27th - 29th June 2025
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, OX20 1UL

Talks Stage

Join us across the three-day show for fascinating garden talks at our Gardening Talks Stage. All timings and information correct at publication and subject to change.

Friday 27th June

11.00am
Adam Kirtland
How to Garden Easier and Smarter

12.30pm
Michael Bowyer
Natural Florals

2:00pm
Adam Kirtland
How to Garden Easier and Smarter

Saturday 28th June

11.00am
Katherine Crouch
My Favourite Plants from the Show

12.00pm
Mig Kimpton
Summer Florals

1.00pm
Anya Lautenbach
The Money-Saving Garden

2.00pm
Katherine Crouch
My Favourite Plants from the Show

3.00pm
Anya Lautenbach
Gardening and Neurodiversity

Sunday 29th June

11.00am
Jacqueline Aviolet
All About Roses

12.00pm
Chris Collins
Wildlife Gardening

1.00pm
Jacqueline Aviolet
All About Roses

2.00pm
Chris Collins
Wildlife Gardening


MEET THE SPEAKERS

Chris Collins, Wildlife Gardening, Sunday 12pm and 2pm

Chis trained on Brighton parks and at the Royal Botanic gardens Edinburgh going on to work for a long period in Cameroon and then Japan returning to become a team leader at the Arboretum, Kew Botanic gardens. Former head gardener, Westminster Abbey and resident Blue Peter gardener and currently Head of Horticulture for Garden Organic.

Chris was recently awarded fellowship of the City & Guilds Institute, voted in the Horticultural Week in the top 50 Gardening influencers and, along with Garden Organic won podcast of the year at the Garden Media Guild Awards

Chris is a keen balcony gardener  previously designing and constructing both roof and balcony gardens in Tokyo and is currently nurturing a third-floor space in North London. He also a keen allotmenteers , producing organic food throughout the year.

Mig Kimpton, Summer Florals, Saturday 12pm

Mig Kimpton spent over thirty years working in theatre. From his first job at the Bristol Hippodrome, making coffee and tearing tickets. In the interim, he has run West End theatres, including The Arts Theatre, The Playhouse in London, managed tours for Lesley Joseph, Sandi Toksvig, Sian Phillips, Janet Street Porter and Lily Savage, and has toured extensively with Sir Ian McKellen in the UK, South Africa and on Broadway. He has also worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

As producer, Mig has been responsible for many charity galas, a Grand Concert at the Old Vic Theatre, was Associate Producer on Aladdin at the Old Vic starring Sir Ian McKellen. He has produced plays at the Arts Theatre London, notably Storm in a Flower Vase based on the life of Constance Spry.

Mig also has a life long passion and career with flowers: he is a floral designer and demonstrator and has won many awards, including twelve prestigious medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Following moving away from theatre, he is now concentrating on his floral design career. He is also currently the Show Creative Manager for Aztec Events that includes Blenheim Palace Flower Show and National Flower Show at Hylands House, Chelmsford. He tours the country regularly with his own show Floral Roadshow to many regional theatres, arts centres, castles and village halls.

He is based in Deal, Kent where he runs his own Flower School and events and is building a new show garden that is open to visitors each summer.

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