Monday, 21 September 2026 at 8:00 pm - 9:15 pm
Charles is a garden designer and plantsman whose creations can be found as far a field as New York, Long Island, Saudi Arabia, London and France. He was curator of Burford House Gardens and consultant to both Sudeley Castle and Sezincote gardens. His recent commissions include the restoration of the Park and gardens around Lydney Park in Gloucestershire and the 90 acres of Morton Hall Gardens, both of which are frequently open the public and been published widely in garden magazines (visit www.charleschesshire.co.uk www.lydneyparkestate.co.uk and www.mortonhallgardens.co.uk).
Charles moved from Shropshire to Symondsbury in Dorset in 2018 where he has created a new garden alongside his ‘rare and special plant’ nursery that offers a wide range of plants that includes Clematis, Itoh Peonies and a great selection of shrubs and herbaceous plants, many of which can be seen in the garden that also features a Japanese inspired tea-arbour.
His publications include
‘Japanese Gardens’ (Anness publishing) 2006
‘Clematis’ (RHS, Quadrille), 2004
‘Flowering Shrubs’ RHS, Practicals Dorling-Kindersley 2003
‘Climbing Plants’ RHS Practicals, Dorling-Kindersley 2002
‘Clematis’ RHS Practicals, Dorling-Kindersley 1999
A series of weekly columns for the Sunday Times 2004,
And articles in the RHS Garden Magazine, The English Garden, Easthampton Star(New York) and others.
He taught at Parson’s College of Design, New York and now lectures widely on many aspects of Design, especially Japanese Garden design, and Clematis, Roses, Peonies.