Gardens of Imagination

Artist Faye Claridge took RHS archive material into HMP Send, a women’s prison in Surrey. The collection documents how prisoners of war set up a horticultural society in Ruhleben internment camp in Germany during WW1.

Her aim: to inspire present-day women in prison to consider the role of gardening in their incarceration today.

Growing in incarceration

Ruhleben was an internment camp for British Citizens set up in Germany during the First World War. With support from the RHS, the inmates of Ruhleben created a unique way of life for themselves, growing beautiful gardens in a prison camp.

The men faced considerable challenges, imprisoned for four years, cut off from loved ones, against the backdrop of a terrible war. A psychologist in the camp found that those who gardened experienced the lowest levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

_{Images: Prisoners of war at Ruhleben internment camp near Berlin, 1917. Credit: RHS Lindley Collections.}

Inspiring creativity in prison today

For over 100 years, the RHS Lindley Library have kept the records of the Ruhleben gardeners and their remarkable story. Letters and photographs show the enormous impact that gardening had on their mental health and wellbeing.

Today, gardening is still turning lives around. At HMP Send, horticulture is an important part of the rehabilitation programme.

Prisoners at HMP Send can grow their own flowers, fruit and veg across 4.5 acres of gardens, 11 polytunnels and a glasshouse. Through gardening, they gain new skills and horticultural qualifications recognised by the RHS. It also has an important role to play in their daily wellbeing.

In the summer of 2021, women in prison at HMP Send took inspiration from the RHS Ruhleben collection to create artwork, photography and illustration reflecting their own experiences of gardening, working alongside artist Faye Claridge.

This short film tells the story of the collaboration: