An Evening with Rachel de Thame

Wednesday 18th September 2024

Creating a garden for pollinators and the general benefits of gardening for wellbeing

Rachel is a broadcaster, writer and passionate gardener.  Trained at The English Gardening School, she has been a regular presenter on BBC2’s Gardeners’ World since 1999.  Rachel is also a long-term member of the team providing coverage of all the major RHS Flower Shows, and her other television series include Small Town Gardens and Gardening with the Experts for the BBC, and Countrywise for ITV.

The author of three gardening books, Rachel is a gardening columnist for the Sunday Times and The Garden magazine for the RHS.  Her writing commissions for other publications, include BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and The Huffington Post.

Design projects, range from the LK Bennett Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2008 and the floral decorations for the Royal Barge, during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012,to bespoke planting plans for private gardens.

Rachel co-curated the RHS London Rose Show in 2016 and has been the key speaker and/or host for talks and events at The Ashmolean Museum, The Garden Museum, Highgrove, Hever Castle, The Charleston Garden Festival and The Royal Geographical Society.

Rachel is Vice President of wild flower charity Plantlife, and an Ambassador for The National Garden Scheme.  She has also supported Flowers From the Farm - the network for the UK’s cut flower growers – since its inception.

The mother of four children, Rachel’s interests beyond horticulture include the performing and fine arts, history, antiques and crafts of all kinds.  She is currently restoring the garden – including walled vegetable, herb and cut flower beds – and interiors at her home in the Cotswolds, where country walks and wildlife spotting are welcome distractions.