On Saturday 15th October, two blue plaques were unveiled at the Gardens to commemorate Beth and her friend and fellow plantswomen, Pamela Underwood. Launched in 2020, the Essex Women’s Commemoration Project aims to pay tribute to inspirational Essex women whose achievements deserve to be more widely recognised. Fields include the arts, writing, politics, science, philanthropy, education, social and military welfare, medicine, horticulture, activism and leadership.
'It is our absolute honour to have the plaque’s here at the Gardens to commemorate my inspirational grandmother Beth Chatto and also her influential and trail blazing early neighbour, Pamela Underwood another truly amazing Essex plants woman. Thanks to the Essex Women’s Commemoration Project for the great work they are doing in recognising and celebrating the wealth of female talent that Essex enjoys!'
-Julia Boulton, Beth's Granddaughter
Pamela Underwood was chairman of the Colchester Flower Club and became well known at the Chelsea Flower Show as the Silver Queen after her love for grey and silvered-leaved plants. She encouraged Beth, who was her neighbour and fellow founder member of the flower club, to give demonstrations of her flower arranging to other clubs. This resulted in a new career for Beth. She was able to combine her arranging abilities with a natural talent for presenting and was suddenly in demand as a speaker.
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