Visitors had the chance to pick the brains of some of the worlds leading gardening experts. The garden gurus at the Garden Festival travelled from far and wide to answer questions at the Bayer Garden Roadshow, Designer Garden Walkabout, Design Clinic , Consumer Corner and Garden Gourmet. The Garden Gurus  | Over the past 13 years, Rebecca Cole has developed an internationally renowned lifestyle and design business, known in New York City as Rebecca Cole Design and worldwide as Cole Creates. When she is not designing terraces or giving color-anemic living rooms her trademark infusion of orange, she might be writing a book or newspaper article, planning weddings and events, designing furniture or bedding or hosting a TV or radio show. |  | John Cushnie is a widely respectedgardener, author, writer and broadcaster. He is gardening editor of Ireland’s Homes Interior and Living Magazine and gardening columnist for the Weekend Telegraph. He also writes for Gardeners’ World Magazine and contributes to Gardens Illustrated. A regular panelist and host on BBC radio, his gardening and landscaping advice is followed by millions of listeners. John’s first book, Ground Cover, was published in 1999, followed by How to Garden, published in 2001. Loves fruits, hates vegetables but grows both !
|  | Martin Fish broadcasts for BBC Radio Nottingham and has presented several gardening series for BBC East Midlands, Carlton, Yorkshire and Anglia TV. He writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Easy Gardening, Garden News and The Garden (Journal of the RHS) Martin is also the President of the North of England Horticultural Society for 2006-2007. |  | Cherrie McIlwaine presents Gardeners’ Corner, BBC Radio Ulster’s weekly gardening magazine. Her introduction to the world of gardens and gardening came at the age of 5 when she helped her Dad to turn a 1 acre wilderness into a lush green lawn. She spends her time these days enjoying other people’s handiwork as she and the Gardeners’ Corner team visit local gardens great and small to speak to the people who make them. |  | Dermot O'Neill is one of Ireland's best-loved gardening personalities. His passion and enthusiasm for his subject touches many people and his down to earth, colourful, easy to follow style brings the joy of gardening to a wide audience. His keen interest in all growing things started early in childhood when Dermot's grandmother guided and encouraged him to grow plants from seed and also tend a gardening patch. These early results developed into a passion, then to an all-absorbing career. This means that today we find Dermot right at the cutting edge of Irish gardening. |  | Derek Patterson trained at the Swiss International Chefs School and travelled across Europe & the south Pacific Rim to perfect his knowledge, skills and style. Derek was delighted to be involved with the Garden Festival at Hillsborough Castle as Garden Gourmet allowed him to indulge his passion for working with locally grown and sourced produce. |  | John Reid is a Chartered Landscape Architect and is principal of Crawford Campbell Associates based near Crossgar in Co Down. He studied Horticulture before qualifying as a Landscape Architect. In his professional life he has been responsible for many important urban and rural landscape projects throughout Ireland and Europe. His schemes have been awarded both Civic Trust and A.L.C.I. awards. |  | Geoff Stebbings trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is now Associate Editor of Garden Answers and has alsoworked for Garden Newsand Practical Gardening as well as The Garden, (journal of the Royal Horticultural Society). Geoff has written several gardening books. |
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