Royal Albert Memorial Museum Touring Exhibition: Global Gardeners
This fascinating exhibition charts the adventures of intrepid plant hunters of the Exeter and Chelsea firm of Veitch & Sons
Date: 24 May to 29 June
Time: Mon-Sat 8-5.30, Sundays 10.30 -4.30, Bank Holidays 9-5
Venue: St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, UK, EX2 7JY

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Veitch & Sons sent fearless plant hunters all over the world to collect new species of plants. As well as the plants they collected the travellers also brought back objects as souvenirs from the countries they visited. The Veitch family donated many of these items to The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in the 1880s and they now form part of the Museum's World Cultures collection. These items provide a fascinating link between plants, collecting and empire.
Visit the touring exhibition to gain a better understanding of the influence of Veitch & Sons plant collectors on our planted environment.
St Bridget Nurseries acquired the famous Exeter nursery of Robert Veitch & Son in 1969 when failing health obliged the late Mildred Veitch to sell the business. For many years the nursery was run separately but it is now a subsidiary of St. Bridget Nurseries. A family firm with its third and fourth generations in the business, St Bridget Nurseries will always strive to ensure that the wonderful contribution made to horticulture by the firm of Veitch & Sons will never be forgotten.

Preview the exhibition at St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane, before it opens to the public.
Join Veitch specialist and horticulturalist, Caradoc Doy, in a walk around our Nursery and see some of the plant varieties introduced by Veitch & Sons.
After a finger buffet in the Plantsman's café hear Tony Eccles, RAMM's Curator of Ethnography, talk about Victorian souvenir collecting featuring the souvenirs collected by the Veitch plant hunters.
Date: Friday 23rd May, 6pm
Tickets: £5 (inc buffet), must be purchased in advance.
Call 01392 873672 for tickets.