The story of a ‘forgotten’ group of British men who set up a horticultural society in a German internment camp is set to be revealed in a new exhibition in October to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War.
The story has been uncovered by the RHS Lindley Library, and the RHS is now putting a call out to find relatives of the men who may be able to share more of their story.
The Ruhleben Horticultural Society at the Ruhleben internment camp in Germany not only grew flowers, but also used their horticultural skills to feed their fellow prisoners, earned money to fuel its fledgling economy, and organised RHS standard flower shows to boost morale.
This was made possible by the support of the RHS in London, which sent huge amounts of seeds, bulbs and advice to its affiliate, deep behind enemy lines.
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