Talks by Howard Drury D.H.E.(Hons)

I was born in Lincolnshire, started selling lettuces at 6, worked on local nurseries and trained at local Agricultural colleges before going on to Edinburgh Botanic Garden as a Student, leaving with honours and all but one of the top awards. I then moved to Birmingham, working for 20 years as a Horticultural Training officer and working as researcher and presenter on Central TV’s Gardening Time for 611 episodes. Today I still write, run gardening clubs and give appearances in addition to giving horticultural advice and running gardening holidays around the world. I also run a computer business building and repairing systems.

Today I use the latest computer and projection technology to make my talks much more of an experience rather than just a lecture.I try to make all my presentations both horticulturally accurate and at the same time being light hearted and entertaining. I am also literally introducing magic into some talks, even reading your gardening mind! Slides are a thing of the past. I am now able to offer large screen video presentations with full stereo sound and my commentary on some of the places and gardens I have visited and recorded recently. Currently these are Madeira, New Zealand, Walks and Flowers of Switzerland and the Gardens of Ireland plus various English gardens.

My PowerPoint presentations allow more information to be displayed in addition to just pictures, making for more interesting approaches to subjects. A full range of props is supplied including radio microphones, stereo PA system, digital projectors and large screen where necessary. All I ask for is a contact telephone number for the day of the talk, directions, (preferably post code of venue!) close suitable parking and a 13amp socket!

Charges and Fees are based on a minimum charge for an audience of up to seventy five people and are then increased slightly on a sliding scale to a maximum for groups of two hundred or more. All charges are negotiable and subject to out of pocket expenses such as travelling. Talks start at £70.00 plus expenses for groups of up to seventy-five people. Prices increase slightly for larger groups as larger screens and more equipment is employed. This is also seen as a fairer system rather than a flat rate. Some subjects include free fact sheets. In the event of illness etc I operate within a circle of other competent horticultural lecturers to ensure you are never left without a speaker!

1.     Cornwall - The Unknown Gardens

2.     Ireland – Dublin and County Wicklow Gardens

3.     Ireland - The Cork Garden Trail

4.     Madeira the island, its gardens and people Presentation I

5.     Madeira the island, its gardens and people Presentation II

6.     New Zealand, the Islands, her plants, gardens and people - Presentation I

7.     New Zealand, the Islands, her plants, gardens and people - Presentation II

8.     Switzerland - Flower Hunting in the Bernese Oberland Presentation I

9.     Switzerland - Flower Hunting in the Bernese Oberland Presentation II

10.   Switzerland Davos down to the Italian Border, the flowers, scenery and stories

11.   The Gardens of South West Scotland

12.   The Great Gardens of East Anglia

13.   The Great Gardens of Yorkshire

The above are all video recorded and edited of gardens and plants in the wild I have visited and are presented with sound on a large screen. Those below are all PowerPoint presentations and again are presented on a large screen, a PA system is normally provide to ensure everyone can hear the accompanying dialogue with the presentation

14.   101 Ways to Do It (with or without sex)

15.   40 Years of Ashwood Specialities

16.   40 Years of Gardening Tips (the original tips! 2 versions)

17.   50 Years of Gardening Tips (several versions!)

18.   Alpines in the Wild and Cultivation

19.   An Evening with Howard Drury

20.   Any Colour but Green

21.   Ashwood Nurseries and their Salvia Collection

22.   Ashwoods Lewisia Story

23.   Auriculas, their Origins, Collecting, Showing and Breeding

24.   Autumn, Winter and Spring Colour in your garden

25.   Berried Treasures

26.   Brilliant without Flowers

27.   Bulbs for all the year round colour in the home and garden

28.   Buttercups in your Garden? What are buttercups?

29.   Clematis - Queen of the Climbers

30.   Climbing, Twining and other Wall Shrubs

31.   Container Gardening Throughout the Year

32.   Encouraging Birds into Your Garden

33.   Extending the Seasons

34.   Friend or Foe, do you know?

35.   Garden Design Ideas and Principles

36.   Garden Law what you can and cannot do and why

37.   Gardening as we all get older

38.   Gardening by the Moon

39.   Gardening Facts and Feats Worth Considering

40.   Gardening in The 21^st Century

41.   Gardening, Computers and the Internet

42.   Gardens Worth Visiting

43.   Getting The Best Out Of Clay Soils

44.   Getting the most from your greenhouse

45.   Global Warming and Gardeners

46.   Greenhouse and Conservatory Gardening in the 21^st century

47.   Growing Fruit in the 21st century

48.   Hanging Baskets, Window Boxes, Containers and Pots

49.   Hardy Cyclamen from the wild to garden and greenhouse

50.   Hellebores from the Wild to Your Garden

51.   Horticulture in the 21st Century

52.   House Plant Winter Survival Guide

53.   House Plants throughout the year

54.   How Safe is your Garden

55.   Howard Drury - The Early Years

56.   Howard’s Gardeners Question Time

57.   Howard’s Great Garden Quiz (Two versions)

58.   Howard’s Musical Gardening Quiz! With your questions answered in between.

59.   Hydrangeas, species, cultivars and cultivation

60.   Less Hardy But Worth a Gamble61.   Low Allergen Gardening

62.   Making and Maintaining a Butterfly Garden

63.   Making autumn Colour Last Until Christmas

64.   Making the most of Herbaceous65.   Organic or Not? both sides of the argument

66.   Over-wintering less hardy plants inside and out

67.   Pests, Diseases and Disorders68.   Plants for Free!

69.   Plants that truly earn a place in the garden

70.   Primulas in the Wild and in Cultivation

71.   Pruning Ornamentals72.   Sand Glorious Sand Growing tips and plants for sand

73.   Security in Your Garden Are you covered?

74.   Shady Subjects Plants for shady situations

75.   Slugs and Snails Some Amazing Facts and Feats

76.   Spring into Colour Plants to provide colour in spring

77.   Subject TBC

78.   Subject TBC

79.   Subject TBC

80.   Summer Glories

81.   The Cottage Garden Story

82.   The Damp Garden

83.   The Flowers of the Bernese Oberland

84.   The Fragrant Garden and its plants

85.   The Great Plant Hunters

86.   The Hepatica Story

87.   The Idiots Guide to Pruning Ornamentals

88.   The Modern Dry Garden

89.   The Modern Vegetable Potager Garden

90.   The Peat Garden and its Plants

91.   The Secrets of Raising Plants From Seed

92.   The Sun Lovers Plants for sunny situations

93.   The Wider World of Evergreens

94.   The Wildlife Garden, planning and maintaining

95.   The Winter Colour Garden

96.   The World of Genetically Modified Crops

97.   They Shaped our Gardens, the horticultural characters that influence our gardens

98.   Variegated Delights

99.   Why Trees? Can we manage without them?

100.Your Garden Month by Month

Please note most subjects are currently available, however because of new products, plants, new information and changes in the law there will be some subjects unavailable due to being revised and updated © Howard Drury July 2010 (Subject to changes)

This section is being installed and new talks listed meanwhile the old list is viewable and working - thanks for being patient - Howard