Thursday 14 March, 6pm
On the occasion of the Italian Design Day 2024
Inclusivity, innovation and sustainability in gardens. A conversation with Malcolm Anderson (RHS) and designers Jo Thompson and Giulio Giorgi
Three speakers, Malcolm Anderson, Head of Sustainability at the Royal Horticultural Society, Jo Thompson, a renowned garden designer who lives between the UK and Italy, and Giulio Giorgi, the Italian garden designer presenting the Nurturing Garden at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show, will embark on a journey to redefine our relationship with the natural world, focusing on creating spaces that not only respect the delicate balance of our environment but also embrace the diversity of our community. They will explore innovative practices that make gardening more sustainable, reducing our ecological footprint while enhancing biodiversity. The aim is to inspire each one of us to integrate these practices into our own gardens and communities. Together, we can cultivate spaces that nurture both the earth and the diverse tapestry of people who inhabit it.
During the conference Giulio will preview the terracottas designed for the Chelsea Flower Show, in collaboration with Giuseppe Fallacara (Politecnico di Bari) and WASP, the Italian company leader in 3D printing.
The Italian Design Day is an event conceived by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote Italian design abroad, to support exports and the internationalisation of companies in this sector, to foster international know-how and exchange of technical and creative skills, as well as to increase incoming tourist flows. To this end, during this annual celebration, the network of Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes and ITA (Italian Trade Agencies) offices organise a number of promotional initiatives specifically tailored to the needs of each individual location. Find out more clicking on these links: Italian Design Day 2023 (italiandesignday-official.it) Aise.it – Agenzia Internazionale Stampa Estero
To book your place click HERE
Jo Thompson is one of the UK’s leading and best-known garden designers. She has won four Gold and five Silver Gilt medals at Chelsea Flower Show, and won the coveted People’s Choice Award at the first RHS Chatsworth Show. She is known for creating private and public gardens that are sensitive to their location and history, as well as intelligently planted. Much of Jo’s childhood was spent in Italy, firstly in Rome, then as a student in Venice, followed by long summers at the family’s Tuscan home nestled in the Sienese hills. The architecture and art of Italy inspires much of her work and her exquisite planting has led her to be considered one of the UK’s leading plantswomen. Current projects include the regeneration of the walled gardens at Water Lane in Kent, the planting surrounding a 16th Century house in Sussex, a roof garden in Rome and a naturalistic garden in Connecticut. She is also working with Gustafson Porter + Bowman on the restoration of Highgate Cemetery in London. Jo speaks both nationally and internationally, she is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and a Trustee of Bankside Open Spaces Trust. She has written two books including The Gardener’s Palette, which explores the use of colour to create atmosphere and year-round interest in every garden. Her third book, publishing in autumn 2024, will look at the allure of romantic gardens.
Malcolm Anderson is the Head of Sustainability for the RHS, helping the organisation shape the delivery of their sustainability strategy which aims to see the organisation reach their goals of being net positive for nature and people by 2030. He joined the RHS in September 2021, having worked for the National Trust across the SW of England for thirteen years, where he worked to deliver positive environmental change through boots on the ground delivery of environmental improvements. From installing heat pumps and biomass boilers to building new build straw bale buildings and updating Victorian sewage systems to cope with changing climatic patterns, the historic National Trust estate gave plenty of opportunities to find creative ways of reducing environmental impacts through the practical application of the right construction technology and knowledge. For nine years before that he worked for the Building Research Establishment (BRE) on topics ranging from Green Specifications for construction materials to construction and demolition waste management.
Giulio Giorgi is an Italian landscape designer, horticulturalist, writer and gardener.
His work looks at the future in terms of ecology and planting strategies, and is characterised by the choice of exclusive materials and personalised craftsmanship. Giulio’s signature encompasses subtles visual patterns, handcrafted hard materials (ceramics, terracotta, stone) and non-visual features such as olfactive compositions (scented planting schemes).
Giulio trained first in agronomy and ecology in Italy, France and Norway (Università degli Studi di Milano, Agroparistech, Norwegian University of Life Sciences) and worked for several years in organic agricultural research.
He has been practising design since 2007, and based his office in Paris after obtaining the Landscape Certificate at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Paysage de Versailles.
Giulio has been appointed as visiting professor in several French universities, architecture and design schools. He teaches environmental design and landscape projects. He writes for several landscape reviews and will publish his first book in spring 2024 : An Olfactory Botany Compedium for garden lovers