9.45 Introduction
10.00 – 11.00 Behind the Privet Hedge – Michael Gilson
The stereotype of the suburban garden populates it with small c conservative, curtain twitching residents concerned only with their tea roses and striped lawns. Yet the real origin story of these small open spaces is a tale of early 20th Century efforts to create a more egalitarian nation with beauty at its core.
11.00 – 11.30 Break
11.30 – 12.30 Making your garden your outdoor room – Manoj Malde
Outdoor spaces are often undervalued and underutilized. Yet they play an important role in our lives. A well-planned garden can add monetary value to our home also an intrinsic value to our lives. Your Outdoor Room shows you how to transform your garden into another valued part of your home.
12.30 – 1.30 Break
1.30 – 2.30 Gardening for Bumblebees & Other Insects – Dave Goulson
We have about 270 species of wild bee in the UK, including bumblebees, mason bees, mining bees, cuckoo bees and many more. They are vitally important in natural ecosystems, and as pollinators of the majority of crops we humans grow. Sadly, many are in rapid decline. Dave Goulson will explain the causes of these declines, and how we can all help to reverse them, by making our gardens more insect-friendly.
2.30 – 3.00 Break
3.00 – 4.00 First-Rate Perennials – Val Bourne
One of the secrets of gardening successfully is choosing the best plants and this lecture selects some of the best doers in the garden and it also explains to gardeners why it’s such a good plant. The talk features some of her personal favourites.