The Living Lab Begins
September marks an exciting new chapter at Bothy Gardens as we officially launch The Living Lab, our series of immersive, garden-based team sessions designed to reconnect people, ideas, and nature.
This month, we welcome our very first groups into the walled garden for two landmark events:
On 17 September, over 90 National Trust gardeners will join us to explore the role of horticultural training and climate-resilient planting.
Later in the month, we host 60 landscape architects from Stantec, who will step into the Living Lab to explore plants, pollinators, and the future of resilient landscapes.
These days bring together everything the Living Lab was designed for: reflection, collaboration, and hands-on learning in a historic garden setting. Led by horticulturist Mark Wheeler and hybrid designer Jules Gilleland, with special contributions from experts like Barry the Bee Guy, participants will move between talks, garden-based activities, and quiet moments of observation.
Unlike conventional meeting rooms, the Living Lab offers something different: the chance to step away from the everyday and into a space where ideas can take root. With the backdrop of rare plants, a restored greenhouse, and the quiet intelligence of a 300-year-old walled garden, these sessions invite teams to slow down, think deeply, and connect meaningfully with both nature and one another.
We are proud to begin this journey with two such dedicated groups, the National Trust and Stante,c whose work is shaping landscapes and heritage for future generations. Their time at Bothy Gardens is not just a day away from the office; it is a chance to experience what it means when nature becomes the whiteboard and the garden itself becomes a partner in professional growth.
The Living Lab is now open for bookings, and we look forward to welcoming more teams who are ready to think differently, connect deeply, and let ideas grow.
