The Beth Chatto Symposium 2026 - Connections Through Time ⌛️
Speaker and symposium organiser Darryl Moore shares why this year’s event promises inspiring conversations, fresh perspectives and meaningful connections.
Join leading voices from across horticulture, landscape design and ecology for what is set to be one of the most thought-provoking gardening events of the year.
Although the earlybird pricing period has ended, all tickets remain available at 2024 rates.
Book tickets through the link in our bio.
#bethchattogardens #bethchatto #rightplantrightplace #bethchattoeducationtrust #bethchattosymposium
Very shocked and saddened to hear the news about Nigel Dunnett. It is seriously a great loss to the world of ecological horticulture. The interface of plant science, design, ecology and sociology is an extremely important one, and Nigel pioneered the way in which these disciplines combined so effectively in urban spaces. His work set precedents for the possibilities of what could be done with plants in cities, generating new discussions and opening the eyes of land managers, paving the way for those of us working in the field bringing people and plants together.
Nigel spoke at a couple of events organised by Cityscapes, and we shared various other stages over the years. His work was a leading light and inspiration for me, through close and careful observation over many years alongside unpacking the research and theories behind it, and his enthusiasm and praise for my work was motivating, especially as it came from such a truly generous place.
His work at the University of Sheffield helped reframe planting design from being a purely aesthetic endeavour to one that is based in rigorous science, while still packing a large visual wow factor, as was evidenced in that city’s iconic Grey to Green project, designed by Nigel with the local council.
I remember him speaking at a Vista event at the Garden Museum in 2009, reminiscing about his childhood obsession with plants, and how he would pour over plant catalogues under the bed covers at night. It was a love of plants that he infectiously and selflessly shared with so many other people, and one that will continue to set seed and bloom for years to come through the legacy of his projects and writing.
1. RHS Chelsea 2024 in Cityscapes Chelsea Repurposed Garden
2. Gardening in a Changing World Book launch at Garden Museum, Oct 2022
3 & 4. Barbican, Aug 21
5 & 6. Stitch plantings at Olympic Park - inspirational mixes of cultivated and wild plants, Aug 23
7. Barbican, Aug 23
8 & 9. King’s Cross, Aug 23
10,11,12. Grey to Green, Oct 25
#nigeldunnett #ecologicalhorticulture #urbanplantingdesign #sheffieldschool
Meanwhile Garden zine!
Excellent art zine by Meanwhile gardener David Gates @xxruralxx celebrating @bethchattogardens Meanwhile Garden in Colchester.
Includes the 2025 biodiversity survey by Chris Gibson.
Carefully considered and perfectly executed, bringing art and ecology together!
Limited edition - contact David to find out about getting hold of a copy.
Second volume currently in preparation.
#meanwhilegarden #ecologicalplanting #plantcommunities #publicspace #artzine
SYMPOSIUM SPEAKER LINEUP
Darryl Moore
Darryl is an award-winning garden and landscape designer and writer. He is author of Gardening in a Changing World: Plants People and the Climate Crisis (Pimpernel Press). He is Director and co-founder of the innovative urban landscape organisation Cityscapes, realising creative approaches to greening city spaces through novel design ideas that ensure ecological, economic and social sustainability.
He is a consultant at Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens, co-curator of thehub.earth and a tutor at KLC School of Design. He sits on the Society of Garden Designers Council, and is a fellow of the RSA. His most recent award was for the St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, showcasing sustainability and ecology in public places.
Find out about all of our speakers, panelists and moderators through the link in our bio.
#bethchattosymposium2026 #bethchattoeducationtrust #bethchattoplantsandgardens #bethchattogardens #bethchatto
My review of the Urban Greening Symposium is in the latest edition of the Garden Design Journal. It was encouraging to be in a room where so many people were passionate about public green spaces, and the funding models for professional gardeners who care for them.
An underlying assumption in the landscape world is that because we understand the benefits of green spaces, we can convince others of them, and attain the funding required to enable them to function, socially and ecologically, as intended. But it’s not always so simple.
Ciivil servants from the Ministry of Housing were on a panel discussion, explaining about new funding from the ‘Pride in Place’ initiative. This is good news, as funding from national and local government is essential for public spaces. Yet no one at the event seemed to have any awareness of the precariousness of such funding, based as it is on political priorities and objectives, and subject to fickle electoral cycles.
Polls in the UK have been suggesting a swing, locally and nationally, towards the far right. People who have only self interest as their driving motivation, and who simply want to asset strip the nation, does not bode well for anyone. If this happens after the next election, we can forget funding initiatives for green spaces. These people don’t value the natural world or social cohesiveness, and think the idea of mental health is a con. If they enact a DOGE-style purge of civic structures, they won’t care about ‘biodiversity’, ’ecosystem services’ or nature-based solutions’.
The last few years have shown us that the so-called ‘liberal consensus’, was only a temporary illusion, and that things that seemed unthinkable can easily be tomorrow’s headlines.
Public green spaces are shared spaces, accessible and inclusive. The health, wellbeing and social benefits they provide, are the basis of a commonality between us all, and with other species.
Anyone who believes in the importance of green spaces needs to be prepared to stand up for them by standing up to those who cynically use hatred to divide the population.
Don’t sleepwalk into this. Complacency=Complicity
At the very least join @togetheralliance march this Saturday.
Compton Close awakening from its slumber, although most of the plants refused dormancy, instead just slowing down slightly and retaining their green biomass throughout the winter, due to the microclimate.
Sesleria nitride inflorescences punctuated by burst of yellow Tulipa kolpakowskiana and pink T. saxatilis.
Phlomis have put on good bulk and height with some early flowering from P. purpurea. Anthemis cupaniana travelling fast as a ground cover. Euphorbia myrsinites glowing with its acid green flowers.
@cityscapesuk
#plants #publicspace #landscapedesign #ecologicalplanting
Last month was a busy time @pottersfieldspark working on the second phase of the new planting scheme for PFP Management Trust.
Working with @gardenlink_ we created new topography using recycled aggregates (sand, MOT Type 1 and crushed concrete) in five areas. These were then directly planted up (with no additional organic matter) with 5000 plants (9cm and plugs), using a series of different matrix patterns.
The project is phased over three years, and these areas complement and connect with the ones we did last year, whilst retaining distinct yet subtle variations in the plant communities, with the mounds creating a unique landscape, unlike traditional parks.
The project replaces what was left of the former Piet Oudolf plantings, which for various reasons had deteriorated after 16 years, and addresses the state of the site that had resulted (including a seed bank of many varieties of problematic competitive plants), with a more sustainable, biodiversity approach, producing a dynamic drought tolerant landscape.
@cityscapesuk Planting Team: @annievonmalstrom@sophia.brown.gardening@sarahlouiseleech@joannaleyton@taniabduarte@studio.schipper .
Also thanks to @laurabushnellgardens
Working closely with PFP Head Gardener @bryanreynolds77
Looking forward to seeing it all develop over the next few months.
#plants #plantingdesign #ecologicalplanting #urbanplanting #london
I know many of you have read my book Gardening in a Changing World: Plants, People and the Climate Crisis, which came out at the end of 2022.
The intention of the book was to share information about the importance of plants and our relationships with them, particularly in our roles as gardeners. Sharing knowledge is important for questioning what we do, as well as how and why we do it. Understanding plants in more depth means that we can build better relationships with them in mutually beneficial ways, and in ways that also benefit all our more-than-human kin who depend on them. Sharing knowledge is also an important way to build and strengthen the bonds within the gardening community.
However as the book was published as a hardback, I realise that the price point may be a barrier for some people, especially as wages in the gardening world are unrealistically low. With this in mind I have a copy of the book that I want to circulate as a ‘library’ copy for those who wish to read it but may find it a stretch to buy in these tight economic times.
This is open to anyone on low income, benefits etc. No proof is needed, it’s just based on honesty, and will be treated confidentially.
If you feel that this pertains to you, then DM me and I will create a reader list. I will then send this copy to the first person to read. All I ask is that they then send it on to the next person after they have finished reading it (I will let you know who to send it to). The next reader will then do the same, and so on, in a chain. You will just need to cover the postage cost to send it to the next person, which is just under £4. Everyone needs to be in the UK to keep costs down.
If you want to post any of your thoughts about the book on social media after reading it, feel free to do so, but if you don’t then that’s perfectly fine.
So if you want to participate in the GiaCW Library then get in contact!
#books #gardeninginachangingworld #plants #people #library
