The Gardens Trust will focus on head gardeners working at historic sites. Split into two 5-week series on Wednesdays, the season will kick off with an exploration of the head gardener role over the past two centuries, followed by talks exploring how individual head gardeners are balancing the heritage of their site, the wishes of its owner(s) and their own interests and experience. We’ll hear about the role from both seasoned head gardeners and those more recently appointed. Join us to learn about the challenges they face, including climate change, as well as the joys of horticulture and heritage.
At the end of the first series, we will also be offering a FREE roundtable discussion on the different career paths available to head gardeners, and ways of encouraging more people to enter or progress in the profession. Please register separately for this.
You may purchase a ticket for the entire course of 5 sessions at a cost of £20 via the link here. [Gardens Trust members may use their promo code for a discount.] Please register separately for the roundtable discussion, or for individual sessions by following the links HERE. Ticket sales close 4 hours before the talk. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.
At The Hepworth Wakefield, an art gallery and creative space in the heart of Yorkshire, an unused acre of land has recently been transformed into a beautiful, free, public garden, designed by internationally acclaimed landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith. His design draws inspiration from its unusual setting between 19th-century red-brick mills and a 21st-century art gallery, edged by the River Calder. It echoes the striking, angular shapes of the David Chipperfield-designed gallery while harnessing a naturalism that reflects Barbara Hepworth’s deep connection to the landscape. As well as Stuart-Smith’s distinctive planting, there are outdoor sculptures by Sir Michael Craig-Martin, Barbara Hepworth and Kim Lim.
The garden is cared for by Cultural Gardener Katy Merrington and a team of volunteers and is a much-cherished urban oasis, providing space for events and activities, as well as being rich in biodiversity. Katy will be the September 27 speaker in this series.
Katy Merrington studied fine art before training as a horticulturist and has previously worked in beautiful gardens across the UK and USA, including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh at Logan, Dumfries & Galloway, Tresco Abbey Gardens, Isles of Scilly and Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, USA. Photo credit: Jason Ingram.
