Fanny Wilkinson was a trailblazer in early feminism, paving the way for female gardeners and transforming London’s landscape by developing “green lungs” that provided relief for Victorians plagued by pollution and overcrowding.

Now, a charity is working to honor Wilkinson, the first professional female landscape gardener in the UK, by revealing her very first statue at one of the 75 parks she designed over a century ago.

“Fanny was a remarkably significant figure during her time and truly inspiring,” remarked Nicola Stacey, director of the Heritage of London Trust. “She trained as a gardener at a time when it was uncommon for women, paving the way for other women to earn a living in this field. Her efforts opened doors for many generations of women in landscape design and gardening.”

In 1882, Wilkinson became the inaugural female student at the newly established Crystal Palace School of Landscape Gardening and Practical Horticulture, where all her classmates were men.

Following her graduation, she accepted a voluntary role as an “honorary” landscape gardener for the Metropolitan Public Gardens, Boulevard and Playground Association (MPGA), an organization initiated by the philanthropist Lord Brabazon to promote the development of public gardens and playgrounds in London.

Just two years later, in 1886, she summoned the courage to write to Lord Brabazon, stating, “I believe it would be more appropriate for me to relinquish the ‘honorary’ title and set a fee that would cover all my expenses.”

This decision marked her as the first female landscape gardener to be compensated for her services rather than offering advice for free, according to Stacey. “She started employing other women and was a pioneering advocate for pay equality.”

In a 1890 interview with the Women’s Penny Paper, Wilkinson, who served on the central committee for women’s suffrage alongside her friend Millicent Fawcett, asserted, “I will not be underpaid as many women often are. Some people assume that because I am a woman, my rates will be lower than a man’s. I never do that. I understand my profession and price my services fairly, as every woman should.”

She faced challenges from men who struggled to acknowledge her authority: “Many of my clients prefer to have their men work under my supervision. This often creates hurdles, as gardeners sometimes believe they know better, and their stubbornness can be frustrating for me.”

Over a span of 20 years, Wilkinson designed 75 public gardens in London, including parks in economically disadvantaged areas like Myatt’s Fields Park in Lambeth and Meath Gardens in Bethnal Green.

Stacey noted, “As the city grew more industrialized and polluted, it desperately needed these green spaces that Fanny created for people to enjoy in the fresh air.”

“Fanny had a true gift for designing beautiful public parks in London, which is why they have endured and thrived,” she added.

The trust, which is currently restoring 24 historic drinking fountains throughout the city, has teamed up with Wandsworth Council and other local partners to commission a bronze statue of Wilkinson by sculptor Gillian Brett. This statue will be installed on a Victorian water fountain in Coronation Gardens, Wandsworth, on July 3.

“The fountain was in ruins and had lost its original allegorical figure,” Stacey explained. “This was a fantastic chance to restore the fountain with a meaningful figure: Fanny was the landscape designer behind Coronation Gardens. It commemorates her contributions to one of the parks that benefited from her vision.”

Stacey aims for the statue to reaffirm Wilkinson’s significant role in history as “the country’s pioneering female landscape designer,” who, despite receiving a blue plaque in 2022, has been “largely overlooked.”

“Throughout her career, Fanny transformed London,” she emphasized.

In 1904, Wilkinson departed the MPGA to become the first female principal of Swanley Horticultural College, which later evolved into a women-only institution. She also co-founded the Women’s Agricultural and Horticultural International Union, which played a crucial role in establishing the Women’s Land Army of female agricultural workers during World War I. Wilkinson passed away in 1951 at the age of 95.