COTTONS Hotel and Spa in Knutsford has secured Tatton Park’s former head gardener to host a lunch event today, Thursday, August 22.

Sam Youd, the man who brought the RHS Flower Show to the North, will be the special guest at ‘The Gardener’s Palette’, the latest in a series of Ladies Who Lunch events hosted at Cottons Hotel & Spa each month.

A keen gardener from the age of eight, Sam worked part time at a local market garden in his teens before eventually progressing to the role of Tatton Park’s head gardener in 1983.

The National Trust property boasts a neoclassical mansion, 50 acres of expertly manicured gardens, a deer park that covers 1,000 acres and a working farm.

Sam, who was also a horticultural writer, registered lecturer and judge for the Royal Horticultural Society, will entertain guests with stories from his fascinating career over a two-course lunch prepared by the hotel’s expert team of chefs before leading a planting demonstration.

Cottons Hotel & Spa is a short drive from Tatton Park estate and the centre of Knutsford.

Final tickets for The Gardener’s Palette, which starts at 12.30pm, are £19, and are available to book via Cottons’ events team on 01565 650333 or events@cottonshotel.co.uk

The ticket price includes a welcome cocktail on arrival and a two-course lunch.