‘The Lost Gardens of Manchester’, a major new installation at the Art Gallery, is now open to the public. Produced by the National Trust, it delves into the past, to celebrate the city’s rich botanical history. It’s rather hard to believe now, but Piccadilly Gardens was not always a misnomer, and long before the bus station, Shudehill was once an orchard. It was these areas of greenery that inspired the exhibit. Other areas of the display invoke the glasshouses which of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Nineteenth-century Trafford. The installation was created over the course of 12 days by the Trust’s Gardener in Residence and a large group of volunteers. 10 tonnes of compost was shovelled and 500 flowers planted. The green displays will evolve over the year, reflecting the changing seasons.
Thu 2 Apr – Sat 31 Oct, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL. Tel: 0161 235 8888. 10am – 5pm, FREE entry, www.manchestergalleries.org
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Fri 30 Oct 2015
