She wrote several books about gardening under specific conditions and lectured on this in Britain, North America, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany.

She was educated at Colchester County High School for Girls before training as a teacher at Hockerill College, Bishop's Stortford.

[5] At this time, they became friends with Sir Cedric Morris, who ran an art school at Dedham, Essex, attended by Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud.

Chatto learned much of planting techniques from Morris, but his advice that she should move house if she wanted to create a truly great garden was less welcomed.

It had not been farmed before, as the soil was considered too dry in places, too wet in others and the whole area had been allowed to grow wild with blackthorn, willow and brambles.

The only plants to survive from the earliest days are the ancient boundary oaks surrounding the garden.

[7] In January 1975 Chatto created a small winter garden at one of the Royal Horticultural Society Halls, London SW1.

The trust also sponsors the Beth Chatto Environmental Award, under the auspices of the Garden Media Guild.