These museums were looking for an opportunity to benefit from the existing ‘garden craze’ by organizing an accessible public exhibition featuring a variety of visual resources, activities, publications and educational materials. The plan received subsidies from, among others, the Prince Bernhard Fund, the Public Fund for the Promotion of Architectural Quality, the Dutch Garden Foundation and Hartmann Garden Furniture.
Two exhibitions were assembled around the theme ‘The Garden as Imagined’, also defined as ‘The Garden as Represented in Fine Art’. Part I was devoted to the period from the late 15th century to the late 18th century. Part II covered the late 18th century to the present. The theme had a wide interpretation, which included the creation of an image of the garden on a flat surface, the function of the garden and its cultural-historical significance. The selection of images was also extremely varied: (rare) paintings, prints, designs, books and dinnerware, but also items from more popular sources like magazines, brochures, nursery catalogues and so forth.
The theme invited visitors to explore the visual tradition of the garden in relation to design, nature, landscape, perception and experience, both personal and commercial. The exhibitions drew 60,000 visitors.