Gardening with Gender
In this talk, RHS Committee Member, head gardener and author Benjamin Pope will discuss the role of gender in the garden, exploring the historic stereotypes within horticulture, whilst also applying these ideas to maintenance, design and plants.
Can a garden be described as masculine or a particular plant feminine, and should we be taking inspiration from historic trail blazers or embracing the division of gender within our gardens? Join Ben to hear the discussion and explore these ideas, with a view to giving you a new perspective on your garden whilst looking to the future for the best possible path.
Speaker Bio - Benjamin Pope
After studying and working in horticulture for the last 23 years, Ben is currently enjoying leading a team to maintain and develop a private garden in West Sussex. They grow fruit, vegetables and cut flowers for the house, whilst developing and maintaining the garden to a high aesthetic standard.
Alongside his role as Head Gardener, Ben enjoys lecturing at the Chelsea Physic Garden for The English Gardening School and at West Dean College of Art and Conservation. He regularly writes for Gardens Illustrated and other publications and has recently published a practical gardening book titled ‘What to Sow, Grow and Do’.
He is a member of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee and is currently in the process of establishing a market garden (under the name of The Working Garden) in the South Downs, where he hopes to sustainably grow produce and conduct plant trials, together with improving the biodiversity of the site with naturalistic planting schemes. Ben’s early education in art and design has led him to be creative in all aspects of his work, appreciating good design and clever use of colour.
