13 Facts About Beth Chatto

Beth Chatto wrote several books about gardening under specific conditions and lectured on this in Britain, North America, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany.

Beth Chatto was born Bessie Diana Little at Good Easter, Essex, to Bessie and William Little.

Beth Chatto had a twin brother, Seley, to whom she remained close in adulthood.

Beth Chatto was educated at Colchester County High School for Girls before training as a teacher at Hockerill College, Bishop's Stortford.

Beth Chatto learned much of planting techniques from Morris, but his advice that she should move house if she wanted to create a truly great garden was less welcomed.

Beth Chatto contributed to articles for the international and national press and appeared in international media.

Beth Chatto worked with a team on developing the gardens and continued to inspect and approve their work until the day before she died, at the age of 94, on 13 May 2018.

Beth Chatto's husband had pre-deceased her by almost 20 years, dying in 1999.

The Beth Chatto Gardens comprise a varied range of planting sites totalling 7 acres, including dry, sun-baked gravel, water and marginal planting, woodland, shady, heavy clay and alpine planting.

The development of these sites prompted Beth Chatto to write books on gardening about what could be considered as "problem areas", using plants that nature has developed to survive under differing conditions.

In January 1975 Beth Chatto created a small winter garden at one of the Royal Horticultural Society Halls, London SW1.

Beth Chatto's exhibits won ten consecutive Gold Medals there from 1977 to 1987, except that she did not exhibit in 1983.

Beth Chatto was the author of many gardening books, including an exchange of letters with her friend and fellow gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd:.