Fiona Davison is the Head of Libraries and Exhibitions at the Royal Horticultural Society and the author of The Hidden Horticulturists, a book that is part detective story and part history. In 2012, whilst going through some documents at the Lindley Library, she came across a bound volume that contained many letters dating back to 1821 from young, working men, seeking acceptance into the Society’s gardens, including one from a young Joseph Paxton. Tracing their stories from these first letters, Fiona has written a brilliant and unique history of modern gardening packed with botanical wonders, scandals, spying and intrigue. The Hidden Horticulturalists was published in 2019 and named as one of the Gardening Books of the Year by the Daily Telegraph. Fiona is a regular presenter on the RHS podcast and is in high demand as a speaker by gardening and history societies up and down the length of the British Isles. She is currently working on a new book about pioneering feminist gardeners and their impact today.
Twitter: @fjd65