WELCOME TO THE DAWBER GARDEN
A Garden for the Community in The Heart of Lincoln
About Us
The Garden
The John Dawber Garden was first established by City of Lincoln Council after acquiring the site of The Lawn Hospital, which had opened as Lincoln Lunatic Asylum in 1820.
The garden, originally the hospital's kitchen garden, was transformed into an ornamental garden celebrating Lincoln’s international connections.
Planting areas included an area dedicated to the Lincolnshire-born plant explorer Sir Joseph Banks. He went on to become the first president of the Royal Society, a position he held for over 41 years.
Banks advised King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, sending botanists around the globe to collect plants which made Kew the world's leading botanical garden.
A New Future
The garden was originally planted with around 400 different plant varieties, some of which were supplied by Kew Gardens.
However, austerity and funding cuts in recent years meant the council could no longer maintain the garden adequately.
By 2022, the community expressed grave concern over the derelict state of the garden.
The Dawber Garden Community Trust was formed by local residents who proposed to the council to take over the garden's continued maintenance and improvement.
The trust was granted a five-year peppercorn lease in October 2023 and became responsible for the garden's renovation and all financial issues.