Claire Dyce from Grampian Growers talking about the use of plants in medicine in light of their recent success completing trials with Galanthamine, which has now been approved and licenced for use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Charlie Richardson of The Pure Option, co-founder of plant based packaging, delivering a sustainable solution to a big global problem. Talking about the journey from 2003 inventing and producing biodegradable, compostable packaging that is now widely used throughout the world and up to the latest development; edible packaging!

Kirsty McLean of The Garden Design Company Scotland Ltd and Jake Dickie of Landform Ltd presenting a synopsis of what it takes to finally install a gorgeous, sustainable, functional garden in the north of Scotland. Kirsty, a multi award winner, has been designing gardens for over 25 years and her style of design is recognised for its truly holistic and inclusive approach where client is key. Jake's company, Landform Ltd, started in 2013 and has grown to include Landform 24/7, fencing, hard landscaping, soft landscaping, site services and water solutions. He has worked with Kirsty to install many of her garden installations and are professional with pro-active and can-do approach to all their projects.

Epic Tree Care delivering a talk on forestry, domestic arboriculture and tree inspection, including the use of some pretty majorly impressive equipment. They have been in business covering the north east of Scotland since 2015 and pride themselves on always being at the fore of industry qualifications and development.

Dave & Heather from Billingtons’ Bees have been keeping bees since 2019. They are passionate about working with the bees, allowing their natural behaviours and helping when needed. They craft hand made products from the beeswax and love sharing their knowledge about bees with others. They will be talking about how a hive is setup, the different sorts of bees in a hive and what a bee keeper does throughout the season. They will also give a few ideas on types of plants beneficial to bees and what else you can do to help these important pollinators.

Adam Clarke is a leading Minecraft artist and digital producer, responsible for some of the most innovative Minecraft projects in the world. His work includes high-profile collaborations with the Crown Estate, the International Judo Federation, Tate Britain, United for Wildlife, Disney and much more. He also starred as Wizard Keen, collaborating in Stampy's Minecraft educational series Wonder Quest.

Emily Strachan. Emily left school then graduated from art school in 2019, but then committed to an apprenticeship with the NTS at Crathes. She completed this and now has had a full time job in the gardens of Crathes since August 2023. She hopes to encourage people to realise a move to horticulture is possible regardless of ones starting position while relaying her experience of working in a heritage garden.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Deveron Water Lilies talking about and demonstrating the design and installation of small and larger wildlife encouraging ponds.  Steve & Jane will be available throughout both days to talk to about your pond queries and to advise on suitable plants to add to your ponds.

Nick Chambers from UHI Moray College will deliver a talk and demonstration on home composting.  Nick has been teaching Horticulture from Elgin for many years now and is the man to go to for all the dirt on successful gardening!

Deeside Willow will help us understand how diverse a range of plants Willow is.  Its practical applications for the land and how we can use it as a natural resource in our homes and gardens.  They will also give us the story of their rapidly growing 'cottage industry' based in Deeside, with some of the highs and lows of their journey so far.