Very sad to hear that Beth Chatto, nurserywoman, author and one of the most influential horticulturists of recent times, has died, aged 94. Her belief in natural planting, working with nature in local environments has been of great significance to modern gardening. I was lucky enough to photograph her a few times in her garden in Essex, and these portraits were taken in 2008. Each meeting started with a cup of tea, and her quiet nature and small stature always hid her great significance in the gardening world. From the series 43 Gardeners Hands, which was part of the International […]
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Bunny Guinness, Alys Fowler, Rachel de Thame, Helen Yemm, Juliet Roberts and Beth Chatto – from a portrait series called land girls. A set of six images from this series appeared as a portfolio in Garden Photographer of the Year in 2012.
I worked on an allotment series in Richmond for Gardeners’ World magazine between 2008-10. The adjacent plot was looked after by a very quiet Irishman, Michael Hobbs, who I got to know during my frequent visits. I loved his plot, which was like a 1960’s back garden, complete with gnomes and ornamental frogs, and I frequently left with handfuls of spare fruit, veg or flowers. These unpublished portraits were taken in 2010 after my last visits for GW.
Author and garden writer Lia Leendertz on her allotment. From a folio for IGPOTY in 2012. Lia has been interviewed twice recently by Cerys Matthews on BBC R6 about her new annual Almanac, a seasonal guide to the year. Author and garden writer Laetitia Maklouf in her garden. Part of a folio for IGPOTY in 2012