Rachel de Thame

Rachel is a broadcaster, writer and gardener. Having trained initially at the Royal Ballet School, she went on to gain professional horticultural qualifications at The English Gardening School and has been a regular presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World since 1999.  Rachel is also a long-term member of the team providing coverage of all the major RHS Flower Shows, including as co-anchor of Chelsea Flower Show.  Rachel’s other television series’ include Small Town Gardens, Gardening with the Experts and Great British Garden Revival for the BBC and Countrywise for ITV. Her radio appearances include A Good Read for BBC Radio 4 and Essential Classics for BBC Radio 3. 

Gardening for wellness and wildlife is a particular passion. She is currently restoring the garden of her home in the Cotswolds – including a walled kitchen garden with herb and cut flower beds, always with a focus on planting to attract pollinators.

The author of four gardening books, including her latest title A Flower Garden for Pollinators, Rachel is a gardening columnist for the Sunday Times and The Garden magazine for the RHS.  Her writing commissions for other publications, include BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and The Huffington Post.

Design projects, range from the LK Bennett Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2008 and the floral decorations for the Royal Barge, during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012, to bespoke planting plans for private gardens. 

Rachel co-curated the RHS London Rose Show in 2016 and has been the keynote speaker and/or host for talks and events at The Ashmolean Museum, The Garden Museum, Highgrove, Hever Castle, The Charleston Garden Festival, The Royal Geographical Society and Oxford Botanic Garden.

Rachel is Vice President of wild flower charity Plantlife, an Ambassador for The National Garden Scheme and Patron of the British Iris Society and most recently has been appointed an Ambassador for the Hardy Plant Society.  She has also supported Flowers From the Farm – the network for the UK’s cut flower growers – since its inception.

The mother of four children, Rachel’s interests beyond horticulture include the performing and fine arts, history, antiques, interior design, crafts and enjoying everything the countryside has to offer. 

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