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Garden Club
Our gardening club is in Bourne in Lincolnshire and we have been running for over 25 years. We have a wide variety of members with differing levels of expertise in gardening but all very keen. We would like some ideas on speakers and are willing to spend a reasonable sum on something different or someone with a high profile. Any suggestions would be most welcome.
Stella Roe.
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Have you looked at the Hardy Plant Society and RHS lists?
In the sticks near Peterborough
I belong to 2 garden clubs and they generally use 'local' speakers from nurseries or contacts within convenient driving distance. I think variety is important when speaking to a 'mixed' audience. Knowledge is good but not everything, delivery is important too. One talk by a national collection holder, who clearly knew all there was to know about their chosen plants made for a fairly dull hour, even though I liked the plants in question. Even worse, they brought no plants to sell
, always popular with the audience, and useful for the speaker too, if their nursery gains some sales and good PR . Nice for the audience too if they discover another worthwhile source of plants.
I have much enjoyed talks by a plant hunter about places I could never hope to visit, ones about the best plants for specific garden uses, and the best ways to grow, show or use plants. The latest one was a fairly 'off the cuff' description of the trials and rewards of making a show garden, lighter on plant info but given with great humour that made for good listening.
Audiences vary too. One of my clubs is quite specialist, linked to the Alpine Garden Society, and the members are very knowledgeable in their chosen field, but open to new experiences. The other is more general interest, but still a fairly good level of gardening expertise and interest in the audience. This one provides a print out of the plants mentioned which is a helpful reference. I attended a few meetings of the nearest Cottage Garden Society, (still a long drive for a winter evening), and found the talks interesting, but the audience disappointing, with surprising ignorance (based on their questions and comments afterwards) and more interest shown in the interval tea and cakes!
Thank you for your feedback. Will certainly look into plant hunters as this sounds fascinating and will try hardy plant society.
When I was booking talks I looked around other garden/plant groups to see who'd given talks and followed them up. It became much easier after the internet was invented
Have PMd you a bit of local info Stella
In the sticks near Peterborough