The Cornwall Garden Society’s (CGS) November lectures will be delivered by Derry Watkins, who established the Special Plants Nursery in Wiltshire 30 years ago.

In 1993 she won a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to spend three months in South Africa, hunting for new plants to introduce into horticulture.

Two years later she returned to collect seeds in the Drakensberg.

Since then, she has plant-hunted in many parts of the world and is renowned for her many new plant introductions.

In 1996 Derry and her husband bought a derelict barn to convert into a house, and during the last 20 years, they have transformed the surrounding fields into an amazing garden, which has been featured in major horticultural journals and on television, including Gardeners’ World.

Derry also teaches at The English Gardening School and is the author of two books: The Complete Greenhouse Book and Sunspaces.

Unusual and Long-blooming Garden Plants will be her topic on Tuesday, November 12, at 7.30pm at The Alverton in Truro, while Pushing the Boundaries will be her focus on Wednesday, November 13, at 2.30pm at the St Mellion International Resort in Saltash.

These lectures are free for CGS members. Non-members are welcome to attend and donations are gratefully received.

A local nursery will offer plants for sale and refreshments will be available.

The CGS is a charity that exists to encourage and improve the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches; share knowledge about gardening and Cornwall’s rich garden heritage, and conserve the county’s natural environment.

The society is affiliated to the RHS and its Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales.

For further information about the CGS, please visit www.cornwallgardensociety.org.uk, follow @CwllGardenSoc on Twitter and Instagram or like www.facebook.com/cornwallgardensociety