Beth Chatto – someone I admired

It is with great sadness that I heard that Beth Chatto has passed away.  She was an incredible lady, an inspiration to many garden designers.  I myself have her book The Shade Garden and also the Dry Garden. My books are  greatly thumbed through, a must have for garden designers.

I had the pleasure of walking around one of Beth Chatto’s  show gardens.  It was designed to demonstate a low water usage garden for The Prince of Wales Start Garden Party in 2010, encouraging sustainability.  It was an enormous treat for me to walk around such an inspiring garden.

I also treasure a hand written note I received form Beth Chatto.  She encouraged us garden designers and plant enthusiasts.

I have not made it to Beth Chatto’s gardens yet but as a garden designer in Oxford I have to make the journey.  I recently purchased some plants from the nursery to add to the shade garden I created recently so if you are looking for inspiration go to their nursery and plant something to remember a great lady of horticulture.