Talks
Each of the Talks listed below is about an hour in duration and any of them can be delivered over Zoom or other online meeting tool.
Talks cost £100 plus travel for bookings for dates from 2024. No travel expense is added for Talks delivered remotely.
My current car runs on diesel. It is nice to meet a group in person, but in an effort to limit its use, I am restricting in-person talks to a car drive of up to 45mins only. Over this, if your venue is not within an easy walk of a train station, the Talk will need to be delivered remotely.
Climate Change and Our Gardens!
It - the Climate Emergency - is and has been with us for a while. We all need to do what we can to both mitigate and prepare for climate change. After covering, briefly, what Climate Change actually means for our gardens this talk will look at ways we can use our gardens to guard and support local biodiversity while sequestering more carbon. It will then cover insight on how to cope with the changes that are coming. Tips are given on how to nurture a more healthy and resiliant garden.
Clubs are provided with Refs and Links after the Talk for follow up information.
"I came out with more optimism on what could be a gloomy subject"
" Thank you...it was a really interesting talk tonight. It was packed with tons of fascinating information and lots of things to follow up with."
"Lucy's talk was a really helpful overview of the impact of climate change on the lives of gardeners."
Comments from Stratford on Avon Friends of the Earth
"Thank you so much for the talk last night it was very informative very interesting and extremely thought provoking and delivered really well.
When I think of the things you spoke about it feels very overwhelming, however it made me realise that all of us play a part and we can start now, even if it's small things if we all contribute a little we can gradually make a great impact on the world. Thank you so much." Pam Green, Tanworth in Arden Gardening Club
+Discounts apply for very small, very local and local Climate Action groups.
Not just my Garden - Nurturing a Shared Ecosystem
.....NEW to 2024!
A gardener looks after their patch and enjoys the beauty, feeling of well-being and sometimes the produce it delivers. It is easy to forget that the patch is being shared by a whole host of other living organisms too and is, by definition, an ecosystem or collection of ecosystems in itself. In this Talk, Lucy explores garden friendly wildflowers, some of the less visible life in the garden, how it interacts and the way a gardener can nurture their patch to support or drive this biodiversity through the way they garden and the choices they make.
Principles and Pitfalls of New Border Design
or Designing a Border from Scratch Part I
This Talk is the first of a series of three. Each Talk has a different focus and is packed with enough information to stand on its own.
Part I is less 'Right Plant, Right Place' and more Design and Planning advice; i.e. what you need to think about before making specific plant choices. It is a short course in the art of how to plan for a beautiful mixed border with some tips and some warnings of common pitfalls to look out for along the way.
"Lucy’s talk was both inspirational and thought-provoking but above all practical on all levels as it covered many aspects of the process of designing a border from scratch. There was plenty of wisdom drawn upon and conveyed through the slides and conversation together with an excellent working knowledge of plants. Highly recommended." Chris Day, Buckingham Nurseries Garden Club
In Search of a Low Maintenance Border
or Designing a Border from Scratch Part II
This Talk is the second of a series of three. Each Talk has a different focus and is packed with enough information to stand on its own.
Part II takes a look at the principle maintenance tasks that we have in the border and gives tips and advice on ways to reduce these at the outset. Recent planting methods and styles which have arisen out of the search for low maintenance borders are discussed as an alternative to the traditional Mixed Border. Practical details of ground preparation and planting are also covered alongside case studies with more Designer tips and warnings of common pitfalls.
"A very informative Talk and we cannot wait to put the ideas into practice" Rugby Gardener's Guild
Plant Choices and Combinations for a Year Round Border
or Designing a Border from Scratch Part III
This Talk is the third of a series of three. Each Talk has a different focus and is packed with enough information to stand on its own.
Part III relates back to some content of Part I and Part II. Elements of 'Right Plant, Right Place' are now covered as we look at recommended plants for the different roles they play, good pairing/succession combinations and how to create a sustainably beautiful border. Certain plants are also named and shamed for the trouble they may cause in the year round border!
"A special thank you for delivering such an interesting talk to our group today. Many of our members commented to me about the talk and found it very thought provoking....... Thank you for a talk packed with such good ideas." Cottage Garden Society, W Midlands and Warwickshire Group
Gardening with Wildlife in Mind
The plight of British Wildlife is often in the media these days. In this Talk Lucy approaches gardens from the viewpoint of the wildlife which may be passing through, giving practical tips and ideas which can easily be adapted in any garden.
"We are very pleased that you were able to join us...Feedback from members of the public was excellent and showed that your 'Wildlife Gardening' talk was very well received"
Ed Green, Chief Executive, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust