This talk and all our lectures are FREE for Friends of the Botanical Gardens to attend. Members of the public are also welcome to join us on payment of £5 at the door on the day. Live talks are held in the Education Centre in the grounds of the Botanical Gardens - easily accessed via the Thompson Road Entrance.

In this Fran Halsall will talk about useful plants, - mainly herbs that are edible but also some that are medicinal.  Presented from a gardener's perspective, she will look at 30+ trees and plants that are easy to grow in UK gardens and details what they are used for and their wildlife benefit. Although not a herbalist, Fran will provide information on the traditional and contemporary uses of each plant.

Fran has been gardening since the age of 10 and this fuelled her passion for learning about ‘useful’ plants and ecology. After a decade-long landscape photography and writing career, she completed an MA in landscape architecture at the University of Sheffield.  

In 2022 Fran became Regather’s Garden Services Manager, advising on and designing private gardens and community greenspaces.  In 2023 she joined the Urban Agriculture Task Force, researching the development of local food infrastructure with the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre.  

On the weekends Fran shares her knowledge of trees by leading 'interpretative' woodland walks through Sheffield Woodland Connections, working closely with the City Council and local environmental groups at various locations around the city.

Fran’s Instagram