Beth Chatto

Beth Chatto (born 27/06/1923) is a plantswomen, gardener and writer. Whilst having no formal horticultural training, she was inspired by her parents' enthusiastic gardening, her husband's lifelong study of natural associations of plants, and friendship with the great plantsman and artist Sir Cedric Morris. The Beth Chatto Gardens began at Elmstead Market, Essex in 1960. By applying the principles of ecological gardening, she transformed an overgrown area of wasteland into informal gardens that harmonise with the surrounding countryside. Complementing the gardens is a large plant nursery producing a wide range of unusual plants, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. She has won ten Gold Medals the Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour (1987), the Lawrence Memorial Medal and an honorary doctorate from Essex University. She is the author of many books including her classics The Dry Garden (1978) and The Damp Garden (revised 2004) as well as Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden (2000) and Beth Chatto's Woodland Garden (2002). An engaging exchange of letters with Christopher Lloyd, Dear Friend and Gardener, was published in 1998. In 2002 she was awarded the OBE for her services to horticulture. A keen advocate of organic gardening, she has lectured worldwide. She lives in Colchester in Essex.

To visit the Beth Chatto Gardens website click here

Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden By Beth Chatto Photographs by Steven Wooster The story of how Beth Chatto created her famous gravel garden will give hope to all gardeners who hope their plants may flourish in spite of poor soil and drought. Category: Gardens and Gardening Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Dear Friend and Gardener - Letters on Life and Gardening By Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd Lively exchange of letters between Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto, two long-established friends and distinguished gardeners. Category: Gardens and Gardening Publisher: Frances Lincoln

A Year in the Life of Beth Chatto's Gardens By (photographer) Rachel Warne Preface by Beth Chatto Introduction by Fergus Garrett A pictorial record of Beth Chatto's gardens - the dry garden, the damp garden, the woodland garden and the gravel garden - through the year. Category: Gardens and Gardening Publisher: Frances Lincoln