Promote the understanding of gardens,
their values and their history

Transnational Themes are designed to address the lack of information and common criteria currently available. The aim is to increase public awareness of both the history and potential of gardens, using a variety of themes to promote carefully selected gardens as new leisure and tourism destinations. Four themes have been identified to appeal to visitors interested in parks and gardens, culture, history and art:

Historic Gardens : Gardens representing a garden style or design or having great importance for garden heritage. Gardens having common historic roots or based on early cultural exchange.

Gardens of Famous People and Events : Cultural expression through gardens and gardens reflecting views on the landscape (painters, writers etc.). People who became famous because of gardening. Gardens showing works of arts.

Productive Gardens : Gardens offering authentic, traditional and quality products and services. Gardens that are integrated in programmes using cultural assets for sustainable development.

Contemporary Gardens : Contemporary gardens, innovative concepts or festivals contributing to the evolution of garden arts, to new facilities or showing innovative measures to address new visitors.

The Transnational Themes will be featured by more than 100 parks and gardens on a specific website giving virtual access to each garden by appealing texts, maps and images. Full information will be available by the end of 2005.

To know more about the target group and their main interest existing user surveys have been reviewed and own surveys in 13 parks and gardens have been implemented. Using a joint questionnaire these surveys will - for the first time ever - allow to compare garden visitors throughout Northwest Europe .

For first results of this action please refer to "Reports"

Main responsibility: Cheshire County Council
Major supporting partner: Stiftung Schloss Dyck

Contact person : Steve Jardine
jardines@cheshire.gov.uk