BBC Gardeners' World presenter heading back to Southport

THE Southport Flower Show are delighted to announce that Adam Frost will be joining us again at this year's 100th Anniversary Show.

Adam Frost is an award winning British garden designer, television presenter and motivational speaker.

Best known for his successes at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, he is passionate about inspiring adults and children alike to create their own gardens and watch hedgerows spring to life appreciating each 1 of our distinct seasons as they unfold.

Adam is a presenter on BBC's Gardeners' World (BBC Two) and also appears regularly on the BBC's coverage of RHS Flower Show. He has also featured on The 1 Show and DIY SOS (BBC One) as well as The Alan Titchmarsh Show (ITV).

In 2016 he won ‘Best New Talent' at the RTS West Awards. Since 2007, Adam has amassed 7 gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He regularly lectures on a wide range of horticultural topics, both nationally and internationally and is a regular contributor to Gardeners' World and other horticultural magazines.

Adam's 1st book Real Gardens was published in 2015 by Red Planet Publishing. His second book:- ‘RHS How to Create your Garden: Ideas and Advice for Transforming your Outdoor Space' is available now, published by DK.

Adam's love for the great outdoors started from a young age when he helped on his grandparent's allotment. His fascination with watching plants and vegetables grown and the wildlife it attracted has stayed with him and he remains passionate about passing this on to future generations. He is trained in horticulture and landscape design and began his professional career in the mid1980's with an apprenticeship at the North Devon Parks Department.

Adam later moved to Rutland where he began working with Geoff Hamilton at Barnsdale Gardens where he helped design and create many of the 38 small gardens which are still on show to the public today.

In 2014 Adam set up The Homebase Garden Academy with the specific aim of helping Britain's next generation of horticulture students to kick-start their careers, by teaching them about garden design and landscaping. As well as running his own garden design and landscape business he also sits on the board for the Horticulture Trades Association; is an RHS Ambassador and runs The Adam Frost Garden School where he hosts masterclasses on design and other gardening courses. Adam and his wife Sulina live in Lincolnshire with their 4 children, 1 horse, 2 ponies, 2 dogs and an ancient cat.

Adam is a natural speaker who credits his love of horticulture from his earliest childhood memories, to working with Geoff Hamilton at Barnsdale Gardens, before going solo in 1996 for the rollercoaster ride of designing multiple award-winning show gardens!

He enjoys passing on his knowledge and travels all over the world speaking to people about his:- ‘journey so far.' Adam Frost From a lifetime in the garden, Adam's talks are always full of amusing stories, as well as advice and inspiration for anyone hoping to have a career in horticulture.

Alan Adams, General Manager said:- "It was only right to ask Adam to return for our 100th Anniversary show. He's been many times before and is a great hit with our visitors. We can't wait to welcome him on:- Friday, 16 August 2024. He will join David Domoney and Beechgrove Garden stars Carole Baxter and George Anderson in this year's horticultural line up."

So why not join us Thursday 15; Sunday 18 August 2024 to celebrate 100 years of this fabulous, historical event. Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting announcements on our Southport Flower Show website and social media channels.

Southport Contemporary Arts:- "Five Go Adventuring"

THE '5 Art Collective' represents a group of 5 women who, decades after their School art lessons, have rediscovered the joy of art and are exhibiting together for the 1st time. Collage and mixed media artist, Suzanna Gregg explains:- "Through a range of classes and workshops each of us has found our own method and medium of working. We share in common a passion for representing the world around us, each in our own distinct style".

Suzanna, who has lived in Southport for most of her life, previously taught in Primary School and raised 3 daughters who are now all grown up. A keen volunteer in her local church, Suzanna enthusiastically shares her passion to others across the local art community.

Suzanna's own distinctive artistry can be inspired by almost anything from a single word of text to a stunning pictorial view.

Avoiding photographic likenesses, Suzanna chooses to generate a variety of experimental personal visual impressions; 'emotional responses'; to dynamically represent each chosen subject.

Developing her initial idea, Suzanna skillfully plays with colours and textures, painting or sourcing images that she ultimately combines to shape into a series of finished artworks.

Relying purely on the expressive language of colour and surface, the bold simplification of form in "Wild Coast" vividly articulates Suzanna's personal reaction to her environment:- "A walk along the South West Coastal Path in late Spring presented a beautiful assault on the senses. The perfect view, with the sound of the waves, the taste of salty air, and the sun on my face, inspired the colours and textures of this piece."

Another mixed media artist, Debbie Caolan, always loved seeing artwork on the walls in her family home, particularly enjoying their tactile nature.

Since exploring art therapy as part of her counselling practice, Debbie, from Marshside, discovered in 2020 the joy of releasing her inner child through abstract and textured art that alludes to her experiences of living aboard a catamaran for 8 years.

Naturally drawn to abstract art, Debs works without a plan, intuitively reflecting her mood in the direct creation of her work.

Debs relishes working in this less controllable way and often resorts to spatulas and random household items to generously apply paint before adding tactile elements into the heady mix.

Energetically using acrylic pouring technique for fluidity, spontaneity and unpredictability, Debs then introduces contrast with immovable tactile textures that take the viewer's eye on an invigorating journey around each canvas.

Her featured 2020 painting, "Aground," is typical of her approach:- "On a lockdown walk past the yacht club on a windy day, the dinghy covers were flapping and the halyards jingling, transporting me back to my sailing days of exposed anchorage and sea spray."

Gail Whitfield, who describes herself as a:- 'Renaissance woman,' now makes art on her own terms simply because she was disillusioned when growing up:- "I hadn't done any art since being told at 13 I wasn't good enough to do Art O level at my Convent. Coming up to retirement I no longer wanted to be defined by what others considered to be good enough."

Her gregarious nature instinctively leads Gail to accept no boundaries to her current artistic practice. She takes pleasure in expressively employing a diverse mix of media and has lately been learning different forms of printing and how to use a sewing machine:- "I draw and paint with watercolours or acrylics several times a week and find it totally engrossing. Art has helped me to see in such a way as to never be bored again."

A photo of an unknown location inspired Gail's evocative watercolour:- "Cooling Towers on a Misty Morning" which dramatically depicts the stark intrusion of a manmade industrial landscape onto the ethereal skyline.

On vacation in Italy after retiring and contemplating what to do next, Linda Warbrick was contacted by an old friend to join an art class and as she admits:- "the rest is history."

Linda's priority is always colour, as she seeks to find the perfect combinations to convey her evocative impressions of her subject. Rising to the challenge of taking inspiration from the scene in front of her, Linda likes to experiment with acrylic paint to capture her own expressive interpretations.

Linda's recent painting of the distinctive:- "Tŵr Mawr" lighthouse on the tidal island of Ynys Llanddwyn overlooking the Menai Straits at Anglesey was inspired by many summer holidays in Wales.

Also drawn to coastal scenery, especially its ever-changing light, Lyn Rose's acrylic painting:- "New Brighton Lighthouse" was similarly inspired by fondly remembered childhood visits.

Lyn, who lives in Birkdale, after being put on furlough from her job as a commercial property administrator in 2020, dug out some paints and brushes from an old box and has since been enjoying experimenting with colour and style.

Lyn often begins by painting a warm background, before roughly sketching an outline prior to building up thin layers of paint to allow the background colours to show through.

Absorbed by the reflections in water, Lyn persuasively articulates with her brush how light spontaneously changes both colour and tone.

Certainly not 1 to be missed, this ambitious showing by:- '5 Art Collective' will be on display at the:- ArtHouse, 65 Eastbank Street, Southport, PR8 1EJ, from:- 13 February to 2 March 2024. The gallery is open:- Tuesday; Friday, from:- 10am to 3pm. Saturday open from:- 11am to 4pm.