Hose and District Garden Club

With the right planting, there should always be something in the garden to create a spectacular arrangement at any time of the year ...

Janette Merilion is a well known international horticultural speaker, lecturer and historian with a successful garden design business based in central Lincolnshire. A registered speaker of the Royal Horticultural Society, Janet's list of horticultural talks ranges from seasonal flowers to garden design through the ages. Lincoln-based, Janette travels the world giving regional, national and international talks to numerous garden and horticultural societies.

After training as a professional horticulturist, Doug worked for a number of organisations, from the propagation department at Hilliers Nurseries, through to slightly more unusual roles such as lecturing in cucumber and tomato production, growing lettuces and pumpkins for Marks and Spencer and working as an interior landscaper and garden designer.

For over 20 years he has worked in horticultural education, as Head of Horticulture at one of the UK’s leading land-based colleges.

Andrew Mikolajski is a Gardening writer with over 20 years' experience of writing, editing, lecturing and speaking, and has authored 40 gardening titles, is a contributor to gardening magazines and the RHS website.

He was a horticultural adviser on the new edition of the RHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and more recently on a revision of the RHS Encylopedia of Plants and Flowers.

Previously, he taught garden design and RHS certificate at Warwickshire College, and garden history at the English Gardening School.

Darren Rudge, also known as The Laughing Gardener, has been a BBC radio presenter/broadcaster for over 15 years. His tips and advice can be heard on BBC Radio West Midlands, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and BBC Oxford and he produces his own weekly podcast called The Happy Garden.

His career has spanned more than thirty years as a horticultural lecturer, assistant director of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, garden writer and garden designer being the winner of a number of RHS show garden medals including gold and best in show awards. He now also co manages a community interest company who specialise in training and developing people through interactions with plants.

Teabags bras and tights is a light hearted look at sustainable garden practice and shows how to garden with items from your bathroom, bedroom and kitchen cupboards.These tips from his career in horticulture will help you to save money but also help to save the planet; the fun and laughter is there for free.

Geoff Hodge is a freelance garden writer and editor, writing for and working for various national gardening magazines and websites – as well as lots more besides! Previously, he was the Online Editor for the Royal Horticultural Society, Gardening Editor and Editor of Garden News magazine and Technical Editor of Garden Answers magazine.

He has written eight gardening books, including five for the RHS, with titles ranging from pruning and propagation to allotments and bulbs and a topic close to his heart – botanny for gardeners.

He is a regular guest on gardening programmes on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

He appears on Q&A panels at flower shows across the country, gives lots of talks and demonstrations at garden centres, garden shows and for gardening clubs and answers hundreds of gardening questions every year for various organisations.

Helpers, plant donations, as well as entries needed.

Bring along your best produce to exhibit, donate some plants for the stall, or just come along to see what everyone else is growing and maybe go home with a few bargains.

More information ...

Food of the Gods, divine drink, irresistible confection, mood changer and obesity maker. Chocolate is the treat that lies quietly in its wrapper. But, as you peel back the cover, you are joining people the world over who have turned to this mysterious food for ritual, medicine and sheer pleasure for over 4000 years. From the ancient South American civilisations to the 'mega' brands of today the story of chocolate is as irresistible as its taste.

Tracey Akehurst is an experienced freelance horticultural speaker. With a background in botany and horticulture, she has worked for the Natural History Museum, the Institute of Parasitology and the National Trust, and has appeared on television and radio. She is an excellent communicator who loves meeting new people and sharing ideas and information about plants. Her particular passion is the inter-relationship between people and plants, historically and cross-culturally, the role of plants in human culture and practice and how we have used and modified plants throughout history.

This is a practical demonstration using quick and easy ways to construct wreaths without the need for floristry skills. It will include plants that can easily be grown in the average domestic garden or foraged for locally. The method used can be adapted for use in the Autumn or Spring.

Debbie is an award winning garden designer and horticulturalist, garden adviser, writer and speaker. She very much enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for gardening with others. Debbie also trained in the art of wreath making on a commercial scale. Wreath making, demonstrating and workshops are now very much part of her business.

View our 2023 programme.