Incredible Plants and their Secret Worlds

with Danny Clarke, Francesca Gardner and Sarah Shuttleworth

This event will take place on 30 June 2025 19:00

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Incredible Plants and their Secret Worlds
with Danny Clarke, Francesca Gardner and Sarah Shuttleworth

This event will take place on 30 June 2025 19:00

Step into the mysterious world of wild plants and uncover the secrets that grow in our fields and gardens. Join gardener Danny Clarke, Plantlife botanist Sarah Shuttleworth and pastoral literature scholar Francesca Gardner for a lively evening exploring the power and poetry of plants.

From the crucial role of wildflowers in tackling the climate crisis to the surprising history of "lawnmower poetry," our expert panel will dig into how plants shape our gardens, communities and imaginations. Learn how to make space for nature in your own outdoor spaces and discover how the humble daisy or dandelion could be saving the world.

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Speakers

Danny Clarke

Danny Clarke is a British Garden Designer who shot to fame in 2015 as BBC’s Instant Gardener. He has also graced our screens with a host of popular garden makeover shows and horticultural advice.

Danny is now a member of Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden team and is passionate about making a difference to climate change and community integration.

Image credits: Neil Marshment Photography

Headshot of Danny Clarke

Sarah Shuttleworth

Sarah Shuttleworth has been a botanist for 17 years, and surveys plants and habitats all over the UK. Sarah also teaches botanical identification to beginners and professionals, online and in person, using creative ways to engage and inspire.

She is also one of the spokespeople for Plantlife’s NoMowMay campaign and is often seen on BBC news, radio and other media outlets to promote the importance of plants and their habitats.

Headshot of Sarah Shuttleworth

Plantlife

Plantlife – the global voice for wild plants and fungi.

Wild plants and fungi support food chains, are a powerful force against climate crisis and underpin all life on earth. They enrich our natural landscapes, and their beauty and colours can calm our minds. But 2 in 5 species are currently at risk of extinction.

Headshot of Plantlife

Francesca Gardner

Francesca Gardner is a researcher, supervisor, and Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholar at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. She works on long eighteenth-century pastoral and georgic poetry, genres which explore people’s relationship to the natural world. Her recent article ‘Lawnmower Poetry and the Poetry of Lawnmowers’, published in Critical Quarterly in May 2025, received national and international media attention; features included The Times, The i Paper, The BBC, ITV News, and Tagesschau.

Headshot of Francesca Gardner