Come and learn from the experts in Dorchester’s Gardeners’ Potting Shed afternoon and walk away inspired!

Plants for free

How to get plants for your garden completely free!  Discover the secrets of propagation from experienced horticulturalist Stuart Poole.  In this 90 min session Stuart will demonstrate the key types of propagation, answer all your questions and send you away with clear instructions to follow at home.  During his 35 years in Horticulture, Stuart has been Head Gardener on large country Estates in Dorset & Oxfordshire from 32 acres to 10,000 acres and Estate Manager to a major winery on the East coast of America.  He has lectured in Virginia and given many talks to organisations and communities.  Stuart now offers garden design, landscaping and maintenance through his business Horted.

Gardening Question Time

Challenge our panel of experts with your gardening problems.  Whether you have a plant dying (do bring along a sample!), a flowerbed gap to fill or just want suggestions on perfect container planting the team are poised to answer your questions.
Questions should be submitted in advance using the form below – you will be contacted if your question is chosen.

The panel:
Stuart Poole has been Head Gardener on large country Estates in Dorset & Oxfordshire from 32 acres to 10,000 acres and Estate Manager to a major winery on the East coast of America. Stuart now offers garden design, landscaping and maintenance through his business Horted.

Andy Ledbury (owner of Purely Plants, Wallingford) was raised on a family salad and cut flower nursery and studied commercial horticulture.  He has run the new young plant and plant trials department at a major seeds business, a Retail Nursery, soft landscaping and consultancy business and now runs Purely Plants, Wallingford (formally known at Busy Bees).

Mary Laird is Chairman of Culham Horticultural Club which holds its meetings in Dorchester.
A lifelong gardener from the age of 5, Mary professionally trained as a Horticultural Scientist with her first job as a plant breeder. Travelling extensively through her career sourcing fresh produce she has had the privilege of seeing plants growing in their wild habitats around the world. Mary has an intensively planted walled ornamental garden in Wallingford and is a self- professed plantaholic !

There will be a section of seats reserved at the very front for Festival Friends at this event.  Do consider becoming a Friend – find out more about it here.
If you need disabled parking or access do contact us here with your requirements.