Tuesday, May 10, 5:00 am – Forgotten Women Gardeners – Edith Lady Londonderry, Online
Neil Porteus and The Gardens Trust will discuss Circe’s Garden, Edith, Lady Londonderry’s Garden at Mount Stewart, on May 10 at 5 am (recording link sent following the talk, good for a week to view at your leisure.)
Visionary garden designer, suffragist and society hostess, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Londonderry, created one of the most original gardens of the 20th century at Mount Stewart, in County Down, Northern Ireland. After the First World War and in her 40s, Edith channeled her energies into the garden, filling it with rich symbolism inspired by her Celtic upbringing and Greek myths. She amassed an unrivalled collection of rare and tender plants, taking advantage of the mild climate of Strangford Lough and experimented with bold planting schemes. She even famously turned down Gertrude Jekyll’s proposals for the garden in favour of her own. The talk will have new research and information on what is one of the most enchanting gardens in the world.
Neil Porteus has been a head gardener since 1990, he took a voluntary redundancy from the National Trust in December 2020 and works as a garden consultant in Ireland and Northern Ireland. He also propagates a lot of plants from home which are hard to come by now in the horticultural trade. Neil has a BSc Hons in Horticulture and an MA in Garden History.
£5 – Register through Eventbrite by clicking HERE.
