SPONSORED EDITORIAL

Are you looking for some new inspiration for your garden or some brilliant advice to get you into gardening?

Then this Kent event on Thursday, September 5 is definitely for you!

A Trio of Gardening Greats - namely Steve Bradley MHort (RHS), Val Bourne and Peter Seabrook MBE - will be on hand at Coolings Garden Centre in Knockholt to offer some brilliant tips, advice and answer people’s questions.

Those interested in attending A Trio of Gardening Greats can book online by clicking here. Ticket prices are set at £7.50 per person with a special of £12 for two sessions.

11am-12pm: 'Making the most of Bulbs' by Steve Bradley MHort (RHS)

Steve is a career horticulturalist who has spent almost 30 years teaching horticulture at every level from amateur up to degree.

Appearing in the TV series Plant Life and Garden Doctors in the early 90s led to a second career writing books, magazine articles and the support booklets for the hugely successful BBC series ‘Ground Force’ along with wife Val (also a qualified horticulturist).

Between them, they now have over 50 gardening books to their names.

These days, Steve answers live questions on alternate Sunday mornings for BBC Radio Kent, as well as guest appearances on BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey.

He and Val are Gardening Correspondents for the Sun newspaper every Saturday.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS FOR A TRIO OF GARDENING GUESTS

2pm-3pm: ‘My Favourite Bomb-Proof Roses’ by Val Bourne

Val is an award-winning garden writer, photographer and lecturer.

A committed organic gardener all her life, she writes for many publications including The Daily Telegraph and the Hardy Plant Society Journal.

She also judges RHS floral and dahlia trials and loves growing roses.

As an organic gardener, she has to choose roses very carefully because they have to be healthy, vigorous and disease-free. They are all grown in her Cotswolds garden at Spring Cottage.

Val’s talk will be about her top ten roses and how she uses them in her planting as well as combinations including herbaceous peonies as the perfect partner - both of which have fully-petalled flowers so they don’t sustain insect.

Surrounding roses and peonies with insect-friendly plants like astrantias, scabious, and well-behaved hardy geraniums and helping to keep them healthy to give flower from May until October will also be discussed by Val along with pruning and feeding.

6.30pm-7.30pm: ‘A Lifetime growing Plants’ by Peter Seabrook MBE

Writer and broadcaster Peter started with the BBC Radio Home Service in 1965 and has presented gardening programmes on BBC 1 (Pebble Mill at One), BBC 2 (Gardeners World), Chelsea Flower Show, WGBH, Boston and The Victory Garden coast to coast in the US for 20 years.

He’s also been the Gardening Editor on The Sun for over 40 years.

Two of his books ‘Complete Vegetable Gardener’ and ‘Shrubs for Your Garden’, the latter set to music and premiered in Sydney Opera House, have been published in more than ten languages.

In his session, Peter will share his secret to successful gardening.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS FOR A TRIO OF GARDENING GUESTS

Tea, coffee and water refreshments are available and included in the ticket price while the garden centre and shop will open to evening session ticket holders for after-hours plant sales from 5pm until 6.15pm.

Arthur's restaurant will be open as usual from 9am serving breakfast, cakes and pastries from Coolings Garden Centre’s bakery.

The usual lunch menu will be available and for this event, an evening menu will be available from 4.30 until 5.30pm (pre-bookings only).

Visitors can also pre-book an afternoon tea in Arthurs from 2.30pm every weekday which is an ideal option for those planning on attending the afternoon session.

For further information, visit Coolings Garden Centre’s official website by clicking here, call 01959 532269 or email coolings@coolings.co.uk.