Welcoming Geoff Stebbings
Tour, Talks & Picnic Afternoon Tea - August 22nd 2020
We are thrilled to welcome Geoff Stebbings to Ballinakill, and the Twin Trees Heywood, Art & Culture Festival, on August 22nd 2020.
Geoff is the Editor of Garden Answers magazine and a broadcaster on BBC Radio. He has wrote several gardening books and won two Garden Media Guild awards.
He trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and worked in a garden centre, at an airplant nursery and was then Head Gardener at Myddelton House in Enfield, north London (made famous by the great amateur gardener E A Bowles), before embarking on a writing career, first with Garden News, then various other publications, before joining The Garden (journal of the Royal Horticultural Society), and then going freelance.
More recently he went back to Garden Answers where he was elevated to the heady heights of Editor, but left in December 2012, to move to Ireland, to get back to his career roots and get his hands dirty again!
Many of you may know Geoff as The Biking Gardener, and he writes frequently in his blog, on all things plant and garden.
“Lifelong biker (since I was 17) and gardener (since I was 7).
Two disparate threads I know but they come together sometimes!”
Jekyll and The Modern Garden
How Jekyll's Gardens Influence Our Gardens Today
A Talk by Geoff Stebbings
Geoff Stebbings Talk at this year’s Tour, Talks and Picnic Afternoon Tea, is titled ‘Jekyll And The Modern Garden’, and will explore the influence of Gertrude Jekyll’s garden designs, on todays modern gardens.
And where better to host such a wonderful talk, than magnificent Heywood Gardens, designed by Lutyens in 1906, landscaped by Jekyll, and fully completed in 1912. It stands today as testament to the essence of not just their alliance, but also the application and execution of their art!
Tour, Talks & Picnic Afternoon Tea
Also joining Geoff Stebbings as a speaker for our Tour, Talks & Picnic Afternoon Tea, is Dr. Jebb, Director of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland.
Dr. Jebb will discuss two themes – How Jekyll Cultivated An Architect, and House Or Garden; Which Came First?
His Talk willl explore the collaboration between the architect Edwin Lutyens, and garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll, that blossomed into life long friendship. How Jekyll had recognised and promoted the talents of the architect, at such a formative juncture in both their careers, and how the art forms they both aspired to perfect required such a deep knowledge and union of the crafts and skills of architect and gardener!
The talks will be preceded by a Guided Tour of Heywood Gardens with Lutyens’ descendant, Amanda Pitcairn, and will be punctuated by the serving of our Picnic Afternoon Tea, which like our talks, will be held outdoors!
We urge all our attendees to be weather ready, and bring your suncream and brolley!
Tickets are now available. Please follow the link below, and book early to avoid disappointment!
Make A Day Of It
Spend a day in Ballinakill & Heywood Gardens
August 22nd 2020
Prior to our Tour, Talks & Picnic Afternoon Tea, which gets underway at 2:30pm, why not join us in Ballinakill Village where so much will be going on!
Our En Plein Air artists at this year’s event, will be on Day Three, which will see them bring their easels to the village, and their work from the previous two days in Heywood Gardens, and the surrounding woodlands, will also be on open air display.
Our Guided Historical Walk of Ballinakill & Heywood, takes place at 11am, and tickets are just €5 +booking.
Local historian, and co-author of Ballinakill A Journey Through Time, Ger Dunphy is the guide for this walk.
The route will avoid busy roads, and there is a section of off-road walking, with moderate terrain throughout, and will be approximately one hour in duration.
The walk promises to be both enjoyable and informative with the Masslough Lake, Trench Family Mausoleum, Heywood Estate and Gills Pond just a few of the many places of interest that will be visited, along the route.
Before or after your walk, why not treat yourself to a coffee and choose from a wide range of wonderful foods, all of which will be on offer at our Laois Food Market, in the village square, and pay a visit to picturesque Gills Pond, where the festival’s Fishing Competition will be in full flow!
Both the Food Market and Fishing Competition get underway at 10am.
