The garden at a Lichfield museum has been branded ‘outstanding’ by a national programme.

The Erasmus Darwin House herb garden
The Erasmus Darwin House herb garden

The accolade was given to the Erasmus Darwin House herb garden by The Royal Horticultural Society’s It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme.

The initiative is a non-competitive programme designed to encourage groups to “green up” their local areas.

A spokesperson said:

“When Lichfield city decided not to enter Britain in Bloom this year, we were encouraged by the organisers to have a go at the It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme instead, especially as this would mean we would be accessed on our own merits.

“We are pleased to have been awarded ‘outstanding’ status.”

Erasmus Darwin House spokesperson

The herb garden is made up of a number of areas, including the culinary garden which reflects the use of herbs and spices in Georgian cooking and cleaning.

Other areas include:

  • Dr Darwin’s Medicine Chest which includes plants directly referenced to the writings of Dr Darwin.
  • The Apothecary’s Garden which includes traditional herbs that would have been supplied by 18th Century apothecaries.
  • The Dyers Garden which includes examples of plants which could have been used by professional dyers in the city to produce the natural colours needed for fabrics.
  • The Scented Garden which has been developed to bring fragrance and colour to the historic house and garden.

For more details, visit the Erasmus Darwin House website.