THE MODERN MINT BLOG

Dec07

Gardening Talks To Clubs And Societies

My name is Darren Lerigo. I am a gardener and topiary artist and I provide garden talks  for clubs all over the UK – and now via Zoom as well!

If you are a speaker finder in need of a talk, then please do get in touch. But please note this is a short introduction to my talks. For full information, go to Garden Club Speaker For Your Group.

With my talks, I hope to:

  • Provide your group with something interesting, informative and fun.
  • Make your life as easy as possible. I will do this by turning up on time, bringing equipment that works, making sure the fee and travel expenses are good value for your group and giving a talk that makes your group happy they have come to see it.
  • Speak as lightly and clearly as possible, without making it a dry lecture.
  • Do my best to cover at the last minute, if your speaker is unable to make the talk.

Here is a small selection of what people say about my talks:

“Many thanks for a great talk (as usual!) I have had 26 emails today saying how much they enjoyed your talk.” Langham Beekeepers

“Thank you so much, it was an excellent presentation which everyone enjoyed very much.

I think you passion for gardening shone through and you delivered your talk with great fluency, humour and knowledge. Everyone I spoke to afterwards was very impressed.

Perhaps you could send me details of your other talks and which date you would prefer?” Holywell and Needingworth Garden Club

“Everyone enjoyed your talk. There was quite a buzz!” Oddfellows Group, Suffolk

I have extensive experience, giving over 50 talks per year, as well as speaking at Blenheim Palace and The National Flower Show, running topiary workshops, leading garden tours and for EBKA giving the Ted Hooper Memorial Lecture.

garden talks

Available Talks

  1. What Do I Do With This Space? (Ideas on garden design and maintenance)
  2. Diluted (How to cope with excessive heat and a lack of rain on our gardens)
  3. Clippings (Making topiary and how to use it in the garden)
  4. Helping The Honeybee (Sharing the very best garden plants for bees)
  5. A Very British Garden (Ideas for plants that suit a British garden)

Talks are 50-60 minutes plus q&a. I can provide my own projector.

Cost of My Talks

My speaker fee is £120 for groups and clubs.

Concessions are available for smaller clubs of 25 people or less.

For Zoom talks, the cost is £75.

Travel expenses can be discussed, but I travel all over the UK to speak and will do my best to make this cost manageable for both your group and myself.

Who I Talk To

  • Gardening Clubs
  • Horticultural Societies
  • WI’s
  • Oddfellows
  • Beekeeper Groups
  • Allotment Societies
  • U3A’s
  • Fellowships
  • Church Groups
  • Anyone else who needs an entertaining, informative speaker!

“Thank you so much Darren. Your talk was much appreciated and enjoyed by our members.” Benfleet Horticultural Society

To book a talk or to find out more, please do contact me now.

 

Jan28

Monty Don British Gardens Episode 4

I hadn’t seen the new Monty Don series ‘Monty Don’s British Gardens’ but I was sent a message one evening to say stick it on – episode 4 especially! On the episode were three gardens I make and clip the topiary in… the photo above is my quizzical boxwood emu… which looks ridiculous out of context of the wider topiary garden it sits in… but hey! Showcases what you can do with boxwood, when given enough time to let it grow! But also on the episode were Waltham Place, one of my favourite gardens and a place I teach topiary …

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Nov01

Topiary Art In Hong Kong, The Henderson

Here are a couple of photos of the topiary work I have been doing in Hong Kong for the Art Garden at the bottom of the brand new skyscraper, The Henderson. The building has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and this November 2024 the garden at the base of the structure will be planted up, with lots of topiary originally designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects, grown by Tarzan Nursery in China, and then clipped and refined into shape by…. me. Will update with photos from The Henderson Art Garden when all is completed and the garden is opened, but …

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Apr16

EBTS Boxwood Growers Forum

Through the European Boxwood and Topiary Society I worked with Chris Poole and Sue Mesher, members of the EBTS board, and we set up a Boxwood Growers Forum. This was to discuss how to make sure this wonderful topiary plant stays in the public conscioussness – we know many growers, suppliers and distributors have stopped selling it as the cost of replacing boxwood that has blight, or is nibbled by the boxwood caterpillar, makes it unviable to offer to clients and gardeners. But Boxwood is a phoenix plant, and there are ways to deal with the problems associated with Buxus. …

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