News from the gardening world
Beth Cha o tribute to headline at this year’s festival event
Legendary gardener Beth Chatto is to be celebrated at this year’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Beth, who died last year, will become the RHS’ Iconic Horticultural Hero, with her life celebrated with a special drought garden, on which she wrote a landmark book and also developed in her inspirational garden at White Barn in Essex, following the principles of ‘right plant, right place’.
The drought garden, which covers 180 sq m (215 sq yd), will include 2,000 drought-tolerant plants, recreated by White Barn’s Garden Director, David Ward, who worked alongside Beth for 35 years.
Visitors to the venue's Hampton Court garden will be given the chance to win £500 to spend at Beth’s garden and nursery.
A further highlight of the event, which has changed its name from the Hampton Court Flower Show to the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, will be the Duchess of Cambridge again teaming up with landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White to reprise their Chelsea success with an exhibit which will be ‘maintaining many elements’ from their previous venture.
The environmentally-friendly garden inspired by childhood memories, contained a hollow log, a den, waterfall, stream and treehouse. In a further twist to her foray into garden design, the Duchess has teamed up with TV programme Blue Peter, inviting young viewers to design a sculpture which will be included in the final design when it’s installed at the RHS Wisley garden in September.
Lavender specialist Downderry Nursery, from Kent, named as Master Grower for the show, will also deliver a special exhibit. The Festival of Roses returns boasting some of the UK’s finest rose growers, with names such as David Austin and Peter Beales. Visitors can book afternoon tea in a new Rose Garden.
Edible Eden, a joint enterprise between Burpee Seeds, edible plant specialist Lubera and nursery Pennard Plants, will stage a wide variety of flowers and unusual edible fruit and vegetables in a forest setting, with many new varieties on display.
The event takes place from Tuesday to Sunday, July 2-7. Visit www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/ rhs-hampton-court-palacegarden-festival; or tel: 0844 995 9664.