We have an exciting line-up of talented West Country artisans, growers and experts lined up to speak in the Demo Tipi at our second Harvest Festival this September, plus two days of talks and tours in the Kitchen Garden and around Forde Abbey’s stunning grounds.
Forde Abbey’s new head gardener, Josh Sparkes, is sharing advice on new ways to make home-made compost to feed the soil and keep pests at bay, plus giving advice on making compost tea whilst giving us a sneak preview of what he has planned for Forde’s gardens.
Well-known Somerset flower farmer Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers is here showing how to grow and create beautiful arrangements from blooms you’ve raised in your own garden, while talented Dorset maker Catherine Nix of My Scented Home will be demo’ing how to make a wreath from wheat and lavender, and selling simple wreath-making kits for you to take away and make at home.
Elsewhere in the garden on the East Lawn, Chris Riley from Pratensis Countryside Services will be busy with his scythe showing how to grow and manage long grass areas, while Paul Jupp from Meadow in My Garden can be found in Forde’s gorgeous meadow swirl, sharing how to sow and grow a crop of flowers that mimic a meadow but without the hard work.
Should you want to brush up on your plant-snaps, the talented Bristol photographer Andrew Maybury will be running short tours and giving advice on how to improve your photos of gardens, plants and landscapes.
Kevin Croucher of Thornhayes Nursery is back, taking tours of Forde’s amazing rare and unusual trees which include zelkovia, swamp cypress, cedar, cut-leaved lime and Montezuma pine.
Plus, there is basket willow-weaving with Jane Welch in the Tea Tent, paper-flower-making with the wonderful Bee Watson of Wild Hive, apple-pressing in the Kitchen Garden, circus skills with the Higher Beings many more artisans and makers still to be announced!
All the talks and demo’s are free to paying HarvestFest visitors except for the photography workshop with Andrew Maybury – for details please contact Andrew direct. Times and locations of all the talks and tours to be announced.
