Talks and Lecturers Packed Full of Advice and Trivia... Plus Full Audience Participation

Darren Rudge, BSc (hons) MCIHort also known as ‘the laughing gardener’ is a garden designer, RHS professional associate, broadcaster, podcaster and lecturer with a career that has spanned over 40 years. Broadcasting on BBC radio for over 15 years. His tips and advice could be heard on BBC Radio West Midlands, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.

His career has seen success as a horticultural lecturer, an assistant director of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, garden designer and now podcaster; broadcasting a weekly episode of ‘The Happy garden Podcast’ with former BBC colleague Mollie Green and being the winner of a number of RHS show garden medals including gold and best in show awards.

Darren’s talks and lecturers are packed full of advice and trivia plus he expects full audience participation. After more than forty years in the horticulture industry he illustrates points using examples form his career in horticulture and garden design. Some are practical workshops where he will show the audience techniques involved; others are power point displays that are created to inspire and delight.

Darren also now is the co-director of a community interest company where along with business partner Helen Wood, they design and create spaces for communities across the West Midlands and teach and train individuals and groups for self-development and enhancement of their well-being; getting individuals and groups in touch with nature, Rudge Wood Horticulture aims to ‘Grow People with Plants’.

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Testimonials

"On behalf of Belton Gardening Club I would like to thank you for coming and giving a talk last Tuesday. Everyone has said how much they enjoyed your presentation and how much they got from it. Your tips are a talking point and I think the local shops will have a run on epsom salts and soluble asprin."
Belton Gardening Club
"Dear Darren, Thank you for giving us such an interesting, entertaining and fun talk last night. You certainly have the knack for audience participation and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. So many tips on how to save and reuse things we would normally throw out, I am sure no knew one could make a wine from Japanese knotweed! Plus you cleverly gave us the science behind your ideas. I have already had requests from members for you to visit us again so I will be in touch with you in the future for you to visit our Gardening Club again. I do hope you had a good journey home, Thanks again for for such an enjoyable evening, Best Wishes and Happy Christmas, Diana"
Stock and Bradley Gardening Club
“I do wish to convey great thanks for your brilliant interesting and entertaining talk on behalf of the Friends of Ness Gardens. I had so many persons in the days after your presentation saying how much they enjoyed it and wanted more.”
University of Liverpool; Ness Gardens
“Excellent talk - erudite, scientific, very useful and full of fun. Thank you Darren and thanks to TDHS for the work in organising it.”
Tettenhall and District Horticultural Society
“Thank you for a brilliant talk. You are in high demand the group would like you to come and talk to us again.”
Wingerworth Horticultural Society
“Just a note to say thank you for your talk last week; It is always splendid to hear someone who is so clearly passionate about his subject and good to pick up quirky extras as well as plant information.”
Hurley and District Garden Club
“I am writing to thank you for coming to talk to our Society on Thursday evening. An unprecedented 87 members enjoyed your informative, entertaining and witty talk, thoroughly enjoyed by all.”
Balsall Common and District Horticultural Society;
“We’ve had excellent feedback from all present on Thursday night; it was enjoyed by all. We shall be searching you out at the Chatsworth show for more hints and tips and hope to see you back in Palterton very soon”
Palterton Horticultural Society
“Hi Darren, just wanted to thank you for Friday evening. A number of people thought you were the best speaker we have ever had!!.”
Badby Horticultural Society
“Just a quick note to thank you very much for entertaining us on Tuesday evening, we really enjoyed it all and learnt a lot at the same time!”
Claverdon Garden Society
“Thank you so much for coming to our garden club on Tuesday night. It was extremely enjoyable - we laughed, we learnt and will save money and use more environmentally friendly products in the garden. I do hope you will come back next year for Teabags, Bras and Tights Part 2.”
Hogweed Garden Club
“Hello Darren; Thank you so much for the extremely informative and entertaining presentation last week. I have had very positive feedback from members who obviously enjoyed your presentation as much as I did.”
Gilmorton Garden Club

Current Talks

If the list doesn’t contain what you are looking for please get in touch as bespoke or tailor made talks can be designed for you garden society, guild or students.

Seasonal talks:
A series of talks that takes the audience month by month through the highlights of colour and interest that can be expected.
- Aspects of spring in the garden
- Aspects of summer in the garden
- Autumn and Winter in your garden
Contact me for more information
Teabags, bras and tights:
This ever-popular series of talks now has six parts:
- Part one is an introduction to how household items can make gardening more cost effective and sustainable; with top tips and some trivia thrown in for free!!
- Each successive talk builds on the last with the science given behind Darrens recommendations and delivered in a humorous quirky style, that have been enjoyed by groups all over the country and royalty!
- Each talk is also accompanied by a fact sheet full of gardening advice and the recommendations Darren has given.
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Garden history TALKS:
- Garden history – a tour across the ages
- The plant hunters – a history of discovery and introduction
- Garden designers and their influence - 1650 to the present day
- Wightwick Manor; Mawson and the Mander’s - a potted history.
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens - a history of opulence and introduction.
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Plant cultivation and techniques:
- Plants for free – plant propagation made easy
- Pruning your garden plants - a simple guide to getting the best out of your garden plants
- Gardening with shade - here Darren details the type of shade that can be encountered, what the issues are and plants that will cope!
- Low maintenance techniques - tips and ideas for your garden to cut down on the workload.
- Right plant- right place - common mistakes made when trying to establish your beloved plants.
- Producing your perfect hanging basket, patio pot or window box – the tricks of the trade; slideshow and a practical demonstration.
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Climate change and sustainability Talks:
- Sustainability and your garden – how does this work?
- Climate change – its effect and how we can deal with it
- New wave planting – a naturalistic approach to garden planting
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Miscellaneous:
- The private life of a slug – A talk that helps us to understand the role slugs play in our gardens. From their evolution to the range of species a fascinating profile full of fun facts about this diverse creature; you just might get to love them!
- Plants for health and well-being - A look at how plants play a part in our lives to instil that feeling of relaxation, the connection with nature and how plants generally lift our health and well being.
- Gardening tales from the ‘cut’! - Born in Walsall Darren takes a fascinating look at the diversity of plants and wildlife you can find taking a walk along the highways and byways of the canals in the blackcountry and beyond.
- The plants we love to hate! - in this talk Darren profiles around 45 plants we have an issue with for one reason or another. Given their back stories and delivered in a humorous style; once you get to know them better you just may learn to love them.
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RHS Lecture series:
Are you or your group studying for RHS level 2 or 3 theory or practical qualifications?
The RHS lecture series has been designed both as online or face to face lectures based on the level 2 and level 3 qualifications syllabus.
As an RHS Professional Associate Darren operates as a national examiner and through his lectures imparts his wealth of knowledge from his career as a horticultural lecturer, manager of land based studies at learning institutions, and now co director of his own learning centre which is nationally accredited.
Please get in touch to discuss your specific requirements as bespoke or general lecturers can be designed.
Contact me for more information