This year the Seminar will explore the crucial role that our gardens and open spaces play in creating a sustainable and liveable future for our communities. As urbanisation intensifies, there are proposals to reduce garden sizes in newly built housing. Our outdoor spaces have the immense potential to have a positive effect on our lives, support biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Date: Saturday, 22nd February 2025
Venue: Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel Conference Centre (click for map)
Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin D09 X9X2
Time: Registration opens 8am. Seminar 9am-5.30pm.
To book your tickets click here
Henrik Sjoman Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden and Honoree Research Associate at Royal Botanic Garden Kew. His work is mainly focusing on developing knowledge of site adapted plant use for urban environments including private gardens as well as public parks. How the capacity of different trees will vary in context to its environment and in delivering important ecosystem services has become the prime driver in Henrik’s work and as such how to extend the knowledge of diversifying our treescapes in parks and gardens.
Wendy Allen – an experienced multi award-winning UK garden designer, consultant and trainer who specialises in creative, biodiverse rain gardens and rain planters as part of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). Wendy designed many rainscapes for UK Rivers Trust ‘Action for the River Kennet’ (ARK) where she led teams of ARK volunteers within communities and schools to build the projects, which all have a positive benefit for people, rivers and biodiversity. Wendy now shares inspiration, nature based solutions and techniques in talks, lectures and workshops.
Charlotte Hitchmough, has spent her career working in ‘watery’ things, beginning in the water industry, moving to the research councils and then to the Rivers Trust movement. She is Director of Action for the River Kennet and for eight years served on the board of the Rivers Trust. Throughout this time, she has developed and manged award winning projects to protect and improve rivers and their catchments. She is particularly interested in nature based solutions, and how communities and individuals can reduce their impact on every part of the water environment from water scarcity to pollution and flood risk.
Adam Whitbourn. Anyone who has visited the gardens and grounds surrounding Blarney Castle, which extend to over 70 acres, will know that it is no mean feat to be the Blarney Castle’s Head Gardener. Adam Whitbourn took up this role in 2009, and for the last 15 years, in conjunction with the estate owner Sir Charles Colthurst, he has been instrumental in transforming the gardens into one of Ireland’s finest horticultural gems.
Ann Marie Powell, a multi-award winning garden designer, television presenter, journalist and author, who divides her time between designing innovative gardens for private clients, companies and charities, and enthusing people about gardening through her books, television appearances and articles in national newspapers and magazines.
