Gardening talks and lectures on plants

Find below a list of gardening talks I currently give:

Popular talks:

Confessions of a plantaholic
Collecting, propagating and growing plants can sometime be an obsession, if not a true addiction! While making light fun of myself and the things I do for plants, I will also talk about some of my favourites and must haves.
Plants and castles of Transylvania
This talk explores a land that is best known for Dracula and his castles, but also boasts an amazingly diverse flora, including woodlanders, meadow flowers and high mountain alpines.
50 shades of green - versatile foliage plants and the diversity of leaves
A lecture that starts by exploring leaves in their diversity of shapes, sizes, colours and textures and then gives examples of how foliage plants can be used to great effect in the garden, including the display I designed at the RHS Tatton Flower Show for the Hardy Plant Society.
Memories of Greece - spring in the Peloponnese
This beautiful corner of the world is not only rich in autumn bulbs, but also in spring flowers. Be prepared to be amazed by intricate carpets of annuals, bulbs and perennials that sometimes stretch as far as the eye can see. Orchids, especially bee-orchids, come in great numbers and in a dizzying diversity.

New talks:

Spring in the Abruzzo
The Abruzzo is a mountainous area that starts only 50 miles east of Rome, but is fairly unknown. There are many national parks in the area, covering almost half its surface. This makes it one of the 'greenest' regions in Europe.
What's in a name? Demystifying botanical Latin
One can learn so much by studying botanical plant names. This talk will sample interesting plant names by looking at history, mythology, plant morphology, geography, art, ethnobotany and many other topics.
Designing a winter garden: snowdrops, snowflakes and other early flowers
Winter can be really depressing. But you can create a colourful winter garden, full of interest, to get over those winter blues. While some snowdrops have made headlines by fetching nearly £2000 per bulb at auctions, there are many affordable snowdrop varieties to consider that will bring interest in your garden in late winter. This lecture will also look at companion planting for these beautiful bulbs.

Other talks:

Romanian alpine plants
In this lecture I will focus on the plants that live on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. From the North to the South, through woodlands, gorges and up on the high peaks.
An introduction to alpines
What is an alpine plant? Where do they come from, what conditions do they need, how can one grow alpines? These and other questions (including how to build your own miniature garden) will be considered in this lecture that only just skims the surface of what is a vast subject.
Autumn bulbs of the Peloponnese
Over the years, I have been fortunate to visit the Peloponnese many times. This is a hotspot of biodiversity when it comes to autumn flowering bulbs like Crocus, Colchicum, Cyclamen, Sternbergia, Narcissus and Scilla. Apart from over 40 species of bulbs I will also discuss other plants flowering in late October among beautiful scenery and archaeological sites.
Mix and Match. Amazing plants from years of travels
This talk is in constant evolution as it showcases some of the plants I fell in love with while visiting the UK, Spain, France, Greece, Germany, the islands of the Atlantic, Portugal, Romania and other countries I have travelled to.
Early summer in the western Alps
The Alps are a hotspot for plant diversity. This talks looks at some high alpine and mountain meadow species I have come across in early June in the western Alps.
Wild daffodils and other Spanish gems
Spain has always been in the top three most visited countries in the world. While many travel for its sunny beaches and amazing food, there are also many plants to entice you to visit the Iberian Peninsula off-season.
Plant and gardening quiz
I have several plant and gardening quizzes that include anagrams, ding-bats, plant questions and image clues.