Clive Nichols is the UK’s top garden and flower photographer.

After originally starting his career in travel photography, Clive switched his focus to gardens and has since photographed thousands of gardens for publications including Country Life and The Sunday Times, to institutions such as the National Trust and the RHS, and individuals including Lord Heseltine and His Majesty King Charles III.

Clive has been referred to as ‘The King of garden photophaphy’.

Join us to meet Clive and stay for our AGM which will take place afterwards.

Entry and refreshments from 5.30pm, talk starts at 6pm.

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.

John Little is known for his experimental garden in Essex and pioneering work with wildflowers and green roofs. He specialises in designing and building wildlife-friendly structures and spaces, such as bus shelters with green roofs, often integrating salvaged materials.

He likes the stuff other people disregard: building waste and rubble, rubbish bins, bike stores and railings. He’s partial to an old car carcass and a bit of “bad pruning”.

One thing he’s not so keen on is topsoil. This is all coming from a man who makes some of the most inspiring landscapes around, those that are rich in biodiversity, economical to make and maintain, low impact in terms of embodied carbon, and pleasing – enriching even – to people.

John has made a business out of growing wild things on waste. He sows wildflower meadows into crushed toilets and sinks that flourish because of the low-nutrient content of such substrates. He creates insect habitats from the sort of rubbish that any building site has – plumbing piping and the ends of roofing felt, mastic tubs and light sockets.

In this talk John makes the case that gardeners, structure, topography, and dead stuff are more important than plants in driving biodiversity and that we should be designing these into all new landscapes. John argues:

• Put the best gardeners in the poorest places
• Move money from capital into care
• Understand that gardened places are best for biodiversity and people
• Understand that a modern public space gardener is much more than a horticulturalist
• Question our obsession with specifying topsoil in all new projects, especially on highways and new developments
• Keep waste on site and use it to make places beautiful and biodiverse
• Put soil and plants on roofs

After 18 years looking after social housing green space, John has started carenotcapital.org, a not-for-profit to train gardeners in everything other than horticulture. In 2008 he launched a range of small green roof shelters including bike and bin storage greenroofshelters.co.uk
John can be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grassroofco/reels/?hl=en

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.

Nestled in a quiet corner of West Sussex near Midhurst lies a horticultural haven bursting with colourful planting, sensational views and a whole host of surprises.

One of the suprises is an amazing 10 sided glasshouse which opens like a flower, and filled with subtropical flowers. It was designed by the Heatherwick Studio based in London.

Woolbeding delights at every turn with distinctive garden rooms set against thoughtfully composed borders. Formal gardens merge into the far reaching rural landscape of the River Rother, a perfect backdrop for the many sculptures and follies you’ll come across. A masterpiece of colour and design, the formal garden rooms have been planned to perfection by landscape architect Lanning Roper. Julian and Isabel Bannerman meanwhile, brought theatrical flair to Woolbeding, producing the dramatic woodland Pleasure Ground of architectural follies.

Tickets to be booked individually with Woolbeding Gardens. Free entry for National Trust members.

There is no parking on site, visitors to park nearby in a public car park and use a complimentary shuttle bus.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/woolbeding-gardens

We will meet at 12.30pm for a spot of lunch in the cafe, then a walk around to discover the beautiful gardens.

https://www.facebook.com/woolbedinggardens/

Alison Marsden is founder of Gardening by Design https://www.gardeningbydesign.co.uk and a long term advocate of the power of gardening to support wellbeing. As a trained Social and Therapeutic Horticulture practitioner she offers hands-on sessions for a wide range of participants, tailoring the activities to the capabilities and objectives of each group.

Alison can also advise organisations wishing to create their own therapeutic gardening programmes and design activities and is an experienced public speaker, tutor and writer who loves sharing her knowledge of gardening for individuals and as therapy. Alison runs therapeutic horticulture sessions for groups including residents in care homes, hospice day therapy and Dementia Cafés.

Alison will talk about:

• How green spaces, gardens, and gardening support physical and mental health
• How to get maximum benefit from gardening at home or with a community project
• Social and therapeutic horticulture as a supported intervention
• What a therapeutic garden looks like; design considerations for client needs and capabilities

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.

Join us for a special guided tour of the beautiful Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden in Ockley, located on the Surrey / Sussex border between Dorking and Horsham.

The evening will start at 5pm, with time to mingle afterwards from around 7.30pm.  The guided tour will focus primarily on the sculptures but also include the garden itself, especially notable plants that are fundamental to the language across the site.

The garden owner and designer Anthony Paul will speak at the beginning about the history of the grounds and his design ethos, helping to set the scene. He will also be around after the tour to answer questions.

https://www.hannahpescharsculpture.com/

The cost, including refreshments will be confirmed.

A chance to meet up and socialise, and enjoy the summer weather!

Access for members and their guests only.

Details TBC

MORNING 10.00 am – 12.30 pm (including a break)

‘REFLECTIONS’ PROJECT TALK

‘Reflections’ in Haywards Heath was a two-year landscape build that combined every technical, environmental and regulatory challenge a modern garden can present.

Set around a large wildlife-rich lake, home to carp, roach, goldfish, moorhens, kingfishers, herons and owls, the project demanded a finely balanced approach to design, construction and ecological sensitivity. Heavy clay and ironstone soils, persistent waterlogging, steep level changes and extreme weather conditions made it one of the most demanding builds of Paul’s career.

The talk uses this project as a full case study, exploring how drainage, SuDS principles, soil behaviour, moisture movement and correct detailing underpin long-term landscape performance. It reviews the integration of deck structures, Corten steel, naturalistic zones, conduits, irrigation, sub-surface drainage networks and the reuse of on-site materials to minimise waste and improve sustainability.

More importantly, it shows how early-stage decisions, from surveys to preliminaries, cascade through the build, how CDM 2015 should function in real domestic landscaping, and why clear documentation and contract structure are essential when projects evolve.

It also reflects honestly on the realities of challenging access, weather delays, lost labour, design changes, extras, and the true cost impact of “small” client-led variations.

Together, Reflections becomes a rare, unfiltered insight into the complete lifecycle of a technically complex garden: from concept to construction; from regulation to craftsmanship; from wildlife and water management to the practical pressures faced on site.

Paul Greenyer

With more than two decades in the landscape industry, Paul Greenyer is a design-and-build landscaper, garden consultant and RICS-accredited Expert Witness specialising in construction detailing, drainage, SuDS compliance and industry best practice. His career spans award-winning gardens, major private commissions and complex technical builds that demand an integrated understanding of soils, water movement, materials, regulation and long-term landscape performance.

Paul leads InsideOut Home & Garden Improvements Ltd and Paul Greenyer Consultancy Ltd, providing design, construction, mediation and CPR Part 35 expert witness services across the UK. His work is grounded in British Standards, CDM 2015 and robust construction methodology, supported by a strong commitment to education and professional development.

He lectures for the London College of Garden Design and delivers specialist CPD sessions for designers, landscapers and contractors. Drawing on extensive experience across hundreds of projects, including high-value schemes, multi-year builds and technically challenging sites.

Paul brings a practical, evidence-based approach to landscape design, construction and dispute resolution.

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.

A coach trip to the beautiful Beth Chatto Gardens.

The Beth Chatto Gardens are internationally famous. They include dry, damp, shade, reservoir and woodland areas, the result of over 60 years of hard work and application of the huge body of plant knowledge possessed by Beth Chatto and her husband Andrew. Visitors cannot fail to be affected by the peace and beauty of the garden. Beth is renowned for her books, her gardens and her influence on the world of gardening and plants.

https://www.bethchatto.co.uk

The cost and further details will be confirmed.

Maïtanne Hunt Gardens, Roof Terraces & Landscapes is a multi-award winning, small design studio based in London.

With over 15 years’ experience, Maïtanne has particular expertise in the design, development, and construction of exceptional roof terrace gardens.

Join us to hear Mäitanne’s presentation on the conception, design and build of her beautiful roof terrace gardens.

Photos below by Joanna Kossak.

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.

Rachel Reynolds MSGLD http://reynolds-design.co.uk designs gardens and landscapes, working throughout London, the South East, and beyond.

Prior to entering the garden design profession, Rachel worked as a multi disciplinary 3D designer & maker. Her background includes project management for Ron Arad, a production range of concrete street furniture with Furnitubes, Participatory Public Art projects for Brighton City Council, and many years as a self employed designer of bespoke, exterior furniture.

Members; no charge.

Non-members, please book tickets below.