Carol Klein

One of Britain’s most familiar gardening experts, Carol Klein, has been confirmed as the first celebrity speaker at this year’s Group Leisure & Travel Show, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on 11th October.

Originally training as a fine artist, teaching art in schools and colleges, Carol began gardening and running a nursery from her home in Devon, her hobby eventually becoming her career. She went on to exhibit at RHS shows, winning gold medals at Chelsea, Hampton Court, Westminster and Malvern.

Speaking about her appearance at the GLTS 2018, Carol said: “I’m delighted to be joining this year’s exhibition at the NEC and look forward to sharing my passion for gardens and gardening with the visitors. I hope to inspire group travel organisers to take their members to gardens up and down the country; we have some stunning gardens and it’s great to work in such a blooming industry.”

Carol’s TV career began with Channel 4’s Garden Party and Real Gardens in 1996 and she went on to present her own six-part series Wild About the Garden in 1998. She first appeared on Gardeners’ World in 1998 and following regular appearances as a guest presenter, became a weekly contributor in 2005.

Other career highlights include her series Life In a Cottage Garden and her part in The Great British Garden Revival, a ten-part series for the BBC, as well as the popular Plant Odysseys for BBC Two which saw Carol exploring some of her most favourite flowers.

Visitors to this year’s Group Leisure & Travel Show will be able to listen to Carol’s talk in the free Seminar Theatre, open to all. Other speakers participating at GLTS will be announced in forthcoming editions of Group Leisure & Travel magazine and on the website.

For information about visiting and exhibiting at this year’s show on 11th October, head to www.grouptravelshow.com

You can read our special Gardens & Flower Shows feature in the January edition of Group Leisure & Travel magazine, which includes a Q&A with Chris Beardshaw.