Kiftsgate Court Gardens: Three Generations of Women Gardeners  
Wednesday, October 30 | 6:00 p.m. | reception and book signing following lecture
Tickets: $40 | Location: The General Society Library, 20 West 44th Street, New York, NY

Kiftsgate Court is a family home and garden that has been loved and cultivated by the same family for over 100 years. Three generations of women gardeners have left their mark, each building on the family legacy. When Jack and Heather Muir bought Kiftsgate in 1919, Heather, without any horticultural training, started to layout the garden straight away. Instead of a lawn, she planted semi-formal beds of roses and other flowers, a Tapestry Hedge with a mix of beech, yew and plain and variegated holly, and a Rose Border full of unusual varieties. Heather’s aesthetic favored the Arts & Crafts Movement, emphasizing perennials and Mediterranean plants chosen for their adaptability, including drought tolerant cistus, spiky agaves and other Mediterranean style plantings. She was encouraged by her friend and next-door neighbor at Hidcote, Lawrence Johnston, as well as Vita Sackville-West who planted the famous Kiftsgate Rose at Sissinghurst. Heather’s daughter, Diany Binny continued the family gardening tradition during the 1950s. She designed paths, replanted borders with herbaceous plants, and re-fashioned the White Sunk Garden with a pool. Since the late 1980s, her daughter Anne Chambers and her husband Johnny have cultivated Kiftsgate. They introduced plants that flower year-round and added a Water Garden, a woodland, a tulip tree avenue, and an orchard. In their lecture, Anne and Johnny Chambers will tell their personal tale of Kiftsgate’s history and illustrate this stunning garden, while explaining their plans for its future. 

Anne & Johnny Chambers
Anne Chambers is the third generation owner and gardener at Kiftsgate in Glouchestershire. Although she was born and brought up there, she paid little attention to her horticultural surroundings until she married Johnny and they created their first little garden in London. Native to London, Johnny trained as an engineer and worked in international trade for 20 years. Over 30 years ago they decided to take the bold decision to move the family from London to Kiftsgate and started learning their gardening skills from Anne’s mother Diany Binny. Since then they have been developing the garden into its preeminent position today. Johnny used his engineering skills in creation of new garden projects, while Anne has immersed herself not only in the gardening world but also in local life, being appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 2009. Johnny is also a trustee of a number of local charities including Lord Leycesters Hospital in Warwick, celebrating its 450th anniversary next year.