HEARTHROB gardener Chris Beardshaw is the highlight of this year’s programme for the Bishampton and District Gardening Club and people are being encouragend to book their tickets fast.

His talk on The English Garden, on Wednesday, November 4, at the Villages Hall in Broad Lane is expected to be a sell-out event.

Born and brought up in Worcestershire Mr Beardshaw now lives in the Cotswolds, is now a well-known plantsman, TV presenter, author, and designer, and has won an astonishing 30 Royal Horticultural Society medals during his career.

He studied at Pershore College and became their youngest lecturer in Horticulture, Garden Design and Garden History in the 1990s.

He went on to study design and from there developed his career in broadcasting featuring on BBC programmes including The Great British Garden Revival, British Gardens in Time, Deep Down and Dirty and Gardener’s Question Time.

Pete Chamberlain, of the club, said: "We are undoubtedly extremely fortunate to have secured Chris as one of our speakers next year as he is a leading light in the field of horticulture and is very much in demand, both nationally and internationally.

"He previously visited Bishampton in 2008 and the event was an overwhelming success so we are expecting the same reception this time."

The talk by Mr Beardshaw will be the final one of the club’s jam-packed gardening year, which features a variety of talks on gardening subjects from wormeries to climate change and succulents to old tools; both Spring and Summer Shows; and a visit to Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire in July.

Printed copies of the annual programme can be obtained from members of the committee, by emailing info@bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk or by downloading a copy from the website at bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk.

Tickets for the talk will be £15 for non-members and £10 for members and interested people should email info@bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk.