Four world-renowned horticulturists will headline the first-ever Andalusia Garden Symposium at Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum on May 4.
The National Historic Landmark boasts spectacular formal gardens and stunning native woodlands, all surrounding the iconic 19th-century Greek Revival home of the Biddle family. Garden enthusiasts, professional horticulturists and landscape designers alike will have the unique opportunity to hear and learn from leading experts in the field during the daylong symposium.
Tickets are now available for $300. Attendees can also purchase a table for 10, which offers premium seating and a patron listing. Tickets are available for purchase online at andalusiapa.org/events/garden-symposium/.
The Andalusia Garden Symposium speakers represent a cross-section of expertise, from garden and floral design, to urban gardening, to integrating ornamental plants into the natural environment. All four earned international acclaim for their work.
Symposium presenters include:
Fergus Garrett, head gardener and CEO of the internationally-acclaimed Great Dixter Garden in Northiam, East Sussex, UK, is a hands-on gardener with a special interest in the interaction of ornamental gardening and biodiversity. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest honor from the Royal Horticultural Society. He writes lectures on topics including the greening of urban and suburban communities and the Dixterstyle of flower gardening.
Annie Novak, renowned author and urban farmer, is founder and director of Growing Chefs: Food Education from Field to Fork, the manager of the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden, co-founder and farmer of the nation’s first green roof vegetable farm in Brooklyn and the author of a book on rooftop farming. She has served on the board of the American Bird Conservancy since 2018. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, NPR and others.
Frances Palmer is a potter and gardener, whose handmade, functional ceramics have been exhibited and sold internationally. Her work is represented in leading private craft and contemporary art collections around the world and has been featured in leading publications including House & Garden, The New York Times Magazine and Vogue. Palmer is a self-taught photographer who published a book, Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity, documenting her own floral arrangements and handcrafted vessels. The book also describes her artistic and gardening practices and her ideas for living a creative life.
Xa Tollemache, an acclaimed garden designer, has been practicing her craft in the United States, Europe and Scandinavia since 1996. Although many of her projects are traditional in theme, each has its own character, designed to fit in with the surrounding landscape and architecture. Her projects range from small courtyard gardens to large estates, including the Millennium Garden at Castle Hill in Devon and new borders at Dunbeath Castle in Scotland. Tollemache’s own garden at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk, which she has extensively redesigned over 25 years, is open to the public.
According to Kristin Biddle, symposium organizer and chair of The Andalusia Foundation’s Horticultural Committee, “We are thrilled to welcome four world-renowned experts to Andalusia. This symposium will be an exciting day of lectures, garden tours and book signings with an opportunity to connect with fellow gardeners and garden professionals.”
The full day of programming is as follows:
– Guests begin their day next door to Andalusia in the dedicated conference space, Belle Voir at Pen Ryn Estate, where they will enjoy a coffee reception, lectures and lunch
– The lectures will be followed by an exclusive afternoon reception at Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum with afternoon tea, book signings with the speakers and ample time to explore the magnificent grounds.
Biddle continued, “The May date allows us to showcase Andalusia’s most magical season, spring, as we welcome visitors to Bucks County and the Philadelphia region, America’s Garden Capital.”
Attendees are invited to explore 300 years of horticultural history in America’s Garden Capital, home to 38 public gardens, arboreta and historic landscapes, including six in Bucks County.
For those interested in visiting before the Garden Symposium, Andalusia will be open to the public for the 2023 season on April 1, with tickets for guided and self-guided tours available online. Guests can reserve tours of the 50-acre property and the Biddle family’s early 19th-century Greek Revival home through Nov. 3. Visit andalusiapa.org/ for more information.
Additionally, guests can extend their Garden Symposium weekend by attending Andalusia’s Garden Party, an evening cocktail reception on the banks of the Delaware River, on Saturday, May 6.
