Pictorial Meadows team attend Chatsworth Garden Masterclass conference

The Pictorial Meadows team had a great time attending the two-day Garden Masterclass conference at Chatsworth on 7–8 September.

The conference gave the team the chance to learn about the challenges and opportunities of managing gardens/landscapes in an ever-changing world from a variety of inspirational speakers.

On the first day, the team got to meet Tom Stuart-Smith and James Hitchmough, who are the Designers and Consultants at Chatsworth. Tom and James shared their experiences of working on various planting projects at Chatsworth and discussed their design process, plus the lessons they learnt from their setbacks and successes.

The team then listened to an insightful talk by Steve Porter, who is the Head of Gardens and Landscape at Chatsworth. Steve discussed the management strategies employed at Chatsworth, their plans for the next few years and the work they do with volunteers and young people.

Richard Scott, a Conservationist and Landscape Designer, then delivered a talk about creative conservation and the innovative techniques/strategies that can help preserve and enhance natural landscapes in the future.

On the second day, the team listened to a talk by John Grimshaw, a Dendrologist and Tree Specialist. John spoke about the importance of trees in our evolving landscapes, highlighting the effects climate change will have on the UK’s native trees over the next 40–50 years. He also discussed the possibilities of importing equivalent non-native trees from abroad that can withstand hotter climates.

Many thanks to Annie Guilfoyle and Noel Kingsbury for organising!