Imogen Checketts
Former Head Gardener at Pensthorpe Wildlife and Gardens, Imogen has a FdSc. in Horticulture and Garden Design and a BSc. (Hons) in Landscape and Heritage.
Imogen’s work over the past 20 years has included working alongside the garden designer Piet Oudolf, reworking and replanting his first UK public garden; working at Osborne House for English Heritage; and working at a specialist tree, shrubs and perennials nursery.
Imogen designed and built the Wave Line Garden, the Wildlife Habitat Garden and has extended the original Millennium Garden at Pensthorpe.
Her horticultural interests are in mixed perennial and grass planting, planting for wildlife and dry gardens, as well as woodland habitats and edible gardening.
Kate Dumbleton
Always a keen gardener and having spent a year working on organic gardens in Australia, Kate re-trained in 2011 to gain a double distinction at Level 3 in Horticulture at the Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst college.
After winning the student of the year award (The Peter O’Dell Trophy), Kate worked at STAA in Nottingham, managing a new heritage demonstration garden on a Grade II* listed site of 600 detached pleasure gardens, and the Hanbury Botanical Gardens in Italy.
When living in Nottingham, Kate qualified in Permaculture Design and was a keen member of Ecoworks community gardens, the St. Ann’s Community Orchard and the Friends of Brackenhurst’s Victorian Walled Garden.
Previously, Kate worked in social research and project development for www.barkerlangham.co.uk cultural heritage projects, the RSWT’s Local Food programme www.localfoodgrants.org and ERDF and LSC environmental programmes.
Kate has a first degree in French (with Japanese) and a Master’s Degree (with distinction) in French, both from Nottingham University.