The Salem Hardy Plant Society has a reputation for bringing quality speakers to its monthly meetings, including renowned gardeners from the region.

But this one takes the crown.

The Queen's gardener, John Anderson, is on the agenda for Tuesday.

Anderson, on a public speaking tour of Canada and the Pacific Northwest, will regale the society with stories about the history, plants and landscapes of the Windsor Great Park in England — perhaps even a few about what it's like working for the Royal Family.

He helped choose greenery featured in chapel floral arrangements for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.

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"This is exciting," said Kathy Palmer, vice president of the Salem Hardy Plant Society. "He's a pretty important guy.

"I think it's such a unique event for Salem. I'd hate for it to go by and people say, 'I didn't know about it.' "

The event is free to the public beginning at 7 p.m. in the Spinning Room at Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill Street SE. Organizers recommend arriving early with seating for up to 400.

Anderson is scheduled to speak for an hour with a slide-show presentation.

He was appointed Keeper of the Gardens in 2016 by the Crown Estate, which manages Windsor Estate, which includes Windsor Great Park. The park covers 4,800 acres, parts of which are open to the public.

He's responsible for management of the world-renowned Savill and Valley gardens. The 35-acre Savill Garden was created in the 1930s. The 250-acre Valley Garden features undulating topography and exotic plants from all over the world.

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Anderson has already made appearances at Hardy Plant Society events in Victoria and Vancouver, Canada, and in Seattle, Washington, plus he'll speak Sunday in Portland.

Palmer said tickets sold out for the Seattle event and are nearly sold out for Portland.

Rather than charge for its event, Salem Hardy Plant Society is using proceeds from a 2016 fundraiser to cover costs. The group is paying a speaking fee and a portion of Anderson's travel expenses divided among venues.

"We're using the money we made to further our goal, which is to get more people interested in gardening," Palmer said.

The society was founded in Salem in 1997 and currently has a membership of about 140 households.

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Anderson trained at the National Botanic Gardens in Ireland and studied at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London. He has held "head gardener" positions at Mount Usher Gardens in Ireland; Inverewe Gardens in Scotland; and Exbury Gardens in England.

His host while in town will be Thomas Johnson, co-owner of Sebright Gardens in Salem. Johnson said it's unlikely there will be time to take Anderson on a tour of gardens and nurseries in the Willamette Valley.

At least he'll get to explore Sebright Gardens, which has four acres of display gardens and what many consider Oregon's premier selection of hostas.

clynn@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6710, or follow on Twitter @CapiLynn or Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.