The Full Festival Line Up and New Features

After a sell-out first year, the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival, set in the beautiful surroundings of the Yeo Valley Organic Garden near Blagdon in Somerset, is back this September with a packed 2026 programme bringing together some of the brightest and most exciting names in UK gardening. This joyful event offers bold ideas for growing with nature and is an abundant celebration of everything a garden can be: practical, positive and powerful  - without trowelling on the heavy stuff! 

This year’s line-up includes garden designers and broadcasters James Alexander-Sinclair and Joe Swift, who will open the festival with a live recording of The James & Joe Garden Show. They are joined by Arit Anderson, Frances Tophill, Dave Goulson, Poppy Okotcha, Jimi Blake, Errol Reuben Fernandes, Georgie Newbery, Arthur Parkinson, Lottie Delamain, Chris Hull, John Little and many more.

New for 2026 are the Glasshouse Gatherings – a new series of shorter, informal sessions offering practical pointers, plenty of conversation and a few bright ideas to take back to your own garden.

Visitors will also be able to explore one of the garden’s new borders: the ‘Load of Rubbish Bed’ (or LORB, as it’s affectionately known) - a new rubble-based garden area created from reclaimed stone, gravel, logs and crushed rubble from other parts of the garden to create a wonderfully wildlife-friendly planting space inspired by brownfield landscapes. It’s a little experiment in making the most of what you’ve got, proving that gardens don’t need perfect soil, pristine borders or a blank cheque to thrive.

Sarah Mead, owner and creator of the Yeo Valley Organic Garden, says: 
“That spirit of experimentation and just having a go is exactly what this festival is all about. Last year felt incredibly special, full of brilliant conversations, shared ideas and people happily disappearing off down garden paths together having a natter! This year we’ve added even more voices, new areas to explore and plenty of plants to buy and inspiration to take home. We’d love people to leave feeling inspired to do something positive, whether that’s creating habitats for wildlife, trying a more organic approach, planting for pollinators or simply making room for more joy in their garden. Small changes really can make a big difference.” 

Alongside the talks, visitors can enjoy garden tours, delicious food, music, specialist plant nurseries and garden shopping from tools and gardening essentials to plants aplenty - as well as time to properly wander the Yeo Valley Organic Garden itself and come away feeling inspired to try something new.

This year, the festival will be supporting the charity Garden Organic, whose work spans campaigning, advice, research and community projects to help gardeners grow in ways that support healthier soil, richer biodiversity and thriving, climate-resilient gardens.

“There’s something really powerful about people coming together around gardening. What’s so special about the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival is this shared curiosity for gardens - swapping ideas, learning from each other and finding simple ways to grow with nature in ways that feel fun, rewarding and realistic.”  Fiona Taylor, Garden Organic

Tickets for the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival 2026 are now on sale. Concessions and student group bookings are available. To enquire about student or group visits, email garden.festival@yeovalleyfarms.co.uk.

Festival Themes By Day

Thursday 17 September – It’s a Gardening World

A day exploring biodiversity, ecology, soil health and climate resilience - from practical growing tips to the bigger environmental picture. Expect bee safaris, biodiversity chats and plenty of practical ideas to take back to your own garden. Featuring:

Live opening podcast with James Alexander-Sinclair & Joe Swift, inviting plenty of audience participation!

The Living Room

• James Alexander-Sinclair (Hosting The Living Room Stage)

• Joe Swift

• John Little

• Chris Hull

• Frances Tophill

The Germination Station

• Kath Moore (Hosting The Germination Station)

• Kate Bradbury

• Mark Diacono

• Fiona Taylor

• Jean Vernon (Bee Safaris)

"One of the most generous things about gardening is how freely people share, whether it’s ideas, cuttings or encouragement. It's at the heart of what makes the gardening world feel so alive. Festivals like this one at Yeo Valley are a wonderful embodiment of that spirit, and I can't wait to be part of it this year." Frances Tophill

Friday 18 September – Colour Confidence

A celebration of planting design, flowers, creativity and glorious garden colour, because nature-friendly gardening doesn’t have to be all soft greens and sensible choices. Expect bold ideas, playful planting and plenty of encouragement to experiment. Featuring:

The Living Room

• Arit Anderson

• Georgie Newbery

• Errol Reuben Fernandes

• Jean Vernon (bee safaris)

• Arthur Parkinson

The Gemination Station

• Kath Moore (hosting The Germination Station stage)

• Paul Jupp & Eddie Bailey

• Sarah Mead

• Jimi Blake

• John Little

• Jean Vernon (bee safaris)

• Tamsin Westhorpe

“What I love about the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival is the generosity of spirit and passion to come together and share ideas, knowledge and practical know-how about how gardens can impact both place and people. Whether you’re a beginner gardener or a professional in horticulture, you will leave feeling inspired and part of a community that wants to make a difference to our natural environment.” - Arit Anderson.

Saturday 19 September – Mission Possible

A hopeful look at where gardening might go next, from biodiversity and ecological growing to practical skills, climate-conscious choices and inspiring the next generation to get growing. Featuring:

The Living Room

• Ben Hardy-Phillips

• Dave Goulson

• Poppy Okotcha

• Errol Reuben Fernandes

• Sarah Mead

• Lottie Delamain

The Germination Station

• Tamsin Westhorpe (hosting The Germination Station stage)

• Becky Searle

• Sally Morgan

• Lara Honnor

• Jean Vernon (bee safaris)

• Fiona Taylor

Additional speakers and programme details will be announced over the coming months. Keep an eye on the website and Yeo Valley Organic Garden socials for news as it’s announced.