Please note: it appears you are using an older browser, prior to IE9. Not all of the features of our site will work, but you can benefit either by upgrading your version of Internet Explorer for free, or using an alternative browser like FireFox, Chrome or Safari.

Welcome to our Latest News Page

Current items are shown at the top of the page in calendar order.

Scroll down to view events that have occurred this year. 

 

2023 

 Updated: March 17th 2023

 

Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden

Volunteer Recruitment Morning

 

 

March 29th 2023 - 10.00 - 12.30 

Click link for information

Location: Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden

 

Updated 17/03/2023

Swiss Garden Wheelbarrow Competition 

POSTPONED FOR 2023 

Location: Swiss Garden

 

 

 Updated: March 16th 2023

 

Open Gardens [BGT Providing History]

Howbury Hall Bedford

 

 

NGS - 10th September 2023 

Click link for information

Location: Howbury Hall

Southill Park

NGS - 4th June 2023 

Click link for information

Location: Southill 

Swiss Garden

NGS - 2nd March 2023 

Location: Swiss Garden, Old Warden

 

 

 

 Updated 16/03/2023

2022

Last Update: January 1st 2023

Swiss Garden Wheelbarrow Competition 

RESULTS 2022 

Location: Swiss Garden

Click on the link 

 

 Updated: June 10th 2022

Study Day: Reviving a Forgotten Garden

October 12th 2022 

Location: Luton Hoo Walled Garden

Click on the link to get further information on how to book and who to contact: 

 

 Updated: June 5th 2022

 

Open Gardens [BGT Providing History]

Howbury Hall Bedford

Red Cross - 19th June 2022 

Click link for information

 

NGS - 11th September 2022 

Click link for information

Location: Howbury Hall

Southill Park

NGS - 5th June 2022 

Click link for information

Location: Southill 

Luton Hoo Walled Garden

NGS - 5th August 2022 

Click link for information

Location: Luton Hoo Walled Garden

 

 

 

 Updated 05/06/2022

Swiss Garden Wheelbarrow Competition 

May 28th to June 4th 2022 

Location: Swiss Garden

Click on the link to get current photographs: 

 

 Updated: June 5th 2022

 

 

All Barrows

Pall Mall

Crown

Bunting

Swiss Garden Until June 4th 2022 

Location:Swiss Garden

Photography by Darren Harbar Photography.

 Updated 05/06/2022

2021 History

 

 Updated: May 17th 2022

 

NGS Open Garden

Howbury Hall Bedford

12th September 2021 

Location: Howbury Hall

Click on the link to get further information: 

 

 

 Updated 09/08/2021

Various Zoom Based Talks and Lectures

May 2021 

Location: Zoom Online

Click on the link below to get further information on lectures in the following months: 

Online List of Talks and Lectures offered by The Gardens Trust

Started on Tuesday March 2nd 2021 and various other days depending upon which suite of lectures you wish to attend.

 

Keep up with news through our website

Do take a look around, it is going to keep you up to date with our activities

Further

If there is something you would like us to add, eg another talk, history of a garden, walk etc do let us know

Join us and help, and we will do what we can to deliver!

 Updated: April 22nd  2021

Two Webinars under the title

"Delving into Heritage"

Being given as part of the Greensand Country Festival 2021 Various Zoom Based Talks and Lectures

May 2021 

Location: Webinar [Online]

Click on the links below to get further information: 

- Humphry Repton in Bedfordshire

- Whistlestop Tour of Garden History in Bedfordshire

 

 

 Updated 22/04/2021

Keep up with news through our website

Do take a look around, it is going to keep you up to date with our activities

Our new website

If there is something you would like us to add, eg another talk, history of a garden, walk etc do let us know

Join us and help, and we will do what we can to deliver!

 Updated: March 28th 2021

Various Zoom Based Talks and Lectures

January and February , 2021 

Location: Zoom Online

Click on the link to get further information: 

Online List of Talks and Lectures offered by The Gardens Trust and/or London, Northamptonshire and Yorkshire Gardens Trusts

Starting Tuesday January 5th 2021, Wednesday January 6th 2021, Thursday January 7th 2021, or Monday January 11th 2021 depending upon which suite of lectures you wish to attend

 

 Updated 02/01/2021

Keep up with news through our website

Do take a look around, it is going to keep you up to date with our activities

Our new website

If there is something you would like us to add, eg another talk, history of a garden, walk etc do let us know

Join us and help, and we will do what we can to deliver!

 Updated: December 16th 2020

Greensand Country Landscape Festival

May 2021

Location: Various throughout the county

After much deliberation, taking into account the passion people have for the Festival coupled with the start of the Covid vaccination programme, the organisers have concluded that the FESTIVAL MUST GO ON!!!

  1. The Festival will run from 1st to 31st May 2021 but, will of course include any relevant events that are in the preceding or proceeding months
  2. The organisers are producing a “Revealing The Greensand Country” book which is something they hope people will keep and use a reference to help them explore the Greensand Country all year round. It will be distributed to 30,000 houses in and around the Greensand Landscape (during April 2021) and will have a pull-out insert listing the Festival events.
  3. For the 2021 festival the organisers are asking the individual event organisers to upload their events directly to the GCLP website. 

Keep clicking here in 2021 for the updated Online List of Walks, Talks and other events being offered

 

 Added 18/12/2020

Keep up with news through our website

Do take a look around, it is going to keep you up to date with our activities

Our new website

If there is something you would like us to add, eg another talk, history of a garden, walk etc do let us know

Join us and help, and we will do what we can to deliver!

 

Various Talks and Lectures

November and December, 2020 

Location: Zoom Online

Click on the link to get further information: 

Online List of Talks and Lectures offered by The Gardens Trust

 

 Added 07/11/2020

Listed Landscapes - Twenty Post-War Sites Protected

Announced on August 18th 2020, The Improvement Garden at Stockwood Park, Luton now has protected status. 

Click here for more details. 

 

 

The Improvement Garden at Stockwood Park, Luton, Bedfordshire © Historic England Archive DP247684

The Improvement Garden was designed in the 1980s by Ian Hamilton Finlay. It’s the only complete garden remaining in England by the artist, poet and landscape designer.

The garden’s six sculptures and their setting integrate poetry, history and nature. Inspiration ranges from Greek mythology and Roman architecture to the grand landscape gardens of the 18th century.

Sculpture of Aphrodite at the Improvement Garden at Stockwood Park, Luton, Bedfordshire © Historic England Archive DP247690

The design is an example of Finlay’s collaboration with the sculptors and carvers he used in his later career.

The Improvement Garden is accessible via the Stockwood Discovery Centre.

 
Added 25/08/2020 

7 of the Best Post-War Parks, Gardens and Landscapes in England

No 4: The Improvement Garden At Stockwood Park, Luton  

 

Recently posted by Historic England on the Heritage Calling website, recognition of the Improvement Garden at Stockwood Park, Luton as one of seven of the amazing post-war landscapes in England.

Click here for the details.

Added 25/08/2020

Easing of "lock down" - Some Visits available - August  2020

The NGS is now offering Garden Tickets to various gardens across the country, currently releasing dates on a weekly basis.

Click here for more details. 

Added 28/07/2020 

Easing of "lock down" - Some Online Lectures Now available - August  2020

The Gardens Trust is now offering online talks  on topics and dates in August 2020 via the Zoom platform.

Click here for more details. 

Added 28/07/2020 

UK National Garden Day 

May 10th 2020 

Location: around Bedfordshire

Images from the gardens around the county for UK National Garden Day. Check back for latest updates during the day.

 

 Courtesy:

Steve Morris, Swiss Garden                                              Andrew Grout, Woburn Abbey Gardens

 

 Courtesy:

Gary Hines, Stockwood                                                                                             Richard Webb, Jordans Mill Gardens

 Added 10/05/2020

Swiss Garden and RHS Partnership 2020

RHS members offered qualified free entry to the Swiss Garden from January 2nd 2020.

Click here for more details. 

Added 15/01/2020 

Talk organised by Plant Heritage 

January 16th 2020 

Location: Sandridge

Click here for further details.

 

 

 Added 15/01/2020

Winter walk and lunch with the Head Gardener

Friday January 24th 2020.

Location: Swiss Garden

Click here for more details. 

Added 15/01/2020 

Shuttleworth Parkland Tour

Friday February 18th 2020.

Click here for more details. 

Added 15/01/2020 

Study Day organised by Birkberk Garden History Group

February 29th, 2020 

Location: London

Click on the title to get further information: 

Study Day: "A Galaxy of Grottoes"

 

 Added 15/01/2020

The Trees of the Swiss Garden

Friday March 20th 2020.

Click here for more details. 

Added 15/01/2020 

Ian Hamilton Finlay and the Sculpture Garden

April 2nd, 2020

NOW CANCELLED 

Location: Stockwood Park, Luton

Click here to get further information.

 

 Added 15/01/2020

Orchards East Extends Active Dates

The Orchards East Project has extended its activities through to August 2020.

Click here for more details. 

 

Introduction To Garden History

The Gardens Trust, in association with the Garden Museum, is offering a new nine week INTRODUCTION TO GARDEN HISTORY course starting in October 2019.  Full details are below and by clicking on the link here to their website.  

 

Bedfordshire Head Gardeners Network 

Named as Finalist at 2019 Horticulture Week Custodian Awards in the Best Partnership Category

 

 

Click here for further details. 

 

 

 

Garden Exhibition at The Higgins, Bedford

"Round and Round the Garden" - A Celebration of Horticulture in Art

Saturday April 6th 2019 until Sunday September 29th 2019 at The Higgins, Bedford, Castle Lane, Bedford, MK40 3XC 

Entry free

Click here for further details. 

 Also at The Higgins, Bedford a lunchtime lecture with Twigs Way -  "Art and the Suburban Garden"

Wednesday May 22nd 2019 12 - 1pm; £5.90 [£4.70 concessions], booking essential

Click here for further details.

 

 

 

 Last Updated: October 2nd 2020

Spring 2017 Newsletter

As a member of Bedfordshire Gardens Trust, you will get a copy of the quarterly newsletter -

The Spring 2017 Newsletter is available now

Click here to see what else you get as part of joining us

 Autumn 2016 newsletter