Gardens take centre stage this weekend as a major four-day festival opens in the Sussex countryside.
Charleston’s Festival of the Garden runs from Thursday, July 17, to Sunday, July 20, bringing together gardeners, artists, designers, and activists for a packed programme of talks, performances, workshops, and walks exploring the garden as a space for creativity, resilience, and renewal.
More than 60 speakers will take part in the event, which invites audiences to “reimagine how we live with the land.”
Charleston welcomes over 60 voices to explore land and imagination (Image: Lewis Ronald) Melissa Perkins, head of programme and events at Charleston, said: “This weekend’s festival offers a space where imagination and urgent ideas can flourish.
“We’re excited to welcome a diverse array of voices to Charleston to explore our deep connections with the land.”
Free fringe events and summer gardens draw crowds to Sussex estate (Image: Lewis Ronald) This year’s line-up includes folk singer Peggy Seeger, climate justice campaigners Mikaela Loach and Caroline Lucas, poet Jason Allen-Paisant, wildflower advocate Frances Tophill, grower Poppy Okotcha, and garden writers Arthur Parkinson and Alys Fowler.
Designers Jo Thompson, Annie Guilfoyle, and Jamie Butterworth will also appear, alongside artists and folklorists exploring ideas of land, legacy, and stewardship.
Gardens, growers, and galleries unite in Charleston’s four-day celebration (Image: Lewis Ronald) Charleston’s head gardener, Harry Hoblyn, said: “Festival of the Garden is more than an event, it’s a gathering for anyone curious about our relationship with nature.
“Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or simply a lover of beauty, this weekend offers inspiration and connection.”
Charleston’s garden festival blends art, ecology, and outdoor beauty (Image: Lewis Ronald)
Talks will take place on The Yard outdoor stage and in The Haybarn, while The Orchard will host a free fringe programme throughout the weekend, featuring demonstrations and Q&As curated by Mr Hoblyn.
The walled garden, plant fair, and all outdoor fringe events are free and open to the public.
Visitors can also browse plant stalls from independent growers, enjoy workshops, and explore a pop-up bookshop from City Books, all set against the backdrop of Charleston’s gardens in full summer bloom.
Workshops, talks, and plant fairs animate Charleston’s summer landscape (Image: Lewis Ronald) Charleston’s galleries will remain open during the festival, with exhibitions including Izumi Kato, a show by the celebrated Japanese artist, and Inventing Post-Impressionism: works from The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, featuring pieces by Van Gogh, Pissarro, Vuillard, Denis, and Léger.
Food and drink options include an outdoor grill serving brioche rolls, salads, burgers, cheese boxes, cakes, tea, Tigermoth batch brew coffee, Sussex juices, and kombucha.
The festival bar will offer Sussex wines, Black Lines cocktails, and beers from Beak and Unbarred breweries.
A shuttle bus will run between Lewes Station and Charleston throughout the weekend, with single fares at £3 and returns at £5.