07 Mar Dan Pearson to present event in aid of Colchester gardening charity
Essex garden enthusiasts are being given the chance to be part of an audience with Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winner Dan Pearson as he talks about his experience as a gardener, from his early days training at RHS Wisley through to his recent commissions including the Trout Stream at Chatsworth.
The event, which is set to become an annual horticultural lecture, is being held on 30th June at The Ivor Crewe Lecture Theatre, The University of Essex, and is in aid of the Beth Chatto Education Trust, based in Elmstead Market, Essex. Dan is one of the patrons of the Beth Chatto Education Trust, which was set up to carry forward ten times Chelsea Gold Award Winner Beth Chatto’s passion for plants and her “right plant in the right place” ethos to a new generation. Other patrons of the trust include Alan Titchmarsh and Lady Salisbury.
Dan Pearson won Best In Show at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015 with the ‘Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden’, which was inspired by parts of the Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire.
It was during his time studying at RHS Wisley that Dan discovered and studied the ground-breaking ecological and aesthetic planting styles that Beth Chatto and her late husband Andrew are so well known for – her “right plant in the right place” ethos – and which were used by Beth in the 1960s when she established her own gardens in Elmstead Market, Essex. This lecture will be held just three days after Beth’s 94th Birthday.
Dan will speak about his gardening education, which began at a young age thanks to encouraging parents, leading to him decide to study horticulture at RHS Wisley and the Royal Botanic Garden Kew. He will talk about his travels overseas to study wildflowers in their natural habitats as a student.
Dan Pearson said: “Beth has been a huge influence on me both as a gardener and as a designer. When I first became aware of her as a teenager she offered me a way of looking at plants and their place in the garden in a wholly new and, at that point, unfamiliar way. And yet it was a way I felt a great affinity for. It was in large part due to Beth that I travelled to study plants in their natural habitats and I still consider Beth’s ‘right plant’ advice when choosing plants for projects, over 30 years later. I am delighted to be able to support Beth’s Education Trust which will educate the next generation of gardeners, just as Beth educated me.”
Julia Chatto, managing director of the Beth Chatto Gardens, and Beth Chatto’s granddaughter, said “We’re thrilled to have Dan on board for this event. It’s an amazing opportunity for expert and amateur gardeners alike to hear him talk about his wealth of horticulture experience, both here and abroad. Not only will it be an interesting and enjoyable event for all but the money raised will go to our educational trust, helping to develop the gardeners of the future.”
Tickets for the event start at £25, which includes a glass of fizz on arrival. Tickets are available from http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/courses/dan-pearson-lecture.htm or call 01206 822007.
