Lindley Late - Horticultural Heroes: Spotlight Valerie Finnis

Celebrating the 100th birthday of Valerie Finnis

Join the Lindley Library and author Ursula Buchan as we celebrate 100 years since the birth of pioneering gardener and photographer, Valerie Finnis (31 October 1924 - 17 October 2006).

​Alongside the dungarees-and-digging Finnis, there existed a completely different Finnis, actressy, mischievous, a woman who adored gossip and outrageous hats. - Anna Pavord

We will be discussing the life and legacy of Valerie Finnis, the gardener, photographer, mentor, alpine plant enthusiast and lorry driver, including:

• her time as a student, and later a teacher, at Waterperry Horticultural School for Women,
• how her photography unlocks the gardens, fashion and canine companions of her contemporaries,
• her charming photography collection, comprised of 50,000 slides.

Join us for a drink after the conversation and explore the RHS Lindley Library's collection of gardening books.

Tickets are required for the event with the ticket cost supporting the RHS Lindley Library.

Discover our collection of Valerie Finnis' photography on RHS Digital Collections.

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Speaker

Ursula Buchan - Ursula is an award-winning author and journalist, of gardening, garden history and social history. After training as a gardener with the RHS, she turned to writing and presenting, and is the author of Garden People: Valerie Finnis and the Golden Age of Gardening.

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Event Details

Doors open at 6.00pm, with the conversation beginning at 6.30pm.

Tickets for this event are required, with the ticket cost supporting the RHS Lindley Library. Some tickets will be available on the door. RHS membership not required.

To keep the event as accessible as possible you can choose a full price ticket (£8) or you can make a donation of an amount affordable to you.

Discover more events at the Lindley Library with Lindley Live and Lindley Late.

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Contact

For any questions, including accessibility enquiries, please email [email protected]

Discover more about the RHS Lindley Library via our website, social media and new Digital Collections.

The image in the banner is a slide of Valerie Finnis from the Valerie Finnis photography collection. RHS Lindley Collections: Find more inspiration with the RHS Digital Collections.

Host or Publisher RHS Lindley Library