Perfection at Petworth

The Garden Museum’s second annual festival of garden literature in the private gardens of Petworth House was a magical event. The setting was extraordinarily beautiful and seldom seen, so there was a real sense of entering a hidden domain. It actually felt a bit like being an extra in a Merchant Ivory film as we drifted between the various gardens, found a shady seat to contemplate the view, listened to luminaries in the gardening and literary world speaking wisely on their chosen subject and gathered to eat delicious food. I had been slightly concerned that it would be difficult to match the success of the previous year’s event in Tom Stuart Smith’s garden, but my worries were unfounded – I returned home inspired, informed and entertained and already anticipating next year’s festival.