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Two Great Plant Hunters!


Don’t miss out on our next event to learn about two great Plant Hunters.

Mark Flanagan, who is presenting the RHS supported talk ‘Finding Mr Wilson’ at Marks Hall on 2nd September at 6.30pm, is a plant hunter himself, following in the footsteps of his subject.

Mark was at the Royal Botanic Gardens for over ten years, spending most of his time at Wakehurst Place, which is very much a garden of trees. Wakehurst Place was gifted to the Royal Botanic Society shortly before they were offered Marks Hall and the complexity of the task they had undertaken in restoring Wakehurst Place, may well have been part of their reason for not wishing to become involved with Marks Hall! In 1997 he became Keeper of the Gardens in Windsor Great Park. In this role he is responsible for the world-renowned Savill and Valley Gardens as well as the gardens at Frogmore, which is the resting place of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

His plant hunting (mainly in search of hardy plants) has taken him to Turkey and various countries in eastern Asia, South Korea, Tai-wan, Russia and China, the eastern United States and western Canada and the western states of the USA. Some of his more recent expeditions he shared with Tony Kirkham from Kew and BBC television followed their journeys.

The subject of his talk, Ernest Wilson, was plant hunting just about one hundred years before Mark Flanagan, largely in Asia. Not only was Wilson responsible for introducing over 1,000 species to western Europe but he also left plate glass photographs and extensive diaries and notes. So Mark has been able to put together a splendid series of ‘then and now’ images which are the key feature of this informative homage to a great plant hunter.

The event will take place at the Coach House, with parking nearby and includes a glass of wine and nibbles. Tickets are £10.00 for RHS & Marks Hall members and £12.00 for non members. For more information and to book please contact the Visitor Centre on 01376 563796 or visit www.markshall.org.uk.

EssexTouristGuide.com