Rachel De Thame
Encyclopedia
Rachel De Thame is an English
gardener and television presenter.
to a professional standard at the Royal Ballet School
, White Lodge, Richmond Park. De Thame contracted glandular fever at age 15, and eventually chose to give up her dream of a dancing career at age 19. She then undertook a part time evening course in Drama at Southgate College
in 1979/1980 and studied History of Art
at London's City Lit
, after which she worked for a short period for a well-respected international firm of art dealers in London. She then married for the first time.
While pregnant with her first baby, de Thame was recruited by a modelling agency and went on to enjoy a successful modelling
career. A major part of Rachel's modelling included appearances in TV ads - where she met her second husband - and casting agents soon began to suggest De Thame for acting roles. By 1998, she had appeared in the mini-series Merlin
and in the British feature film Bodywork; credited in both productions as "Rachel Colover".
However, as a long-term career, acting was not Rachel’s ideal choice so late in 1998 she enrolled at the English Gardening School, indulging an inherited passion from her father. After earning a certificate in Practical Horticulture
and Plants & Plantsmanship, she immediately auditioned for BBC2’s Gardeners' World
. Initially a weekly presenter, following the birth of her second child in her second marriage she now makes occasional appearances on the programme. She has also filmed her own series for the BBC, Small Town Gardens and Gardening with the Experts. De Thame has co-presented the BBC's annual coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show
, Hampton Court Flower Show as part of the Royal Horticultural Society
output on BBC 2. Other television appearances include Going for a Song
and Call My Bluff, both for the BBC.
In 2008 De Thame designed the 2008 LK Bennett garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
De Thame has written two gardening books, Small Town Gardens and Rachel de Thame's Top 100 Star Plants, and co-wrote Gardening with the Experts. She currently writes a monthly horticultural column for The Sunday Times
and has also contributed to the gardening pages of The Daily Telegraph
, Gardeners' World Magazine, Woman's Own
Magazine, Eden Magazine.
Rachel is married to her second husband, Gerard De Thame, and the couple have two children. They live in west London
and have a cottage in the Cotswolds
, West Oxfordshire
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
gardener and television presenter.
Biography
From age 10, De Thame studied balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
to a professional standard at the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
, White Lodge, Richmond Park. De Thame contracted glandular fever at age 15, and eventually chose to give up her dream of a dancing career at age 19. She then undertook a part time evening course in Drama at Southgate College
Southgate College
Southgate College campus is located in the London Borough of Enfield, and situated beside the Southgate's main shopping centre and within a 200m walk of the Southgate tube station on the Piccadilly Line...
in 1979/1980 and studied History of Art
History of art
The History of art refers to visual art which may be defined as any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview...
at London's City Lit
City Lit
City Literary Institute is an adult education college based in central London, offering 3,000 part-time courses. It was established in 1919, with the purpose of educating London's workforce after the war...
, after which she worked for a short period for a well-respected international firm of art dealers in London. She then married for the first time.
While pregnant with her first baby, de Thame was recruited by a modelling agency and went on to enjoy a successful modelling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
career. A major part of Rachel's modelling included appearances in TV ads - where she met her second husband - and casting agents soon began to suggest De Thame for acting roles. By 1998, she had appeared in the mini-series Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
and in the British feature film Bodywork; credited in both productions as "Rachel Colover".
However, as a long-term career, acting was not Rachel’s ideal choice so late in 1998 she enrolled at the English Gardening School, indulging an inherited passion from her father. After earning a certificate in Practical Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
and Plants & Plantsmanship, she immediately auditioned for BBC2’s Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
. Initially a weekly presenter, following the birth of her second child in her second marriage she now makes occasional appearances on the programme. She has also filmed her own series for the BBC, Small Town Gardens and Gardening with the Experts. De Thame has co-presented the BBC's annual coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
, Hampton Court Flower Show as part of the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
output on BBC 2. Other television appearances include Going for a Song
Going for a Song
Going for a Song was an antiques quiz show broadcast by the BBC from 1965-1977. It was a forerunner of the Antiques Roadshow. The original television series was hosted by presenter Max Robertson, with Arthur Negus appearing as the resident expert and antique valuer. The programmes were recorded...
and Call My Bluff, both for the BBC.
In 2008 De Thame designed the 2008 LK Bennett garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
De Thame has written two gardening books, Small Town Gardens and Rachel de Thame's Top 100 Star Plants, and co-wrote Gardening with the Experts. She currently writes a monthly horticultural column for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and has also contributed to the gardening pages of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Gardeners' World Magazine, Woman's Own
Woman's Own
Woman's Own is a British lifestyle magazine aimed at women.Woman's Own was first published in 1932. It is one of the UK's most famous women's magazines and is published by IPC Media....
Magazine, Eden Magazine.
Personal life
Rachel married her first husband, Stephen Colover, in June 1986. They had two children, Lauren and Joe, and divorced around 1993.Rachel is married to her second husband, Gerard De Thame, and the couple have two children. They live in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and have a cottage in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, West Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.