The Great British Organic Garden Festival will be held from Thursday, September 18 to Saturday, September 20 at the Yeo Valley Organic Garden in Somerset. This exciting event promises to be a celebration of sustainable and nature-first gardening practices, aiming to inspire gardeners of all levels to adopt climate-resilient approaches. **Festival Lineup**
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- Arit Anderson
- Alys Fowler
- Frances Tophill
- Becky Searle
- Georgie Newbery
- Jason Williams
- Mark Diacono
- John Little
- Nicola Hope
- Kate Bradbury
- Tamsin Westhorpe
- Sally Morgan
- Huw Richards
- Tom Massey
- Sheila Das
- Charles Dowding
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**Speakers**
The festival features a diverse lineup of speakers, including sustainable garden design champion Tom Massey, head of gardens at the National Trust Sheila Das, and ‘no-dig’ gardening pioneer Charles Dowding. Tom Massey, known for his role on the BBC’s “Your Garden Made Perfect” and his award-winning sustainable designs, will be sharing his water-wise approach to gardening. He said: “Gardening with nature is something we can all embrace: observing and celebrating seasonal changes, harvesting rainwater to reduce our reliance on mains water, and nurturing healthy soils.”
Sheila Das, head of gardens and parks at the National Trust, will share her insights on her climate-resilient, soil-up approach to gardening. She said: “Great gardens are created by people with hands in the soil and hearts that connect with the past, present, and future.”
Charles Dowding, the guru of no-dig gardening, said: “With no dig, your soil is mostly undisturbed and unseen. What you notice is the quality in your plants, a beautiful shine to the leaves of flowers and vegetables – they glow.”
Each day of the festival will focus on a different theme, so visitors can choose which is most relevant to them. The themes are ‘Seeds of Change’, ‘People & Pollinators’, and ‘Mission Possible’. The event will feature four engaging areas—The Hive, Germination Station, Garden Safaris, and a Compost Campus. **Festival Activities**
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| Area | Description |
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| The Hive | A space for learning and sharing |
| Germination Station | A hands-on area for starting seeds |
| Garden Safaris | A guided tour of the garden |
| Compost Campus | A space for composting and recycling |
The event will also feature a nature-themed Bookworm Tipi, earth-friendly shopping, music, and locally sourced food and drink. **Tickets and Information**
Tickets for the festival are available now at yeovalley.co.uk/events. Sarah Mead, head gardener of Yeo Valley Organic Garden, said: “This festival is shaping up to be something really special. With voices like Tom, Sheila, and Charles joining us, we’re offering both practical insights and genuine inspiration for anyone who wants to garden with nature in mind. Sustainability doesn’t have to mean doom, gloom, and giving up your garden gnomes – it’s about making small changes that all add up to help improve the soil, promote a healthy biodiverse food chain in your garden. We guarantee you’ll have fun along the way and feel better for it.”
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This festival is a celebration of sustainable and nature-first gardening, and we invite you to join us to discover the joy of gardening with nature in mind.
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For gardeners of all levels, we’re offering a unique opportunity to learn from experts and gain practical insights into sustainable gardening practices.
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The festival will be a great platform for connecting with like-minded people and sharing knowledge and inspiration.
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The Great British Organic Garden Festival will be held from Thursday, September 18 to Saturday, September 20 at the Yeo Valley Organic Garden in Somerset.
