Beth Chatto was the pioneer of sustainable and ecological
planting. Beth was so ahead of her time in realising that
horticulture could help in the abatement of global warming.
She was one of the most influential horticulturists of
the last hundred years.
I'm Asa Gregers-Warg and we're here at Beth Chatter Gardens in Essex. Beth
was very famously known for her concept of right plant, right
place. So right plant, right place is really about finding
the the perfect plant even if you got a really difficult spot
using the conditions you got, not trying to change them and
selecting plants that are suitable to grow those
conditions. Don't go out and just buy, you know, the plant
you fall in love with. I think it was really common sense to
Beth to work with nature rather than to fight against it. Beth
was really, you know, my horticulture hero. It was
really groundbreaking. What she was doing in the nineteen
sixties. In those days, most people would focus on growing
the the biggest and the blousiest hybrids of plants using a lot
of fertilizers, using a lot of water. Uh Beth was very much
ahead of her time. Um I it's easy to forget today when
everybody's you know doing sustainable gardening.
I'm Julia Boulton. I'm Beth Chatto's granddaughter and I'm
managing director of the Beth Chatto Plants and Gardens and
also chairman of Beth Chatto Education Trust. Having a
grandmother like Beth was not like having a normal
grandmother but I don't think I really fully understood the
impact that she's had on the gardening world until I've
taken more of an active role and seeing other
horticulturists and other garden designers and talking to
them about it. When Beth set out in her gardening journey.
She had no idea whatsoever of the influence that she would
have and where it would take her. I think that Beth would be
thrilled that she'd been honored for International
Women's Day. She was very much proud of being a woman. As a
woman, Beth was nurturing and caring but also she was
passionate and driven and fierce sometimes. Um she
certainly had a vision of what she wanted to create and really
you know, went for it and made that happen. Beth started doing
Chelsea Flower Show in the 1970s and then through to the
1980s. She actually won ten consecutive gold medals which is
kind of unheard of at the time and especially in such a male
dominated arena. Beth was really passionate about
inspiring people to get involved in gardening. I'm
really proud to be able to carry the garden on and her
teachings on for the next generation.
I'm Emily. I'm an apprentice here at RHS Hyde Hall. Before
working here, I did a degree in design, worked in fashion
design, and then in fashion buying. I didn't work in the
industry for that long until I realised that they're still
chucking a lot away and fast fashion is ruining the world. I
found peace in my garden. I'd always liked gardening when I
saw an advert for being an apprentice and I thought that's
my chance to work in a more sustainable industry and do
something positive for the environment. Going forward I
definitely want to carry best principles of right plant,
right place because it's so important within garden design
because it's good for the environment. What I find so
inspiring about Beth is that she just had a true love for
plants. She didn't plan on being this horticultural icon
that she now is regarded as. It just makes me feel like as long
as you are passionate about something, it can take you
anywhere.
It's really fantastic that Beth is being honoured on
International Women's Day and that she's being remembered and
still held held in really really high regard for what she
you know achieved and that she's inspired generations of
gardeners not just here in the UK but across the globe.