In this lecture Sally Smith looks at the importance of garden biodiversity and the interactions between garden creatures where so called pests are indeed lunch for predators and so have a very important role to play in nature, deserving of tolerance and understanding by the gardener.

The talk informs on organic management strategies to encourage this relationship and ways to reduce losses to the gardener.

Sally has an RHS Diploma in Horticulture and nearly 20 years professional experience in gardening and horticulture. She has taught at both Derby College and Nottingham Trent University and she was Head of Information and Training at Ryton Organic Gardens in Coventry for 6 years, where she helped to train master composters and ran gardening and willow weaving workshops.

She has also worked as a Researcher for BBC gardening programmes and for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2010, when she sourced the plants and was the on-location Horticultural researcher for the Spungold production, 'Alan's Garden Secrets'. Sally also worked with Alys Fowler making woven willow plant supports in her 'Edible Garden' programme.

Sally has taught many novice gardeners the knowledge and practical skills to enable them to enjoy and benefit from their own garden. She is now freelance giving talks and passing on her knowledge to a wide range of groups.

Sally’s website

Read Sally’s blogs here and here

This event will also serve as an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Friends, to allow us formally to elect Carolyn Clark as our new chair.

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.