ETHOS
 Gardens have as strong a social history statement to make as a factory or an exhibit. Their development and use altered dramatically within the Victorian era and cut across all social classes. Originally gardens were about practicality - supplementing the family diet and even raising a little income - and later they became about leisure and status. Whole industries were spawned around the changing fashions of the garden, be it manufacturers of gardening products, decorative garden goods, or even travel agents undertaking trips to the ever-growing public gardens and parks. Blists Hill Victorian Town needs to recognise and communicate this in its daily interpretation.
PROPOSAL
A three year plan is proposed to bring the Blists Hill Victorian Town gardens and landscape more in line with the realities of Victorian gardening.
 2006 Research, plan, source materials, and establish heritage seed and plant links. Produce schematic and detailed designs and costings.
2007 Lay out gardens and begin planting schemes.
2008 Explore future opportunities for exhibiting the Blists Hill Victorian Town seed and plant collections.
RESEARCH
All plans will be grounded, where possible, in local historic evidence. All other activities will be based on known evidence from further a field and the practical modern issues which need addressing, such as visitor facilities, Disabled Access and Health & Safety requirements.
BENEFITS
 The gardens cover a large amount of space on the fifty acre Blists Hill Victorian Town site; they need to be right, and better gardens will give a greater scope to extend the Sundial Theatre Company ‘Victorian Gardeners Question Time’ with education groups and general visitors.
The curriculum and QCA Schemes of Work - Key Stages 2 & 3 - focus very much on the Victorian home; gardens obviously play a part in making the home and helping to sustain it. There are options to incorporate how gardens were used into the education literature. Gardening clubs are interested in the development of the gardens and there is scope to do more formal learning with these groups with the knowledge gained.
Many of the alterations to the gardens will allow better universal access for all of our visitors.
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