We are delighted to be joined, for the first time, by internationally acclaimed Dr Noel Kingsbury via a pre-recorded presentation he has prepared exclusively for Garden Marlborough.

An author, garden designer, horticultural consultant, innovator, teacher and lecturer, British based Noel is best-known for his promotion of what is broadly called an ecological or naturalistic approach to planting design and is a leading horticultural figure of the New Perennial Movement. With a reputation for ‘bunking off’ school as a child to visit the Chelsea Flower Show, it’s no wonder Noel has a life filled with horticultural bounty. From Noel, “I get paroxysms of delight when I come across a clearly designed planting, but which has been allowed to develop to the point where there is no bare soil and where you’ve got this really dense, multilayered occupation of volume by as many different plant species as possible.”

He has written an astonishing 25 books on various aspects of plants and gardens over the years, four of them in collaboration with Dutch designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf.

Successfully collaborating with Garden Marlborough’s 2024 Keynote Speaker, Annie Guilfoyle, Noel and Annie launched Garden Masterclass, a global educational portal, which runs workshops throughout the British Isles and beyond.

Join us on Sunday morning as Noel discusses a wilder planting style that is rapidly gaining ground amongst gardeners. Noel will share successful examples of ecologically inspired planting and the factors behind their success, then delve into how we need to think about plants differently in making more naturalistic plantings. In doing so, looking at plant architecture and growth over time before going underground and revealing a secret life under our feet, drawing on lessons from intriguing plant ecology science.