Martin Stott is an award-winning broadcast journalist who has made programmes in 21 countries for the BBC World Service and Radio 4. He has given garden history talks to the Gardens Trust, the National Trust and the Rose Society, and has lectured on roses internationally. I have reduced the number of talks I am giving this year because of time pressures, but I am always happy to be approached. Use the contact form to get in touch.
This is a lecture I am writing now for a conference in China in April 2026. I am exploring the stories of those who went to China in search of plants, the flowers they found and the journey of those plants back to Europe. It’s a story of peril and plunder, exploration and exploitation, risk and reward. And it’s modern gardeners who are arguably most enjoying the rewards. Those roses –along with a myriad of other plants – transformed our gardens.
Too often women in the rose world are hidden. You might think of the French roses that carried names like Mme Alfred Carrière or Mme Isaac Pereire, but there have also been some exceptional women rose breeders. In this talk, first given at a World Federation of Rose Societies Conference in Sweden, I introduce several and tell their remarkable stories.
An entertaining romp through rose history first given under a tree at Mottisfont, home of the National Trust’s collection of heritage roses! It involves some audience participation, one or two hats, a long tape measure and some unusual props!
Our gardens are full of stories, if only we had time to dig for them. Here I tell the tales of many of the plants we take for granted in our gardens. And, of course, the rose features prominently – expect a potted history of the nation’s favourite flower and the amazing characters involved in its evolution.
Nottinghamshire vicar Samuel Reynolds Hole (1819-1904), celebrated preacher, rosarian, horticulturalist and author of the immensely popular A Book about Roses, was the first organiser of the National Rose Show and president of the world’s first National Rose Society. Hear the life story of this giant (in all respects) of the Victorian gardening world through his humorous writing. A lecture first given for the Gardens Trust.
Nottingham was once known as a garden town and the county has played a significant role in the nation’s horticultural journey. In this talk I uncover some of its hidden tales. Expect to hear about Nottingham’s royal garden, the Rose Kings, the Apple prince and the French Duke who taught us to eat raw celery.
In the centre of Nottingham, hidden from sight, lies a rare Georgian town garden that was created in 1752 by Mary Howe – a direct descendant of King James I – and George Smith, of the famous Nottingham banking family. The garden is part of Grade 2*-listed Bromley House, now the home of a fabulous subscription library. This is the story of Bromley House, the library and of the plans to restore its precious gem of a garden.
Fees from my garden history talks go towards the upkeep of the 18th century garden at Bromley House Library in Nottingham – a rare Georgian town garden. Martin is a trustee of the library.
Hosting a webinar for the Rose Society with Adam Frost from Gardeners’ World, rosarian Stewart Pocock and Jo Davey from Wharton’s roses – the UK’s largest rose grower.
Venue: Burton Joyce Library
Host: Burton Joyce Local History Society
Topic: Nottingham’s ‘Royal’ Garden
Venue: Woodborough Institute, Roe Hill, NG14 6BW
Host: Woodborough Local History Society
Topic: The Humour of Hole
Hosting a webinar for the Rose Society with award-winning garden designer Jo Thompson, Richard Stubbs and Liam Beddall from David Austin’s Roses and Emmelie Georgii from the Garden Society of Gothenburg garden
A webinar for the American Rose Society with Charles-Quest Ritson, looking at the history of the rose and the place for old roses in modern gardens.
Venue: New Mechanics Institute
Host: Nottingham Probus & the Curtius Salon
Topic: The Humour of Hole
Venue: Elston Village Hall
Host: Elston Gardening Group
Topic: The Storyteller Garden
Venue: Bingham
Host: Bingham Garden Club
Topic: Hidden Histories of Nottinghamshire Gardens
Venue: Coddington Village Hall
Host: Coddington History Group
Topic: Nottingham’s Royal Garden
Venue: Bleasby Village Hall
Host: Bleasby Local History Society
Topic: The Storyteller Garden
Venue: Lake Como, Italy
Host: Roses by the Lake
Topic: Culture & Cultivation – how rose shows changed the shape of our gardens
Venue: Alfreton
Host: South Normanton Gardens Association
Topic: The Storyteller Garden
Venue: Grange Hall, Radcliffe on Trent
Host: Radcliffe on Trent Gardening Club
Topic: The Storyteller Garden
Martin Stott is an award-winning journalist who has written for most of the UK national press and reported from 21 countries for the BBC World Service and Radio 4. The storyteller garden history blog combines his passion for storytelling, gardening and history.
