Hoping to inspire visitors of all experience levels, to start growing with nature in mind, the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival promises gardening workshops, demonstrations, specialist nurseries exhibiting, alongside music, entertainment and delicious food. The event will bring together expert gardeners budding enthusiasts, and curious novices for a gathering of horticultural knowledge and exploration of nature-friendly practices.

Joining Arit Anderson, Alys Fowler and Frances Tophill, the newly announced headliners include:

Tom Massey is celebrated for his innovative, sustainable designs that harmonise with nature. In 2021, he won a Gold medal and the BBC People’s Choice award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with Yeo Valley Organic show garden. In association the architect Je Ahn from Studio Weave, he is currently reimagining the gardens around the British Museum. Massey will be bringing his water-wise approach to garden building and planting design to the festival, explaining how small collective steps can create large scale impact.
Sheila Das, Head of Gardens & Parks at the National Trust, brings a fresh and inclusive voice to the gardening world, championing horticulture as a vital and rewarding career path for the next generation. Her commitment to a soil-up approach to gardening is helping gardens across the National Trust network become more climate-resilient. As Das explains: “Great gardens are created by people with hands in the soil and hearts that connect with the past, present and future.”
Charles Dowding, often referred to as the guru of no-dig gardening, has been a pioneer in organic gardening for over 40 years. “With no dig, your soil is mostly undisturbed and unseen. What you notice is the quality in your plants, a beautiful shine to the leaves of flowers and vegetables – they glow!”

The new additions will be appearing alongside: Becky Searle, Georgie Newbery, Jason Williams, Mark Diacono, John Little, Nicola Hope, Kate Bradbury, Tamsin Westhorpe, Sally Morgan and Huw Richards for a weekend of talks and panels, focussed on sustainable and climate-resilient gardening methods and practices.

Sarah Mead, Head Gardener of Yeo Valley Organic Garden, said: “This festival is shaping up to be something really special. With voices like Tom, Sheila and Charles joining us, we’re offering both practical insights and genuine inspiration for anyone who wants to garden with nature in mind. Sustainability doesn’t have to mean doom, gloom and giving up your garden gnomes – it’s about making small changes that all add up to help improve the soil, promote a healthy biodiverse food chain in your garden. We guarantee you’ll have fun along the way and feel
better for it!”

Massey added: “Sarah and her team at Yeo Valley bring so much joy and enthusiasm to everything they do! I absolutely loved working with Sarah on the show garden we designed for RHS Chelsea in 2021, and I’m genuinely excited to be involved in the new Organic Garden Festival. Gardening with nature is something we can all embrace: observing and celebrating seasonal changes, harvesting rainwater to reduce our reliance on mains water, and nurturing healthy soils.”

The festival is spread across four themed areas; the Hive, Germination Station, Garden Safaris and the Compost Campus, promising something for all levels of experience and enthusiasm.

Sponsored by the Somerset based, RocketGro and Niwaki, the festival will take place on the on the 18th – 20th of September 2025. Full details and ticket information can be found here.