‘Jinny’s work pulls you into a romantic wonderland of natural beauty’ - Fergus Garett
Using the title of her successful recent book as a springboard, in this talk eminent landscape designer and writer Jinny Blom, draws on over 20 years of experience to reveal her highly individual approach to garden design; reflecting on the references, ideas and experiences that have shaped her design practice’s distinct philosophy and multidisciplinary approach. Her work, which focusses on conservation and the best use of land, has been celebrated internationally.
Sharing projects, collaborations and insights from across her career, Jinny will the explore complex constellation of ideas, experiences, thoughts and senses that explore what makes a garden.
She will expose the idea of the garden across time and cultures, and the alchemy and processes of transformation that we invest in altering our landscapes.
Much like the ingredients to make a garden itself, the talk will combine the practical and the scientific with the natural, the human, the philosophical and the arts.
An informative and inspirational evening for the widest audience of gardeners, garden designers and garden lovers.
Hosted in The Apple House eco-barn, in an old orchard, guests can explore Tom Stuart-Smith’s Plant Library of over 1500 herbaceous perennials and bulbs ahead of the talk and enjoy a drink while they do so.
Information
About Jinny Blom
Jinny Blom is a landscape gardener who began her London-based landscape design practice in 2000. Since then, she has created gardens and large estates all over the world. Her work, which focuses on conservation and the best use of land, has been celebrated internationally. She has created therapeutic gardens for the NHS charity CW+, most recently for the new ICU at Chelsea&Westminster Hospital where she is Artist-in-Residence. The garden forms part of academic research into the positive effects of biophilia on health.
In 2002 HRH the Prince of Wales, now The King, chose Jinny to help co-design his Healing Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She went on to design two further Chelsea show gardens for Laurent-Perrier in 2006 and 2007, winning Gold. She returned in 2013 with Prince Harry’s first excursion into the show, in its Centenary year, with a conceptual garden designed to raise awareness of the landlocked country of Lesotho ravaged by the HIV epidemic.
Jinny trained and practised as a transpersonal psychologist and psychotherapist, working for many years in mental health in Brixton, London. In 1996 she chose to devote herself to her lifelong interest in natural landscapes and gardens. She has been a columnist for The Times, contributed regularly to radio and television worldwide, and in 2002 won BBC Radio Broadcaster of the Year for her Radio 4 Woman's Hour feature following the King’s Chelsea Garden production. Jinny has been nominated Woman of the Year an unprecedented three times - in 2002, 2007 and 2013 - for her services to society. She has written two best-selling books on gardening and for ‘What Makes a Garden’ won book of the year.
Photo credit (top): Andrew Montgomery
Photo credit (left): Britt Willoughby Dyer
Accessibility
Accessible parking for those who require it is available at the entry to The Apple House. There is step-free access to the building and all areas. However, there are many potential trip hazards and uneven surfaces that may be encountered whilst visiting the gardens, along with gravel paths that aren’t suitable for walking frames with wheels. Please be aware that due to the ongoing building works around the Apple House, there may be additional hazards to look out for.