The Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman: Victorian Botanist and Plantsman

The Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman (1809 - 1890), was a British missionary of Anglo-African descent, his success in founding churches and schools in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) has been well documented. However his contribution to botany, plant collecting and horticulture has been overshadowed by this religious legacy.This talk and ongoing research (Advolly travelled to Ghana in 2018 to examine his family archives) aims to reveal the extent of Birch Freeman’s horticultural and botanical legacy.

• Time: Approx 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

The Iveagh Gardens, Dublin: A Victorian Gem of Delights

The Iveagh Gardens in the centre of Dublin have maintained a quiet existence which no doubt has been their salvation. The gardens were designed in 1863 by the garden and landscape architect Ninian Niven (1799 – 1879. In typical Victorian manner Niven filled the pleasure grounds with an eclectic collection of landscape features and a variety of garden styles. For over two hundred and fifty years the 9 acre park located behind the National Concert Hall has managed to survive and is often described as Dublin’s best kept secret.

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

The Italian Renaissance Garden

The gardens of the Italian renaissance were an exciting and very significant period in garden history. This talk looks at how and why the new garden style which emerged in Rome and Florence in the late 15th and early 16th centuries came about and also how it has endured and influenced ideas over the centuries.

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

The Rise and March of Archery: An Elite Pastime 1780 – 1900.

This is a lighthearted look at the very social aspect of archery on the estates of the privileged few in many counties. The talk is based around the activities of the Royal British Bowman Society and the various estates and families in the Welsh and Shropshire Marches. Unlike other societies, the British Bowmen were very progressive and included women from the outset. Think Cupid!

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

Flora Domestica: a Social History of Indoor Pot Plants.

House plants were once a status symbol of wealth and power. Over the centuries they have been the victors and victims of changing fashions as new introductions have arrived from far flung places. As our living habits have changed so have the plants we surround ourselves with. This talk traces the history of indoor plants and highlights the complicated relationship we all have with them.

• Time: Approx 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

Percy Thrower: A Man for all Seasons.

Between the years 1950 and 1975 Percy Thrower (1913 – 1988) was possibly one of the most recognised people in the country. He was more than just the ‘Nation’s Head Gardener’ and an early gardening celebrity. He was a lecturer, an author, a business man, a garden designer and above all a passionate horticulturalist and nurseryman. This talk traces the achievements of a remarkable and talented man

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

A Quick Introduction to the Social History of Gardens.

This talk is for anyone interested in gardens. It provides an overview of the depth and diversity of garden history, touching on the influences and developments which determined why, how and when these gardens were created. The design and management of gardens has always been in response to social and economic demands in society.

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

A Quick Introduction to the Plants and People that Influenced Garden History

This talk will briefly look at some people and plants in history that have shaped our gardens. The introduction and availability of plants over the centuries has been a major factor in the evolution of Britain’s garden styles.

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

Guns and Roses: Humphry Repton at Warley Park, Birmingham.

The landscape gardener, Humphry Repton’s working life witnessed great social change. He disliked the new money men connected with trade and commerce, but reluctantly benefited greatly from these bankers, industrialist and merchants who profited from war and colonial contracts. The profits of empire percolated through the whole of the British economy and funded the creation of many gardens and landscapes of aspiration. This lecture looks at Humphry Repton’s work for the Quaker gun manufacturer Samuel Galton Junior at his estate at Warley Woods, Birmingham.

• Time: Approx. 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond

Space to Breathe: The History and Development of Wolverhampton’s West and East Parks.

Since the opening of the city’s West and East Parks in 1881 and 1896 respectively these two parks have experienced, like many across the country over the years, a series of mixed fortunes. But they have survived and this talk looks at how and why both parks were initiated and also highlight the part society plays in the survival of many public parks and other green spaces.

• Time: Approx 50 minutes
• Fee: POA
• By: Advolly Richmond