Garden Theatre
Be inspired by talks and practical demos from passionate gardening experts.
Welcome to the Garden Theatre
At the heart of the Derbyshire Flower & Garden Show, the Garden Theatre is the place to be for garden inspiration and practical know-how. Throughout the day, you’ll hear from expert and celebrity gardeners as they share their top tips, creative ideas, and insider advice to help you make the most of your own garden. Whether you’re a seasoned horticulturist or just starting out, these engaging and informative sessions promise to inspire, educate, and spark your passion for gardening.
Adam Frost
Adam Frost is one of the UK’s most celebrated garden designers and a familiar face from Gardeners’ World. A seven-time Gold Medal winner at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Adam is renowned for his naturalistic planting style and practical, down-to-earth design approach. His passion for sustainability, strong garden structure, and thoughtful planting has inspired gardeners across the country.
At the Derbyshire Flower & Garden Show, Adam will share expert insight, design inspiration, and practical advice to help gardeners create beautiful, achievable outdoor spaces — catch him in the garden theatre for one of his talks or book signing.
Appearing Sunday 30th August
Charlie Dimmock
Charlie Dimmock is one of the UK’s most recognisable and respected gardeners, best known for inspiring a generation through Ground Force. With decades of hands-on experience, Charlie is passionate about practical, achievable gardening that works in real gardens. Her expertise spans garden design, planting schemes, and sustainable outdoor spaces, with a particular focus on encouraging confidence and creativity in gardeners of all levels.
At the Derbyshire Flower & Garden Show, Charlie will share insights, tips, and horticultural inspiration drawn from a lifetime working with plants and people.
Appearing Saturday 29th August
Jonathan Paul Balchandani
The Bearded Plantaholic
Appearing Sunday 30th August
Right. Picture this.
A slightly bearded plant obsessive walks into a room with a box of moss, perlite, bark, and what looks suspiciously like composted wizardry… and two hours later you’ve levelled up from “I’ve killed a succulent” to “I propagate for sport.”
That’s what you’re signing up for.
Jonathan Paul Balchandani, better known as The Bearded Plantaholic, is an award-winning indoor garden designer, author of You’re Overwatering It (Penguin Random House, 2026), RHS speaker, and the slightly chaotic mind behind one of the UK’s most recognisable houseplant communities.
At the Derbyshire Flower & Garden Show, Jonny will be hosting a live propagation workshop and talk where you won’t just watch a prop box being built… you’ll understand why it works.
You’ll learn:
• How to build a high-performance propagation box from scratch
• The science behind humidity, oxygen and root development
• What actually makes cuttings thrive instead of sulk
• How to level up your plant game without overcomplicating it
Expect chunky soil mixes, living moss layers, worm castings with purpose, and the occasional dry one-liner aimed at dramatic foliage.
Jonny’s style is part science, part storytelling, part stand-up therapy session for people emotionally attached to leaves. He blends proper plant knowledge with humour, philosophy, and real-world experience, breaking down complex plant biology into something practical, powerful and oddly addictive.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or already running a small jungle at home, this workshop is about confidence. Understanding. And walking away thinking, “Right. I can do this.”
Come curious.
Leave dangerous with secateurs.
One love.
Jonathan Moseley
Jonathan Moseley is one of the UK's most recognised and highly regarded floral designers. His demonstrations are always creative, informative and fun.
As a keen and experienced gardener Jonathan likes to share his recommendations for which flowers and foliages are most suitable for using in displays.
As a British flower ambassador he is keen to promote locally grown seasonal flowers arranged sustainably and in harmony with nature. With over 35 years of industry experience Jonathan has a wealth of knowledge which he loves to share. Living locally in Derbyshire he finds much of his inspiration from the local countryside.
Jonathan designed ten flower festivals at Chatsworth and has an enviable portfolio of stately homes, luxury hotels and private clients, He demonstrates and creates large scale floral installations at the UK's major flower shows. He is a writer, broadcaster and appears regularly on ITV's Love Your Weekend.
Appearing Saturday 29th August
Ryan Sandford-Blackburn
Appearing Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th August
Ryan Sandford-Blackburn (he/him) is a local garden designer and community activist. Ryan is a founding member of Earthed Up! Edible and useful plants - a workers co-operative in Belper, Derbyshire. Ryan is a grower and educator, a parent to 2 active young children, and a director of Transition Belper. Ryan gardens naturally, designing systems resilient to our changed climate.
Earthed Up! is an agroecological plant nursery based in Belper, Derbyshire. Growing and selling predominantly perennial edible & useful plants, peat free without harmful chemicals. Also selling peat free composts & biochar, run courses & events, and offer permaculture garden design & maintenance. You can find their plants at local farmers' markets and in their online shop. www.earthedup.com
At the Derbyshire Flower & Garden Show, Ryan will share insights and practical advice on how you can incorporate perennial plants to diversify your diet and your garden for wildlife. Earthed Up! will run garden activities for you to have a go at!
Dr James Marsh
Dr James Marsh is Co-founder and Owner of Rigsby's Seasonal Foods, Jamie's love of foraging began on an expedition to the Northern Territories of Australia in 1990 and this knowledge of survival and the use of edible plants has been invaluable in setting up both Rigsby's Seasonal Foods and the Forage and Make businesses.
He loves to innovate whilst using traditional ingredients from yesteryear and has developed over 400 unique and different products.
Appearing Sunday 30th August
More to be announced!
Guest appearances and show programming are subject to change.
