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QUEEN OF HERBS TO VISIT FLOWER SHOW

England's foremost herb grower Jekka McVicar will be in South Africa next month to give two lectures at the Cape Town Flower & Garden Show.

Dubbed the Queen of Herbs by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver she is being bought to South African as the guest of the Herb Association of South Africa and the Cape Town Flower and Garden Show.

McVicar will talk about creating a successful home garden on Friday October 26 at 10.30am and share her secrets to growing herbs on Saturday October 27 at 12pm at the Radox Lecture Hall.

McVicar's interest in herbs developed while working on a herb farm in Somerset, England in 1974 and she has spent over 30 years expanding on that knowledge and growing herbs on her own farm. She and her husband now cultivate more than 700 varieties of herbs, and adhere strictly to the principles of organic cultivation.

"Jekka strikes a happy balance between industry and artistry, between history and modern use," says Penelope Hobhouse, acclaimed garden writer, designer, historian, lecturer and gardener. "She encourages us to know and grow a great variety of herbs which are unfamiliar to many of us."

For three years Jekka hosted a series entitled Herbs Pure and Simple on BBC Radio 4. She has also appeared on BBC television's Gardener's World, Jamie Oliver's Oliver's Twist, and Rick Stein's Food Heroes, and has lectured extensively on herbs. McVicar is also a successful author of books and sits on the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), The RHS Horticultural Board and is President of the West of England Herb Group.

Her books include: Seed - How to raise all forms of plant from seed; Good Enough To Eat; and Jekka's Complete Herbal Book.

"Jekka's Complete Herbal Book is a must-have for everyone who loves gardening and cooking. I'm her biggest fan," says TV chef Jamie Oliver. "The book is fantastic and so is her amazing knowledge of herbs. She has wonderful ideas to make your food taste the best and to make you feel good. This is the herb book to have."

Jekka will be talking at the Cape Town Flower and Garden Show on Friday 26 October at 10.30 am and on Saturday 27 October at 12.00 pm. Visitors to the show need to purchase additional tickets to her lectures. They will cost R30 each and are available through Computicket or at the gate.

The Cape Town Flower & Garden Show takes place at the historic Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West from Thursday October 25 to Sunday October 28. It opens at 9am and closes at 6pm daily. Tickets are R50 for adults and R35 for scholars and senior citizens, while children under 12 enter free. Tickets are available at Computicket (www.computicket.com or 083 915 8000) or at the gate. Secure parking will be provided. For information call +27 (0)21 422 0390.