What are Gardens For? Open Garden Squares Weekend at Chelsea Fringe

Open Garden Squares Weekend, London’s most popular gardening-visiting event and the flagship event of London Parks and Gardens Trust, comes to Chelsea Fringe to celebrate gardens of every kind and shape in a far-reaching discussion exploring the value and purpose of gardens and planted spaces and the impact they make to our lives.

Panellists will discuss the value of all kinds of gardens – roofs, wildflower meadows, hospital and therapeutic gardens, allotments and produce gardens and historic and commemorative gardens. They will consider the collective impact of all these gardens as well as the individual joy to be found in each one.

On the panel:
Nigel Dunnett – Professor of Planting Design and Urban Horticulture in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield. Lead planting consultant London 2012 Olympic Park. Created the John Lewis Rain Garden, Beech Gardens on the Barbican Estate and The Diamond Garden to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary of her accession to the British throne.

Kathryn Rossiter – Chief Executive of Thrive, the nationwide charity which uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people with disabilities or ill-health, or who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable.

Pilar Medrano Dell – horticultural consultant, formerly Head Gardener at Kensington Roof Gardens and now Horticulture Technical Manager for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission inspecting sites and giving support to garden managers and 850 staff based all over the world.

Claire Ratinon – urban organic champion having worked as a patchwork farmer at the Hackney-based social enterprise Growing Communities and as a beekeeper and gardener at the Bee Friendly Trust. She has recently delivered horticultural therapy sessions for adults at the Bromley-by-Bow Centre and appeared on BBC Radio’s Gardeners’ Question Time.

The panel will be chaired by Ruth Holmes, Chair of London Parks and Gardens Trust and organisers of Open Garden Squares Weekend.

Coutts is hosting the event, and guests will have a chance to explore the bank’s Skyline Garden and hear about its creation from executive chef Peter Fiori.

To book tickets visit here.

A full list of the 2019 gardens for Open Garden Squares Weekend on 8-9 June can be viewed here.