Join psychiatrist, psychotherapist and author Sue Stuart-Smith in conversation with gardener and broadcaster Ashley Edwards, chaired by The Hepworth Wakefield’s Cultural Gardener Katy Merrington.
Drawing from their wealth of experience of working in medical, horticultural and literary fields, the speakers will discuss the various ways in which gardening, and spending time connected to nature, benefits our health and wellbeing.
Following the talk there will be opportunity for audience questions.
Pre-order your copy of The Well Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith here.
Book your tickets online.
A proportion of the allocated places are offered to Members at the discounted rate on a first come, first served basis. Become a Member.
Book your place online or if you have any questions or special requirements then please get in touch by emailing hello@hepworthwakefield.org.
Tickets for accompanying carers and Under 18s are free, booking required.
Special Offer: Attend the talk and our exhibitions for just £15. Tickets available via the booking link. Please note that Wakefield residents attend all exhibitions free of charge and therefore only a talk ticket is required.
A seven-day cancellation policy applies to this event, and we regret that refunds cannot be offered less than a week before the event date, should you wish to cancel your place.
Should The Hepworth Wakefield need to cancel an event, your ticket will be refunded in full.
About the speakers
Ashley Edwards is Head Gardener of Horatio’s Garden London & South East, where he nurtures the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre garden while welcoming and supporting patients, loved ones and NHS staff visitors to the garden. He is a panelist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time and Chair of the London Gardens Network. Edwards graduated from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in 2014, after completing the School of Horticulture’s prestigious diploma course. Following this, he worked at Longwood Gardens in the USA, before becoming a Garden Manager intern at the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in Sicily. Most recently, Edwards was Gardener-in-Charge at Strawberry Hill House & Garden, the former Twickenham residence of Horace Walpole and later Lady Frances Waldegrave.
Sue Stuart-Smith is a psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist who graduated in English literature at Cambridge University before going on to train as a doctor. She worked in the National Health Service for many years, becoming the lead clinician for psychotherapy in Hertfordshire. She currently teaches at The Tavistock Clinic in London and is deputy director of DocHealth, a not-for-profit service helping doctors suffering from stress and burnout. She is married to Tom Stuart-Smith, the celebrated landscape architect who designed The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, and have together have created the wonderful Barn Garden in Hertfordshire. Her book, The Well Gardened Mind, was published in 2020 and became a Sunday Times bestseller. It has since been translated into 15 languages.
Gathering Ground
This in-conversation forms part of Gathering Ground, a series of events and activities inspired by The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, engaging in our natural surroundings and our riverside location.
From gardening, growing and food to wellbeing, wildlife and waterways, Gathering Ground invites communal reflection upon the natural world in an urban setting and the ways in which we can connect with and care for it. The events will feature talks, walks, poetry, performances and activities for all ages, taking place in our unique setting at the edge of the city, where the built environment emerges from the banks of the River Calder.
To be the first to hear about the Gathering Ground programme, sign up to our garden-focussed newsletter by selecting The Hepworth Wakefield Garden as your option.
