Talk | Fiona Davison: An Almost Impossible Thing

While working at the Royal Horticultural Society, Fiona Davison came across a cache of letters from a young gardener who was denied a fellowship because she was a woman. Appalled, and intrigued to discover what became of Olive, Fiona began researching the wider story of early female professional gardeners whose struggles changed forever the rights and opportunities for women gardeners.

Gardens are seen as a place to escape the troubles of the world but this book looks back to a period were an arena for radical and far-reaching experiments. An Almost Impossible Thing follows six convention-busting women gardeners in the years before the First World War, examining their lives in the context of suffragism, collectivism and Empire.

Why not stay for dinner and treat yourself to our award-winning Garden Café? We recommend pre-booking a table to guarantee your space.