RHS Garden Bridgewater celebrates five years of growing together

To celebrate its fifth birthday, RHS Bridgewater will welcome visitors for a special day of activity and offers. All tickets will be £5, and the first fifty visitors will receive a birthday goodie bag, with the fiftieth including a Golden Ticket granting a full year of Individual RHS Membership. Visitors can also enjoy a £5 hot drink and cake offer in the cafés, £5 off plants priced £15 or above in the plant shop, and uplifting performances from local choirs Salford in Harmony and Hands in Harmony. A wider offer of 30% off RHS Membership will run from Saturday 16 to Tuesday 19 May.

Over the past five years, RHS Garden Bridgewater has become a thriving place for people to connect with nature. More than 86,000 Salford residents have visited on Salford Free Tuesdays, and the garden has welcomed nearly 150 wellbeing groups from across Greater Manchester and beyond. Its volunteer team – now 255 individuals across 33 roles – has contributed more than 121,000 hours since 2021.

Community programmes have supported almost 850 facilitated wellbeing sessions, over 1,500 Community Grow sessions, around 250 referrals to the Gardening for Wellbeing programme and supported 44,494 free educational visits for local school children, helping thousands of people build confidence, skills and connection through nature-based activities.

Bridgewater’s ecological transformation has also been remarkable. Seven new ponds, more than 2,283 metres of hedgerows, and a revitalised Victoria Meadow – where wildflower species have increased from 17 in 2017 to 50 – have helped boost biodiversity significantly. Recorded bird species now stand at 53, including eight of serious conservation concern, and nine bat species are detected on site compared with just three in 2016. Since opening, more than 500,000 plants have been added, 3,484 plant taxa recorded and over 494,703 bulbs planted.

A fifth birthday also comes ahead of an exciting new chapter for Bridgewater, including the opening of the Yangzhou Scholars’ Garden this September.

Marcus Chilton-Jones, Head of Site, RHS Garden Bridgewater, said: 

“Bridgewater was always intended to be more than a garden - it’s a place to grow skills, wellbeing and connection. Five years on, it’s inspiring to see how deeply people feel part of this landscape. Our volunteers, community partners and supporters have made it thrive in ways we couldn’t have imagined. With major developments on the horizon, including the Yangzhou Scholars’ Garden, we’re entering an exciting new phase of Bridgewater’s story.”

Stephen Young, Chief Executive, Salford City Council, said: 

“RHS Bridgewater, is a truly special venue and we’re extremely proud to have it here in Salford. Its popularity has grown with residents and visitors and I’m sure many more will come to celebrate and take advantage of the fifth birthday offers. It’s a place that really is at the heart of the community and we look forward to working in partnership with the RHS to ensure it continues to thrive for many more years to come.”