The William Turner Garden was created for Castle Morpeth Borough Council in Northumberland as part of the Carlisle Park Project, a £1.6m project funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund Public Parks Initiative.
The garden celebrates the life and achievements of William Turner, who was born in Morpeth. As well as being known as the `Father of English Botany', in recognition of his first herbal in the English language, this truly `Renaissance Man' was also a doctor of medicine, Member of Parliament and Dean of Wells.
This show garden gives a flavour of the new garden in Morpeth, using traditional materials and reflecting the form and features of a medieval physic garden, reworked for the modern day. The medicinal plants are arranged in physic beds by use eg for heart, lung and blood disorders, as well as cosmetic and culinary beds. A knot garden provides a modern interpretation and uses water pools to display the yellow iris favoured by Turner.
The garden contains only those plants found during Turner's lifetime (1508- 1568).
Following Chelsea, the show garden has been returned to the Northumberland County Association for the Blind which will be responsible for its future upkeep.
