Also on display is The Hortus Eystettensis (1613), a masterpiece of botanical illustration, and a portrait of John Ystumllyn, one of Britain’s earliest known Black gardeners.

Unearthed examines gardening’s role in social and political movements, from the Diggers’ 17th-century protests to today’s guerrilla gardeners reclaiming neglected urban land. The show also addresses the colonial legacies of plant migration and celebrates modern grassroots initiatives. A series of short films, made in collaboration with London-based Coco Collective, documents Afro-diasporic community gardens and the cultural importance of ancestral plant knowledge.

At the heart of the exhibition is a new commission by artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, known for her interspecies work Pollinator Pathmaker. Her installation reimagines the British Library piazza through the eyes of pollinating insects, challenging visitors to consider how gardens might be designed not just for humans but for the ecosystems they support.

Sustainability is a central theme of the exhibition’s design, with most materials being bio-based and all elements built for disassembly and reuse. The British Library is also measuring the carbon footprint of the exhibition for the first time, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental accountability.

A parallel public programme includes talks by celebrated authors Jamaica Kincaid and Olivia Laing, music performances by Beth Orton and Matthew Herbert, and events like The Great Garden Fête. A related book, Gardens of the Future, showcases visionary garden designs from leading landscape architects and is displayed alongside free installations in the Library’s Entrance Hall.

To extend its reach, Unearthed is partnering with 30 public libraries across the UK through the Living Knowledge Network. These venues will host their own displays and events, encouraging local communities to reflect on the environmental and cultural significance of their green spaces.

As lead curator Maddy Smith notes, “Gardening connects us to our past, grounds us in the present and encourages us to look ahead to the future.” By drawing on Britain’s rich horticultural heritage, Unearthed encourages visitors to see gardens not just as places of beauty, but as powerful agents of change.