Talking Gardens at Highgrove

Highgrove, will be celebrating the new horticultural season, this year, with Talking Gardens, an amazing event featuring expert talks from the nation’s leading garden designers.

Over five days (20th to 24th March, 2018) Talking Gardens will be offering a range of inspiring talks plus each exclusive speaker event will include a 75-minute guided garden tour of Highgrove with one of the Prince of Wale’s expert guides and either a delicious two-course lunch, or a champagne three-tiered afternoon tea, freshly prepared by the estate chefs.

Talking Gardens launches with an exclusive BBC Gardeners’ World magazine event, with a talk from Adam Frost, (20th March) who will share how he has come from a parks department apprenticeship to designing seven Chelsea gold-medal winning gardens. This event will also include a guest appearance from Highgrove’s Head Gardener, Debs Goodenough, who’ll provide an insight into what it’s like to manage the private gardens of HRH The Prince of Wales at Highgrove.

(pictured above: lunch at Highgrove)

On 21st March, multi-award winning RHS Chelsea star, Arne Maynard will be speaking about a selection of his garden projects and how they have matured, with particular focus on his own garden at Allt-y-bela in Monmouthshire, which perfectly showcases how layers of formality and informality play their roles in his own designs. A glass of champagne served with delicious canapes awaits you before being seated for a two-course lunch, followed by your guided garden tour.

Also on the 21st March, Chelsea gold medal winner, Jo Thompson, (pictured right) will show guests how you can adapt the designs of award-winning gardens to suit any home. Jo will look back at some of her most popular show gardens and explain the process of designing and realising gardens for a variety of clients. This talk also includes a champagne afternoon tea after the guided tour of the gardens.

On 22nd March, the ‘Queen of Herbs’, Jekka McVicar will be providing an inspiring insight into how we can ‘eat ourselves healthy’. The talk also includes a two-course lunch and guided garden tour.

Also on 22nd March, much loved garden designer, Jinny Blom will be explaining the key principles behind her distinctive garden designs and sharing her unique approach to conservation and working with local people, and as she describes it, ‘stealth ecology’. Jinny’s talk includes a champagne afternoon tea and guided tour of the gardens.

(pictured above: afternoon tea at Highgrove)

The ‘all-star’ line-up also includes TV presenter and garden designer, Nick Bailey, who will guide you through the tips, techniques and processes that will guarantee 365 days of colour in any garden (23rd March). Tickets for this event also include canapes before a two-course lunch.

Also on 23rd March, celebrated broadcaster and designer, Chris Beardshaw will give a sneak preview of his plans for the RHS Chelsea Show 2018 and delving into what it takes to develop a garden from the first stages of design through to reality. Chris is an inspiring and very entertaining speaker. Tickets also include a garden tour and champagne afternoon tea.

Day four of Talking Gardens (24th March) will see another Chelsea Gold medal winner, Bunny Guinness talking about two contrasting gardens; The Royal Gardens at Highgrove and Bunny’s own garden in Cambridge. Bunny’s talk includes a two-course lunch and garden tour.

Also on 24th March, one of the UK’s most exciting young designers, Matt Keightley, (pictured left) will round off the final date with his talk on behind the scenes of RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including what it takes to create a garden for this world-renowned show. Champagne afternoon tea follows the garden tour on this event.

Tickets for Talking Gardens are selling fast, and at the time of going to press with this feature, a few events are already sold out, so if you want to ensure your place please visit:
https://www.highgrovegardens.com/talkinggardens

Picture credits: All photographs ©Highgrove Gardens