English Gardens Through the Eyes of Country Life with Kathryn Bradley-Hole

For 125 years, the weekly magazine Country Life has enjoyed international renown for its coverage of English country houses and gardens. The subject matter is broad and fascinating, from the humble cottage garden to formal acreages in the grandest manner; from kitchen gardens to specialist plant collections; from landscape parks to the more intimate spaces favoured by the Arts & Crafts aesthetic. Rose gardens, exotic gardens, restorations and modern gardens have also been celebrated in the magazine’s pages, illustrated by the highest available photography and print quality available in each period.

In this talk, Kathryn will focus chiefly on a range of gardens as presented in Country Life in the 21st century, with references to the earlier archive. How far do the influential 19th and 20th century gardens affect how we garden in the present day? What makes an 'English garden' recognisably English? As we approach the close of the first quarter of this century, what can we identify as the biggest trends emerging in a world that has seen so much change in very recent times?

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Kathryn Bradley-Hole is a lifelong gardener and inveterate traveller and was for 18 years the Gardens Editor of Country Life magazine. She is the author of numerous books, including the acclaimed English Gardens from the archives of Country Life, Villa Gardens of the Mediterranean and, recently published, The Naturally Beautiful Garden, which explores contemporary naturalistic gardens across the world. For some 30 years a popular writer for the national and international press, she enjoys growing food and herbs for the kitchen and flowers for wildlife enhancement.

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This ticket is for this individual session and costs £4 for Surrey Gardens Trust members and £6 for non-SGT members, and you may purchase tickets for other individual sessions via the links below, or you may purchase a ticket for the entire lecture series of 3 sessions at a cost of £12 for SGT members/£18 for non-SGT members via the link here. Lectures will last approximately 60-90 minutes including Q&A.

Thursday, 26 January: Looking Forwards in Heritage Landscapes - Sustainable Planting for People, Climate and Biodiversity with Nigel Dunnett.

Thursday, 23 February: Beatrix Farrand from the Gilded Age to Modernism with Deborah Trentham.

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.

Photo credit: Val Corbett.

Host or Publisher Surrey Gardens Trust