Unearthed: The Power of Gardening at Leeds Central Library

Dive into the magic of gardening at Leeds Central Library: Unearthed: The Power of Gardening is a new, temporary exhibition in its beautiful surroundings.

A major show of the same name took place in London earlier this year. Now, 30 libraries around the country are joining in to highlight the historical, cultural and social significance of gardens and horticulture.

From tiny, windowsill herb gardens to elaborate allotments, Unearthed: The Power of Gardening brings together artefacts, books and historical documents to show the multilayered story of gardening. It’s not just about helping plants thrive – it can be a form of protest, activism and empowering communities. Perhaps most importantly, it provides a tool to maintain a close connection with the natural world. 

There is an exciting and varied programme of events accompanying the exhibition, including making a herbarium, botanical watercolour, dried flower embroidery and a treasure handling session for those of us who have always wanted to don white gloves and gently flip through an old book. Unearthed also includes a specially curated list of gardening related books, and a whole host of eAudio “stories and poems for a walk in nature”.

The key event in the programme though, is The Speaking Garden, a multimedia installation and calming soundscape created by Buffalo Sound Design. The installation hands the mic over to the gardeners of Leeds themselves, presenting a ‘garden of voices’, sharing their plant and greenery-related stories by answering the questions ‘Why do gardens or gardening mean something to you?’ and ‘What have you learned from gardening that you’d like to pass on to others?’.

Whether you’re already a keen gardener growing your own courgettes or just dipping your toe in, visit Unearthed: The Power of Gardening for green inspiration.