The gardening team at Holker Hall & Gardens near Ulverston has recreated an antique photograph of their predecessors thought to be more than 140 years old.
The antique image, which shows gardeners dressed in bowler hats, collared shirts and ties in front of the Burlington Fountain, was found during clearance of a storage area in the hall’s west wing.
Use the red button to see the old and new photos fully.
Head gardener Matthew Murgatroyd suggested recreating the image during a planning session for Holker’s forthcoming Springfest Event, where the gardener team will work together to promote sustainability and greener gardening via a series of demonstrations in the gardens themselves.
He said: “It was an opportunity whilst the team were all together, to consider the changes in gardening since the original shot was taken back in the 1880s.
“The team today is smaller because of technology advances and younger thanks to a renewed interest in gardening as a profession.
“But there are also some things we have in common with the Victorian team, notably the lack of peat in our compost – which is one of the sustainability issues we’ll be talking about at Springfest.”
As well as green gardening issues, experts like Sinead McCann from Growing Well will be speaking about horticulture and mental health and BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time regular Anne Swithinbank will be answering questions in the Springfest Outdoor Theatre.
The event takes place on Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4.
