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Events
Our aim is to offer a diverse range of activities for all our members at locations around the county.
You will find further updates forthcoming as the year progresses and confidence returns to allow small groups to gather for garden visits and indoor talks.
Our programme in 2023 includes a number of Zoom-based talks, details as shown in the panel right.
Our detailed programme through the rest of 2023 and further updates will be forthcoming over the remaining weeks of the year.
Check out diary latest at LATEST news page, which carries details of the events and who to contact if necessary.
Update: 16/03/2023
DEFINITE SCHEDULED EVENTS in 2023
Garden Visits, Study Day, Zoom Talks 2023
Dates: December 2023
Title: Our Winter Talk Series Will Start
Description: Details to follow
Dates: November 2nd 2023
Title: Swiss Garden NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: Details to follow
Dates: September 10th 2023
Title: Howbury Hall NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: August 19th 2023
Title: Flitwick Manor Guided Walk
Description: Details to come
Dates: August 4th 2023
Title: Luton Hoo Walled Garden NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: Details to Follow.
Dates: July 29th 2023
Title: Bedfordshire Gardens Trust AGM, Ickwell Bury
Description: Details to come
Dates: June 24th 2023
Title: Bedfordshire Local History Association Symposium, Potton [BGT stall onsite all day]
Description: Details to come
Dates: June 4th 2023
Title: Southill Park NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: June 3rd 2023
Title: Moggerhanger Park Plant Fair [BGT stall onsite all day]
Description: Details to come
Dates: May 16th 2023
Title: Zoom Talk - Moggerhanger Park
Description: As part of the Greensand Country Festival - details to come
Dates: April 22nd 2023
Title: Spring Flowers at Clapham Park Wood
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: March 8th 2023
Title: Zoom Talk - Jekyll in Bedfordshire
Description: Event has been and gone. This is what you missed.
Dates: March 2nd 2023
Title: Swiss Garden NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: Event has been and gone. This is part of what you missed.
Dates: February 2nd 2023
Title: Zoom Talk - Jane Austen, Humphry Repton, and her Bedfordshire Connections
Description: Event has been and gone. This is what you missed.
Dates: January 13th 2023
Title: Zoom Talk - Humphry Repton in Bedfordshire
Description: Event has been and gone. This is what you missed.
2022
Dates: October 12th 2022
Title: Study Day: Reviving a Forgotten Garden
Description: Click here for details
Dates: September 14th 2022
Title: A Visit to Bedford Cemetery
Description: Guided Tour; Details to follow
Dates: September 11th 2022
Title: Howbury Hall NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: August 5th 2022
Title: Luton Hoo Walled Garden NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: July 23rd 2022
Title: Old Warden Village Hall, BGT Annual General Meeting
Description: Talk; For details, click here.
Dates: June 19th 2022
Title: Howbury Hall Red Cross Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: June 5th 2022
Title: Southill Park NGS Open Day [BGT Providing history]
Description: For details, click here.
Dates: May 28th TO June 5th 2022
Title: Wheelbarrow Competition Entries At Swiss Garden [BGT Sponsored event]
Description: Click here for details
Dates: May 24th 2022 - A ZOOM Talk
Title: History of Ickwell Bury and the Harvey Family
Description: Click here for details
Dates: May 5th 2022 - A ZOOM Talk
Title: Swiss Garden - Restoration of a Regency Gem
Description: Click here for details
2021
Dates: Various
Title: Various Open Gardens via Bedfordshire NGS
Description: All noted at the NGS website
Note BGT are specifically supporting the following NGS Open Days in 2021 as follows:
June 6th: Southill Park [providing history information] - click link for more details
Further dates and venues will be added as they are confirmed
Thursday May 13th 2021
Title: Researching Gardeners
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Gardeners, Family History or Garden History. The talk will cover the lives and careers of some head gardeners from the history of the Luton Hoo Estate over several centuries as examples.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the first part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Thursday May 27th 2021
Title: Wellbeing in the Garden
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Landscapes and Wellbeing. Green outside areas are now recognised as very important for our wellbeing. Find out the details and see how Swiss Garden are implementing a Wellbeing Programme.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the second part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Updated 23/02/2021
DEFINITE SCHEDULED EVENTS in 2021
Garden Visits 2021
Dates: Various
Title: Various Open Gardens via Bedfordshire NGS
Description: All noted at the NGS website
Note BGT are specifically supporting the following NGS Open Days in 2021 as follows:
June 6th: Southill Park [providing history information] - click link for more details
Further dates and venues will be added as they are confirmed
Thursday May 13th 2021
Title: Researching Gardeners
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Gardeners, Family History or Garden History. The talk will cover the lives and careers of some head gardeners from the history of the Luton Hoo Estate over several centuries as examples.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the first part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Thursday May 27th 2021
Title: Wellbeing in the Garden
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Landscapes and Wellbeing. Green outside areas are now recognised as very important for our wellbeing. Find out the details and see how Swiss Garden are implementing a Wellbeing Programme.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the second part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Updated 23/02/2021
DEFINITE SCHEDULED EVENTS in 2021
Garden Visits 2021
Dates: Various
Title: Various Open Gardens via Bedfordshire NGS
Description: All noted at the NGS website
Note BGT are specifically supporting the following NGS Open Days in 2021 as follows:
June 6th: Southill Park [providing history information] - click link for more details
Further dates and venues will be added as they are confirmed
Thursday May 13th 2021
Title: Researching Gardeners
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Gardeners, Family History or Garden History. The talk will cover the lives and careers of some head gardeners from the history of the Luton Hoo Estate over several centuries as examples.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the first part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Thursday May 27th 2021
Title: Wellbeing in the Garden
Description: An event for those interested in Gardens, Landscapes and Wellbeing. Green outside areas are now recognised as very important for our wellbeing. Find out the details and see how Swiss Garden are implementing a Wellbeing Programme.
A free Zoom-based talk - booking essential to gain appropriate information regarding attendance.
This is the second part of our offering in the Greensand Country Festival for 2021.
Updated 23/02/2021
Prior Events[Retained For Tracking History]
2020 Details
Talks in 2020
Tuesday January 14th 2020
Title: Garden History in Bedfordshire
Description: An event for both new Garden Historians and BGT members.
A talk plus time for informal networking and discussion. To be held in Ampthill Chapter House.
Wednesday March 18th 2020
Title: How To Trace Gardeners - CANCELLED
Description: An event for both new Garden Historians and BGT members.
A talk plus time for informal networking and discussion. To be held in Ampthill Chapter House.
Friday April 24th 2020
Title: Gertrude Jekyll in Bedfordshire Postponed
Description: 2018 was the 175th anniversary of the birth of Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) who created some 400 gardens. Her influence on garden design has been pervasive. Although one of her brothers lived in Bedfordshire, Gertrude only produced plans for one garden in the county at the Old House in Ickwell.
Wednesday May 6th 2020
Title: Glorious Greensands Gardens - CANCELLED TO MAY 2021
Description: Garden History in Bedfordshire.
Wednesday May 20th 2020
Title: Glorious Greensands Gardens CANCELLED TO MAY 2021
Description: Historic details of great Gardens on the Greensand Ridge. An amazing amount of historic parkland!
Prior events in 2019
Wednesday March 20th 2019
Title: Jane Austen and the Picturesque Landscape: Heroes, Villains and Mr Repton
Description: A talk at Ampthill Church Hall
Monday May 6th 2019
Title: Humphry Repton in Bedfordshire
Description: A talk at Ampthill Church Hall
For further details Click Here
Tuesday May 21st 2019
Title: Gertrude Jeykll in Bedfordshire
Description: A talk at Ampthill Church Hall
For further details Click Here
Study Days
Date: April 10th 2019
Title: Impact of WW1 on Beds Estates
Description: BGT and Luton Hoo Estates Study Day
Date: June 22nd 2019
Title: The Designed Landscapes of Bedfordshire
Description: BGT organised symposium on behalf of Bedfordshire Local History Association
For a high level list of speakers, click here
For a list of what is being covered, click here
For a booking form and instructions, click here
For any further information, eMail: treasurer@bedsgardenstrust.org.uk
Garden Visits
Dates: Various
Title: Various Open Gardens via Bedfordshire NGS
Description: All noted at the NGS website
Note BGT are specifically supporting the following NGS Open Days as follows:
June 2nd: Southill [providing history information]
June 8th: Howbury Hall [providing history information]
June 16th: The Hyde [providing history information]
August 3rd: Luton Hoo Walled Garden [providing history information]
Date: June 2nd 2019
Title: Moggerhanger Plant Fair
Description: All noted at their website
Note BGT are specifically supporting this event with guided garden tours
Guided Walks for 2019
Dates Being Planned - to be announced - see latest news
Some events are open to the public but members are the first to be notified. The cost is discounted to members whenever possible.
The programme of events varies from year to year.
Our 2021 programme of events is currently being planned.
Our 2020 programme of events was curtailed due to COVID.
Our 2019 programme included a series of talks in the spring, a co-hosted Study Day at Luton Hoo Estate and a full day symposium run in Poplars Garden Centre Learning Zone, Toddington on behalf of Bedfordshire Local History Association.
Our 2018 events included a study day "Repton in Bedfordshire" and a number of talks given across the county.
Updated: 23/02/2021