This large archive includes the garden designs, planting plans, seed lists and correspondence of James Russell, the renowned horticulturalist, and his clients. This is particularly true of the estate at Castle Howard where Russell was the resident consultant between 1968 and 1984.  

The archive was deposited with the Borthwick by the Yorkshire Gardens Trust, who in turn had received it from James Russell before his retirement in 1992. 

The archive is accessible by booked appointment in our reading room. Citation, quotation or reproduction of any part of the papers relating to current gardens not accessible to the public is  by the permission of the garden owner, which must be sought in advance. 

The archive contains extensive detail on the creation, development and changes to landscaped gardens in the UK and abroad, showcasing the perpetual development of garden design in places originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll or Capability Brown.

It contains significant information on plant collecting - both by Russell himself and in his subscription to others' expeditions, evidencing in many cases the introduction of plant species to the UK. 

It also provides detailed specifications of the grounds and gardens of many individual properties.