Best-selling author and plant geek, James Wong, confirmed for Southport Flower Show

Botanist, Broadcaster and Best-Selling Author to join this year’s line-up!
James Wong will be sharing his love for houseplants at this year’s show on Sunday
20 th August.

James is a professional plant geek, broadcaster and best-selling author based in
London. He shares his tiny flat with over 500 houseplants, and is constantly
developing new, escapist terrarium and aquascape creations that he shares via his
Instagram.

Trained at the prestigious Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, James achieved an MSc in
Ethnobotany, graduating with distinction. He has pursued research into underutilised
crop species, ethnopharmacology and traditional food systems through field work in
rural Ecuador, Java and Southern China.

James became the youngest ever RHS medal winner at the Hampton Court Palace
Show in 2004, and has won several more since, including two gold medals for his
garden designs at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

James has written 6 best-selling books on plant use, gardening and food, including
Homegrown Revolution, the fastest-selling gardening book in UK history. He also
writes regular columns in both the Observer and New Scientist.

His media career began with the breakaway hit series Grow Your Own Drugs, and
James has since presented various science, food, gardening and nature shows for
the BBC, Channel News Asia and Netflix. James is also a regular panelist on Radio
4's Gardeners' Question Time.

James is an Ambassador for both Kew Gardens and the Liz Earle natural skincare
company, the latter for which he travels the world in search of groundbreaking new
botanical ingredients, as their resident Ethnobotanist.

Alan Adams, General Manager of Southport Flower Show and Victoria Park said “We
can’t wait to welcome James to this year’s show. He’s not been to Southport Flower
Show before and we know he will be a hit with our visitors. Houseplants are good
for your health and not just for their visual beauty. They essentially do the opposite
of what we do when we breathe: release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. This
not only freshens up the air, but also eliminates harmful toxins.

James will join Frances Tophill (Gardeners’ World and Love Your Garden), Lee
Burkhill (The Garden Ninja), Jason Williams (The Cloud Gardener), Keith Brymer
Jones (The Great Pottery Throw Down) and Daisy Desire (The Drag Queen
Gardener) confirmed to date with many more to be announced over the coming
months.

Plans for this year’s show are well underway and the combination of garden and
floral displays, cookery demonstrations, shopping village, arena entertainment, live
music and much more makes Southport Flower Show a great day outdoors for the
whole family this summer.

Southport Flower Show is a registered charity (charity number 1000698) and the
largest independent flower show in the country attracting over 55,000 visitors across
4 days. Early bird tickets now on sale for £21.00 until the end of March. Children
under 16 go free.

Southport Flower Show, Thursday 17 th – Sunday 20 th August 2023.
www.southportflowershow.co.uk.