Join landscape architect and broadcaster Bunny Guinness, Thyme's head kitchen gardener Daryll Taylor, and editor of The Dirt News Petra Hoyer Millar for an insightful discussion on the art and science of growing vegetables. In this ultimate 'How To' session, Bunny, Daryll and Petra will explore soil preparation, composting, growing from seed, companion planting, and crop rotation. Drawing on their years of hands-on experience, they’ll share their expert secrets for cultivating the perfect vegetable garden. After the talk, enjoy an extended Q&A session where they will troubleshoot your gardening challenges and share their advice.
Included in the ticket price is a welcome refreshment and a two-course lunch in the Ox Barn.
10.00-10.30am - Guest Arrival
10.30-11.30am - Talk
11.30am-12pm - Audience Q&A
12pm onwards - Lunch
*Talk and Ox Barn lunch ticket (£50) includes access to the talk, welcome refreshment and a two-course lunch in the Ox Barn (prix fixe menu). Guests may be seated on a communal table - if you have a seating preference, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you on the day.
Bunny Guinness
Landscape architect Bunny Guinness has designed private gardens for clients ranging from HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia to Sir Bob Geldof, but she is probably just as well known as a regular panellist on the long-running BBC Radio 4 programme 'Gardener's Question Time'.
Originally planning to study food science, she switched to horticultural science and then studied for a postgraduate diploma in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) in 1979. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University in 2009.
She worked in private practice for some years before setting up her own firm in 1986. She has designed a total of nine show gardens, winning six golds, at the Chelsea Flower Show, including a gold for her first design – a 'Wind in the Willows' layout for children – in 1994.
While her design work remains the core business, Bunny has also featured in several TV shows and contributed to magazines and newspapers including the Sunday Telegraph and BBC Gardeners' World.
Daryll Taylor
A passionate vegetable gardener from a young age, Daryll was inspired by his great-grandmother and aunt, who instilled a love for growing food. He trained as a chef in Newbury, and honed his skills at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France, before working alongside the renowned chef Gary Rhodes at The Greenhouse in Mayfair.
In 2009, Daryll joined Thyme, where he spent nine years leading the cookery school and overseeing the food operations alongside Caryn Hibbert. His love for kitchen gardening and preserving seasonal produce was a central focus throughout his time at Thyme.
Daryll later spent six months volunteering as a gardener with Jane Scotter at Fern Verrow. Following this, he worked for a period as a liaison between the kitchen and the garden at Heckfield Place. From 2018 to 2022, Daryll worked as head baker at Lynwood, overseeing the food production. In 2023, Daryll returned to Thyme to lead the kitchen garden team.
Petra Hoyer Millar
An escapee from long humdrum career in financial services sector, Petra Hoyer Millar is the editor of The Dirt News, a daily news platform for the horticultural professional and enthusiast. As a member of the garden press, she also writes for Gardeners’ World Magazine, Gardens Illustrated, English Garden Magazine and the HTA’s Inside Horticulture magazine. Petra’s Oxfordshire garden is open for the National Garden Scheme and has been featured in Country Life Magazine, Gardens Illustrated and English Garden Magazine - the adventures of which appear on her blog the Oxonian Gardener.
Having worked for FMCG companies and in the City in a financial capacity, her love of horticulture encouraged her to retrain from her economic background to attain RHS Level 2 and 3 credentials - 17 years ago, working happily in horticulture ever since. Inspired by their garden, the horticultural industry, her mother and grandfather, Petra has been instilled with a deep love of gardening, growing and cooking produce. When not writing, she’s in the garden…
Photo credit: Rebecca Bernstein.