Our Congratulations go to MPGA Vice President Rosie Atkins and Committee Member Mark Lane.
Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth honoured Mark by elevating him to a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) on his retirement in 2022 as Gardens Manager for the Royal Palaces. He was subsequently installed by King Charles at a private audience in November 2023.
Mark is a Committee Member and responsible for our Elms4 London project.
Rosie was honoured with the RHS Peoples Award for those who distinguish themselves in the service of horticulture – the Elizabeth Medal of Honor (EMH). Only 63 medals are held at any one time.
Rosie launched Gardens Illustrated magazine in 1992 and became Director of Chelsea Physic Garden in 2001. In 2021 she chaired a panel on funding charity gardens at Chelsea Flower Show, which became Project Giving Back.
Taylors Bulbs awarded 31st Gold Medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Huge congratulations yet again to Taylors Bulbs, our partners in the Bulbs for London initiative. Over 100 varieties were grown for the show, 22,500 bulbs were planted and 5,565 perfect flowers used for the display in the Grand Pavilion. The flowers are cropped fully open and kept in cold store for up to 2 weeks. They only have an average life span of a few days so the display is re-staged twice to keep the standard high.
Thanks to Taylors, many of these varieties have been seen flowering across London's public parks and gardens. Click here for Spring pictures of some of the many sites which have benefitted from the Bulbs for London scheme.
LONDON OPEN GARDENS WEEKEND
In 2024 the MPGA was delighted once again to be one of the sponsors of this very special event in which over 100 gardens participated. This year London Open Gardens Weekend will be on 7/8 June and details can be found on their website.
After the pandemic, it was wonderful be able to visit some of London's private and secret gardens which are not usually open to the public. There were also guided walks, including a walk in Bloomsbury, one at St George's Garden and another in St Giles Churchyard. Here are just two of the many gardens which were open to visit:
LONDON IN BLOOM
London in Bloom is a wonderful initiative with which the MPGA have been involved for over 30 years. Full details on their website.We have very similar aims but our main objective is to make London a more pleasant and greener place to live and visit.
Each year we make a contribution towards the event and help with cost of publicity.
London in Bloom Gold Award 2019
Congratulations to London in Bloom winners 2021
RECENT ARCHIVE DISCOVERY!
We've recently been sent a Play Bill which a member came across on Ebay advertising an evening back in May 1894 which a Bayswater amateur dramatics group put on for the benefit of the MPGA!
It's extraordinary that this fragile 'flyer' has survived for well over a hundred years.
In the 1895 MPGA Annual Report we read that Colonel Basevi, whose daughter performed in the production, gave the proceeds of the evening to the MPGA. Details appear in the 'donations' section of the accounts.
It's the first time we've seen funds being raised for the MPGA in this novel way - is anyone up for a repeat performance?!
Built in 1863 and initially called the Victoria Hall, the building is now known as the Twentieth Century Theatre and Archer Street Bayswater is part of Westbourne Grove.
LONDON'S LOST DRINKING FOUNTAINS
Back in the early days of the Charity Lord Meath, our Chairman at the time, would approach MPGA members asking for donations to finance drinking fountains in specific parks, squares
and churchyard gardens across London.
When we delved into our archives we came up with Lord Meath's list of around forty fountains and their sponsors. Many of these ornate Victorian fountains have been lost over the years but miraculously some still survive, like the one erected at Christchurch Gardens, Blackfriars in 1900. Recently we also gave a grant to St Peters Walworth for planting around the fountain which was donated in 1895 and both can be seen below. Unfortunately neither of these fountains are currently in working order.
However, with the drive to address single plastic bottle pollution, the question of refurbishing the drinking fountains in London has come to the fore. So far only one or two London Borough have responded but we are hoping more will follow.
Recently the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) has helped to finance the restoration of several of the original Victorian fountains, including the one opposite St James Church in Bermondsey and the fountain at Stepney Green in Tower Hamlets.
In 2025 the MPGA was delighted to hear that two additional fountains were being restored by HOLT, both of which are situated in gardens designed by Fanny Wilkinson. The first, Christchurch Blackfriars, was unveiled in the Spring and the second, Coronation Gardens, in July. The MPGA has been involved with both gardens over the years and attended both unveiling ceremonies.
The Coronation Gardens fountain features a sculpture of Fanny Wilkinson by Gillian Brett. Fanny already has a Blue Plaque but now also has a sculpture which was specially created for the fountain.
Here is a link to a short film of the Coronation Gardens event
As well as the MPGA another Victorian organisation, the Metropolitan Drinking Fountains & Cattle Troughs Association, were also funding new decorative fountains across London around the same time.
Follow Lost Drinking Fountains of London
Discover the story of the Wallace Fountain now residing at Hartford House in London. Researched and presented by Suzanne Higgott, Curator of Glass, Limoges Painted Enamels, Earthenware and Early Furniture at the Wallace Collection.