Is your club looking for interesting, stimulating and above all fun speakers to present at your upcoming meetings?
If so then we have the solution! We are two experienced speakers, each with a unique style and repertoire of talks to provide you with an evening of enlightenment and entertainment. We would love to be a part of your programme of events in the future.
Agriculturalist and PR Expert, Claire Hart combines her love of growing with a passion for countryside topics, from poultry keeping, all about eggs, equine issues and Grow Your Own to how to grow giant Veg!
BBC Gardener of The Decade, Katherine Crouch is no stranger to the speaker circuit and her mixture of witty repartee combined with a near encyclopaedic knowledge of all things horticultural, mean that you can be confident of a colourful afternoon or evening full of humour and knowledge sharing.
Together Claire and Katherine won a Gold medal at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2013. Their adventures and the road to this success is the subject of one of their talks.
Bespoke presentations can also be prepared with a little notice. Just tell us what you want to cover and leave the rest to us. Both based in Donyatt, near Ilminster, costs per talk are flexible depending upon your requirements and travel will be charged at 48p a mile.
Call us to discuss your needs.
Talks (In person or via Zoom) Topics Include;-
- Growing to show– looking at varieties, types of veg show and how to prepare and dress veg for optimum display on the show bench and tips on how to organise your own local show
- Giant Veg– the funny and amazing world of huge proportions
- Chelsea or Bust– how we got to RHS Chelsea and a behind the schemed look at how we created an award-winning display
- What to grow where– plants for difficult and varied conditions such as clay soil, shade, boggy areas etc
- Square Meter Gardening– making the most od small spaces, how to grow veg including ideas for raised beds and vertical gardening
- 125 Years of growing veg– a look at what has happened through the decades and how it has impacted on what, how and where we grow to eat.
Folks seem to enjoy my talks as these quotes demonstrate…
“Many thanks for coming to speak to our group at Martock earlier this month. We really enjoyed your talk. It was very interesting with a good blend of looking back at how gardening trends have changed over the years together with the inspirational story of how you put together a gold winning display at Chelsea on such a tight budget!
The subject was particularly interesting for our group because it looked back over broadly the same period of time since Martock Gardening Society was formed in the late nineteenth century.
I would definitely recommend this most interesting talk to other Gardening Groups.
Best wishes, Gareth Isaac – Chair, Martock and District Gardening Society
“The talk on Square Metre Gardening that Claire gave to our Gardening Group was entertaining and informative and was backed up by a very helpful handout. My husband and I will find this extremely useful in increasing the productivity of our small garden.”
Alison Graham – Member of Wincanton & District Gardeners Association
“Claire gave our club members an excellent talk – a run-through of 125 years of seed retailing in her account of preparing an exhibit on behalf of Kings Seeds for Chelsea Flower Show. Her talk was a real tour de force, packed with the history of preparing and retailing seeds, as well as insights into the latest vegetable-growing techniques. Very informative yet nostalgic too”
Liz Randall- Chair, Over Stratton Gardening Club
“Claire gave us an informative and lively talk at our February meeting, from Wincanton Gardeners’ Association. It certainly went down well”.
Jane- Wincanton
“Thank you again for an extremely enjoyable talk, I thoroughly enjoyed it as did the members.”
Douglas Tyrrell – West Wittering Horticultural Society
‘Claire Hart’s presentation to Woodbury Garden Club on ‘Square Metre Gardening’ was full of interest and surprises.
She was an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker who maintained interest with excellent content and good interaction with her audience, the talk flew by. We were delighted to invite Claire and we would certainly ask her to present again on another subject from her extensive experience.’
Jane Connick- Woodbury Garden Club, Programme Co-ordinator
“Claire came to speak at Thurloxton Garden Club recently. Due to covid constraints we have waited two years to hear her talk, “Square Metre Gardening”, but it was worth the wait. A very interesting and entertaining presentation about the principles of square metre gardening and how to maximise the space in your garden to grow edibles in a sustainable way. Her enthusiasm was a delight and I am sure our club will invite claire to come to talk again in the future.”
Christine Hamilton – Programme Secretary Thurloxton Gardening Club