A unique event in the heart of the South Downs, A Friend, A Book And A Garden: A Festival Of Garden Literature celebrates the magic and the beauty of gardens, and their influence on literature, art and indeed all aspects of life.

Organised by London's Garden Museum, the touring festival is taking place next weekend (Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22) in the idyllic walled gardens of Petworth House, West Sussex, which will be opened to the public especially for the event by Lord and Lady Egremont.

High profile speakers heading to Petworth include among others, historian Robert Lane Fox, nature writer Richard Mabey, and biographer, and vice president of the Royal Society of Literature, Victoria Glendinning.

Christopher Woodward, Garden Museum director, is the man behind the festival. His idea was to create something on the topic of gardening that was more thoughtful and reflective, than simply practical.

This proved to be a winning formula following the first event in a private garden in Hertfordshire in 2013. The programme for the second festival takes inspiration from its particularly beautiful location.

“Petworth is one of the best kept secrets in English gardens,” says Christopher, whose vision for the two-day festival was to appeal to the gardener and non-gardener alike.

“I have been struck by the number of good books on gardens that are not necessarily 'how to' books, but are more about the culture of gardening, and personal accounts.

“We thought we would try and do a festival which is different in two senses: It moves from place to place each year; and it is a relaxed, party atmosphere.”

The festival programme has been designed to explore how gardens impact everyday life; what they can teach us about ourselves and their influence on art, history, poetry and literature.

Guests can purchase tickets for half a day, a full day, or the entire weekend.

The feedback from the first festival in 2013 was excellent, says Christopher.

“We wrote to all the guests and everyone wrote back saying it was one of their favourite days of the year.”

At its heart the festival is about sharing ideas, with speakers mingling with guests, and plenty of time for discussion and questions. Key to this is the small size of the event – there are no more than 200 people per day.

It will be a meeting of like-minded individuals as well as those with diverse interests and experiences. Those who tend gardens large and small, or simply appreciate the beauty of gardens, will have the opportunity to meet those who design, research and write about gardens.

The festival is divided into four themed sections: Gardens, Nature And The Wild; The Artist And The Garden; Gardens Influencing History; and What We Say About Gardens, And What They Say About Us. Subjects range from a discussion of the imagery of flowers, countryside and loss in the experience of the First World War, to artist JMW Turner's relationship with gardens.

“The festival is very much inspired by the place. This year we have got a lot about art,” says Christopher.

Turner had a longstanding relationship with Petworth House, and was a regular visitor in the early 19th century to the 3rd Earl of Egremont, who was also a patron. Petworth was the subject for many of his paintings.

Petworth House houses a world famous art collection including a collection of landscapes by Turner as well as by the likes of Titian, Bosch, Van Dyck, Reynolds and Blake, classical and neoclassical sculptures, and carvings by Grinling Gibbons and Jonathan Ritson.

Christopher says that his personal highlights also include talks by author and former MP Chris Mullin on the relationship between his political life, diaries and his walled garden in Northumberland, and nature writer Richard Mabey on 40,000 years of plant enclosure.

The 17th century mansion is set in a 283 hectare deer park, which was landscaped by 'Capability' Brown, and the festival is a rare opportunity for the public to get a glimpse inside the private walled garden of Petworth, designed by Lady Caroline Egremont.

The contrast between these two spaces was the inspiration for the first part of the programme, titled “Gardens, nature and the wild.”

The walled garden spans about 14 acres, and is split into nine themed spaces from an orchard to a Mediterranean garden.

Guests can enjoy a weekend packed full of activities.

In addition to the programme of talks, music, poetry, croquet and shared picnics are sure to add to the informal air of celebration.

“It is a happy event with people enjoying the garden and leaving with lots to talk about on the way home,” says Christopher, who foresees the festival continuing each year in a different location, if the success of the first year is repeated this weekend.

  • A Friend, A Book And A Garden: A Festival Of Garden Literature will take place at Petworth House, West Sussex on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22.
  • Tickets £65 Friend Of Garden Museum half-day ticket (£75 Non-Friend), £125 Friend day ticket (£150 Non-Friend) or £230 Friend weekend ticket (£280 Non-Friend).

£50 student day tickets.

All tickets include lunch.

  • For booking and more information visit www.gardenmuseum.org.uk or call 020 7401 8865.