TV presenter and gardener, Christine Walkden, is coming to Melksham this month.
Well known for her appearances on gardening programmes and The One Show, she will be talking about her experiences on Thursday 11th June, 7.30pm, at Melksham Assembly Hall.
The event, which is open to all, has been set up and supported by the Melksham Gardeners’ Society, Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council.
Christine started her career at the age of 10 when she first obtained an allotment and started growing vegetables and flowers which she sold to her school teachers and local residents.
On leaving school her first job was with a local parks department before going onto Lancashire College of Agriculture. She then worked at two experimental horticultural stations and then went on to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Llangollen in North Wales, Pershore in Worcestershire and Writtle near Chelmsford; then a lecturer at Capel Manor in Enfield and on to work for the Baby Bio company as a garden products advisor.
Christine then went freelance as a plantswoman and horticulturist lecturing nationally and internationally. A past presenter of the BBC’s ‘Gardeners World’ and presenter of two of her own series ‘Christine’s Garden’ and ‘Glorious Gardens from Above’ which won a Royal Television Society Award for the best daytime series. In more recent times she has helped with and taken part in numerous BBC TV and radio gardening productions.
As an author Christine has written ‘The Houseplant Almanac – The Secret Diary of a Garden Lover, ‘No-nonsense Container Gardening – How to Grow Vegetables in Small Gardens and Christine Walkden’s No-nonsense Container Gardening’ amongst many others.
In 2010 Christine received an Honorary Doctorate from Writtle College for services to horticulture and in 2011 was made a Fellow of Myerscough College in recognition of her achievements as a horticulturist and plantswoman both nationally and internationally, along with her other achievements in the eduction, training and broadcasting sectors.
Tickets cost £8 for Melksham Gardeners’ Society members or £10 for non-members. They are available from committee members, Melksham Assembly Hall, or the Tourist Information Centre on Church Street.
Contact Pat Lee on 01225 707818 for further information or email info@ melkshamgardeners.co.uk.
About Melksham Gardeners’ Society: Melksham Gardeners’ Society started up in March 2009 after an initial advert in the Melksham Independent News from the mayor at the time, inviting interested people to come along to an open meeting and join together to get a gardening organisation up and running.
The society is run by volunteers and has gone from strength to strength with 70+ members who meet regularly for trips to National Gardens and Horticultural events, speakers, plant swaps, produce tastings, and hands-on demonstrations, plus an annual flower and produce show.
