This talk and all our lectures are FREE for Friends of the Botanical Gardens to attend. Members of the public are also welcome to join us on payment of £5 at the door on the day. Live talks are held in the Education Centre in the grounds of the Botanical Gardens - easily accessed via the Thompson Road Entrance.
In this informal session, Jonathan Sheppard will share his journey as an amateur grower from his day job as a political lobbyist in Parliament to establishing two National Plant Collections during Covid, followed by then exhibiting at RHS Hampton Court. All the while continually trying to grow in a sustainable way.
Jonathan is a political lobbyist by trade having worked for the likes of Royal Mail, Boots, and even the Woodland Trust. He is a life member of the RHS and also a member of Plant Heritage, the world’s largest plant conservation charity.
In 2020 he established the National Plant Collection of Alcea’s (hollyhocks), followed by the National Plant Collection of Cosmos just a year later, at his home in Lincolnshire. In 2022 he was the only amateur grower to exhibit in the Floral Marquee at Hampton Court.
A keen proponent of the benefits of gardening, Jonathan continues to advocate its benefits in the corridors of power whenever the opportunity presents itself……
Jonathan’s Blog
Article on National Plant Collections in Plant Heritage Magazine
Gardens Illustrated feature (plus cover) on hollyhocks
Jonathan on Twitter
Jonathan on Instagram
