The theme for Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival 2020 will be ‘Wild & Wonderful’ – with talks and demonstrations highlighting how gardeners can work with nature to promote wildflowers, plant trees to reduce carbon emissions, and plastic-and-peat-free gardening.
The festival returning to Powderham Castle in the village Kenton near Exeter for the first spring Bank Holiday of the year on Friday 1st and 2nd May.
Now in its seventh year, the two-day garden celebration is hosted by TV and Radio Devon broadcaster Toby Buckland, in collaboration with Country
Gardener magazine.
Toby says: “Gardening isn’t about imposing your will on nature, it’s acknowledging you’re part of it. While it’s easy to feel powerless in
the face of climate change and the ever-rising tide of plastic, gardeners can make a real difference by doing what they do best.”
“Our festival has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to new gardening techniques and thinking. Gardens should never be regarded as isolated places, penned in by boundary fences and a focus for needless toil. With expert lectures and workshops on re-wilding, amazing and beneficial plants and insects we can unlock the potential of our gardens as food for the soul, the eye and our tables and wildlife.”
“Ask not what your garden can do for you, but what your garden can do for wildlife” says Toby Buckland.
“Climate change and global warming are real and by working together, gardeners can help do something about it. This year we plan to devote the main speaker hall in the Castle dining room to our Wild & Wonderful theme with talks and experts on relevant topics, including re-wilding, gardening for birds, mini meadow-planting and more. We’ll also be spreading the word about using road verges as corridors for wildlife, raising awareness of how much management of these areas can make a difference.”
“Trees have a huge part to play in carbon capture with a planned one billion extra trees needed in the UK, we want to look at how gardeners can be part of the planting.”
It’s all about re-integrating nature as much as possible into our gardens and public spaces.
Toby Buckland’s ‘Wild and Wonderful’ Garden Festival 2020.
Friday 1st May, Saturday 2nd May, Powderham Castle, Kenton Nr Exeter EX6 8JQ
Early bird tickets go on sale from 1st November.
