“Seeing how everyone benefits from the sessions makes it all worthwhile; horticulture is a great leveller and a marvellous therapeutic tool.”

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Based in Potters Bar, Herts, happy to visit groups in Hertfordshire, London, Essex, Middlesex, Befordshire, Buckinghamshire & Cambridgeshire.

Anne has been a Guest Lecturer on Cruises and at Conferences.

Please see Bookings Page for fees and check out Testimonials

Happy to deliver talks by Zoom especially in the winter to both local groups or those who are further away, you may be at the other end of the country or even in a different one but technology is enabling!

Further queries, please contact Anne at:  anne@anneluder.co.uk

Anne worked as garden designer for over thirty years, designing both public and private gardens; specialising in allergy-free and challenging gardens. She likes to incorporate and encourage the use of edible plants into her designs, as well as upcycling and encouraging the wildlife in.  She was environmentally aware back when conservationists were called “cranks”. When planning a garden, her clients are  encouraged & involved so they are reflected in the design whilst learning how to maintain their garden and develop it.

She has been on the “Speakers Circuit” for over 15 years regularly being invited to return to many groups.

At the beginning of Anne’s horticultural career she spent four years in charge of propagation at a nursery in Essex which offered support, tutoring and a sense of purpose for those with disabilities. This led to becoming a part time lecturer at Capel Manor College, Enfield.  She specialised in therapeutic horticulture for severe physical disabilities; growing this provision at the college. Today HT is finally being acknowledged for all the things that she and my fellow horticultural therapist’s knew and practised years ago.

Anne in retirement is the Honorary Horticultural Landscape Consultant and Trustee of a Natural Burial Ground in Cheshunt – re-creating a British native woodland and meadow.

Over the last few years Anne has developed aninterest in ancient and biblical plants plus those mentioned in the holy writings of other faiths. Curiosity led her to look at the mythology surrounding these plants, their usages in past times ie food, building etc and how these plants are impacting on our lives today ie cancer treatments. These are the “Ancient & Bible Plant Talks” all of which are stand alone. Anne has acquired a nickname: The Biblical Botanist.  These talks are all amusing and excellent if you want a quirky talk and not religious.  Where possible Anne uses either photos she has taken  to avoid infringing copyrights! However, a big thanks to  the friends who also send me pictures they have taken – many of which are outstanding.

PS Anne has a wonderful repositary of Coeliac recipes from when she ran a gluten free resources website back in the early days of the web and two kindle recipe books are still available on Amazon

Testimonials

  • Just a short note to thank you for a very enjoyable talk yesterday evening. As you pointed out, gardening is great therapy. The important thing is to encourage us oldies to carry on doing it! (Evenley Gardening Society September 2024

  • "Thank you so much again for giving New Vistas your excellent talk yesterday, our members greatly appreciated it.  You do have a lovely, clear voice which is easily heard;  not always a feature prominent in a lot of our speakers. I will hope very much that you will pay us another visit next year"- Juliet
  • Just a quick note to thank you for a very informative and entertaining talk last night. You certainly inspired our members to go and visit Capel Manor, or to go there again, me included  (October 2025)
  • Thank you Anne for coming and imparting your knowledge, several people have said how interesting your talk  on Gold Frankinsence Myrrh & More was and your first remark that Bible GOLD was olive oil has really struck a cord with most of us. Obvious really.(Harpenden Ladies Probus December 2022)

  • "Many thanks for coming to give your very interesting talk to the Hertford National Trust on the ''Ancient Gardens Before The Common Era' last Monday.  I know the members I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it" - Diana
  • Thank you for the interesting talk last night (Gardening 3rd Age). It went down well and there was a lot of “ food for thought”. Harpendon Gardening Society