The Surrey Garden Trust Summer Party at West Horsley Place on a sunny August afternoon was a highlight of the summer amongst a busy programme of garden visits. Fascinating insights are included in this newsletter along side accounts of work and projects bringing delight behind the scenes.
Fantastic news from our Schools Committee of another extraordinary take up of our Schools Awards and cheery accounts from our Spring garden visits have promoted a May Update Newsletter. There is also news of upcoming events and visits and full details of the special Gilpin Celebration.
Our Spring newsletter is full of dates for the diary as we plan the year ahead. We are also treated to a fascinating history of an unsung landscape in Dorking and we have a timely reminder of the important work that goes on behind the scenes as we fulfil our role in the planning process.
Exciting news from our Garden Detectives, highlights from our summer garden visits and much much more…
As we watch our gardens show signs of life and contemplate what the year’s weather will bring, we are very much looking forward to our exclusive lecture and tours at RHS Hilltop, Wisley in May, where internationally renowned scientists are researching the future of the UK’s gardening plants and showcasing innovative ideas for sustainable growing methods. Read about this and much more in the latest Spring Newsletter.
Behind the Scenes of the Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede
by Annabel Downs, CMLI FSGD (Landscape Institute Archivist 1995 - 2009)
We hope to be reconvening in 2021at RHS Wisley for our Geoffrey Jellicoe Study Day, when Annabel Downs will be one of our eminent guest speakers sharing her important research into Jellicoe’s Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede. Her work has recently been instrumental in the addition of the iconic Surrey landscape of the Kennedy Memorial to the Historic England, Register of Parks and Gardens.
Chair’s Note
When I addressed you through my Chair’s Report and in person at the AGM in December, with enthusiastic talk of our exciting plans for 2020, little could we have contemplated what this year would actually bring. With my editorial hat on for the newsletter I am sure you will appreciate that this has been a difficult one to put together and I hope you will forgive the delay in bringing it to you.
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our AGM on 14 December 2019 followed by a lecture and Christmas buffet lunch.
Once again, we will be at The Old Barn Hall, Great Bookham, KT23 3PQ and proceedings start at 11.30 am.
Our guest speaker is the hugely respected garden historian, Michael Symes, who will be talking to us on ‘The Allure of the English Landscape Garden’, the subject matter of his new book, The English Landscape Garden: A Survey, copies of which will be available to buy.
