Carlow Garden Festival – “Dynamic Planting: Combining Plants, Materials and Place” with Matthew Wilson
This talk at Altamont Plant Sales and Altamont Gardens examines how plants can be used to maximum effect whatever the shape or size of the garden. Using examples of gardens designed by Matthew over the last 20 years, this talk considers the use of plants in relation to materials, place and vernacular, the architecture of plants and the importance of the garden in the wider environment.

Mathew Wilson
Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson is well-respected garden designer, writer, broadcaster and lecturer. He runs his own garden and landscape design practice – Matthew Wilson Gardens (MWG) – working on a wealth of projects ranging from domestic garden schemes to master planning for commercial, heritage and hospitality clients.
Matthew has designed award-winning gardens at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, including Welcome To Yorkshire’s 2016 garden ‘God’s Own Country’, which won the coveted People’s Choice Award.
When not designing gardens, Matthew writes extensively in the media. He has been a panelist on Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time since 2009 and is a regular contributor to the Financial Times.
www.matthewwilsongardens.com
Venue: Altamont Plant Sales, Altamont Gardens, Tullow, Co. Carlow. R93 N882
Talk 1: “Dynamic Planting: Combining Plants, Materials and Place” with Matthew Wilson
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
Talk 2: “How to Start Again” with Alys Fowler
Time: 3.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Admission: Talk 1 & Talk 2. €35
Café: Sugar & Spice Café in Altamont Gardens offers speciality teas/coffee, cakes, salads and sandwiches.
W: www.altamontplantsales.com
“How to Start Again” with Alys Fowler at Altamont Plant Sales and Altamont Gardens.
After 17 years in central Birmingham, Alys Fowler and her partner decide to upsticks and move to the Welsh seaside town of Aberystwyth. But between that decision and actually moving the pandemic happened and changed the market, so rather than buying some cute cottage with a couple of acres, she gets another tiny terrace garden on the side of a very, very steep hill!. This is the story of making the most of what you’ve got, of what to take with you and what to start again. At Altamont Plants Sales & Altamont Gardens, Alys will show you how to redesign a garden sustainably by recycling what you’ve got rather than starting again. And how small really is beautiful, that a slither of garden can truly feed you, the wildlife and look beautiful and leave you plenty of time to go swimming in the sea.

Alys Fowler
Alys Fowler
Alys Fowler is a gardener, presenter and writer. She presented on BBC’s Gardener’s World and her own series, The Edible Garden. She has written for The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Observer, Gardens Illustrated, Wicked Leeks and Caught by the River. She has published over eight gardening books including the best-selling The Thrift Gardener, The Edible Garden and Eat What You Grow. She was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for her memoir, Hidden Nature and has written her first work of fiction, The Woman Who Buried Herself, published by Hazel Press. She is currently working on a book about bogs.
The Carlow Garden Festival is supported by Carlow County Council under the Festival and Events Scheme and by Fáilte Ireland


