Gardening talks with Dan Ori
Practical horticulture, clearly explained
Engaging, practical and science-based gardening talks for horticultural societies, gardening clubs, community groups, charities, estates, businesses and education providers.
Dan Ori is an RHS Master of Horticulture and experienced speaker who combines more than 30 years of practical horticultural experience with current scientific understanding, accessible explanations and engaging storytelling.
Available in person across the UK and online.
Bring horticultural knowledge to life
A good gardening talk should do more than present information. It should encourage questions, challenge assumptions and leave people with ideas they can confidently apply in their own gardens.
Dan’s talks bring together:
Current horticultural research
More than 30 years of practical experience
Traditional gardening knowledge
Real examples from gardens and community projects
Clear explanations and engaging storytelling
Dan regularly examines familiar gardening advice and asks whether it remains supported by current science and practical experience.
His guiding principle is:
“What I’m going to tell you is scientifically supported and practically proven by me. But if it conflicts with what you’re doing and that works for you, keep doing it.”
The result is an informative and comfortable conversation that respects gardeners’ experience while introducing new evidence, ideas and possibilities.
Why book Dan?
An experienced horticulturist and confident speaker
Dan Ori combines professional horticultural knowledge with a warm, accessible and conversational presentation style.
His experience spans tree surgery, landscaping, estate and head gardening, plant nurseries, horticultural retail, plant buying and selling, community projects, practical training and specialist horticultural education.
Dan holds the prestigious Master of Horticulture qualification from the Royal Horticultural Society and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
What your audience will receive
Practical knowledge
Clear guidance that people can apply in their own gardens, projects and community spaces.
Science-based information
Current horticultural understanding presented with academic rigour, without making the subject feel distant or overly complicated.
Engaging delivery
Informative, warm and occasionally humorous presentations that respect the intelligence and experience of the audience.
Real experience
Examples drawn from gardens, nurseries, orchards, public planting schemes and community horticultural projects.
A comfortable conversation
Audiences are encouraged to question ideas, compare experiences and consider what works within their own garden.
Academic rigour made accessible
Dan’s particular strength is communication.
He takes detailed horticultural subjects and presents them through clear explanations, practical examples, demonstrations and storytelling. The science is not removed or watered down. It is translated into information that people can understand, remember and apply.
"Academic rigour without academic distance."
Dan has delivered hundreds of talks, workshops, training sessions and recorded presentations. His audiences have ranged from small practical groups to large in-person and online events.
Whether speaking to experienced horticulturists, enthusiastic gardeners or complete beginners, he creates a comfortable environment in which people can question established ideas, explore new evidence and develop their confidence.
More than 30 years in horticulture
Dan’s experience spans practical gardening, landscape development, arboriculture, plant nurseries, horticultural retail, plant buying and selling, estate gardening, training, community projects and volunteer leadership.
This breadth of experience allows him to connect scientific understanding with the realities of gardening.
His talks and workshops are therefore not built solely from books or academic papers. They combine research with lessons learned through plants, gardens, projects, customers, volunteers and many years of practical application.
Popular gardening talks
Flagship talks
Most talks are available in person or online and can usually be delivered as sessions of between one and two hours.
Climate Resilient Planting
Creating gardens prepared for a changing climate
A practical and forward-looking talk for gardeners adapting to hotter summers, periods of drought, wetter winters and changing plant performance.
Dan explores how plant selection, soil preparation, water management and thoughtful garden planning can help create more resilient gardens.
The talk is particularly relevant to gardeners in South East England but can be adapted for audiences in other parts of the UK.
Suitable for: Gardening clubs, horticultural societies, environmental groups and community projects.
Gardening for Bees and Pollinators
Creating gardens that genuinely support pollinating insects
Pollinator-friendly gardening involves more than simply choosing plants with a bee symbol on the label.
This talk explores how gardens can provide food, shelter and suitable habitats for bees and other pollinating insects throughout their life cycles.
Dan combines practical planting advice with ecological understanding, helping gardeners make informed choices that provide genuine value to wildlife.
Suitable for: Gardening clubs, wildlife groups, community organisations, schools and environmental events.
Gardening Fact or Fiction?
Exploring familiar gardening advice and asking what really works
Why do gardeners follow particular practices? Are they supported by science, based on practical observation or simply repeated because they have always been passed on?
This lively and thought-provoking talk investigates familiar gardening beliefs, examines the evidence behind them and explores what happens when they are tested in real gardens.
The aim is not to tell people they have been gardening incorrectly. It is to help audiences separate useful knowledge from assumptions and make more informed decisions.
Suitable for: Gardening clubs, horticultural societies, U3A groups and mixed-experience audiences.
An Introduction to Square Foot Gardening
Productive growing for smaller gardens and spaces
Square Foot Gardening is a structured, space-saving approach to growing vegetables, herbs and other productive plants.
Dan introduces the main principles of the system and considers how it can be adapted for British gardens, raised beds, community spaces and gardeners with limited room.
The talk covers planning, spacing, soil, crop selection and practical ways to make productive growing more manageable.
Dan is the only UK Certified Instructor with the USA based Square Foot Gardening Foundation.
Suitable for: Allotment groups, community gardens, gardening clubs, schools and beginner gardeners.
Planning Your Community Orchard
From the first idea to long-term care
Creating a successful community orchard involves much more than planting a collection of fruit trees.
This talk guides groups through site assessment, tree selection, orchard design, planting, establishment, maintenance and long-term community involvement.
Dan draws on practical experience of orchard projects and community horticulture to help groups avoid common problems and plan for lasting success.
Suitable for: Community groups, councils, charities, schools, allotments and environmental organisations.
Additional talk subjects
Dan can also deliver talks and presentations covering:
Winter and summer fruit-tree pruning
Soft-fruit pruning
Ornamental shrub and tree pruning
Rose care and pruning
Plant propagation
Tree and shrub planting
Tool care and tool sharpening
Community gardening
Developing horticultural knowledge and confidence
Bespoke gardening and horticultural subjects
A subject can often be adapted around the theme of your event or the interests of your audience.
Who are the talks for?
Dan’s talks are suitable for:
Horticultural societies
Gardening clubs
U3A groups
Allotment associations
Community groups
Charities and community-interest companies
Local authorities
Estates and professional gardens
Garden centres and plant nurseries
Colleges and education providers
Environmental events
Conferences and special-interest groups
Talks can be adapted for experienced gardeners, enthusiastic amateurs, complete beginners or mixed audiences.
In person or online
Flexible formats for different organisations
Talks can be delivered:
In person at your venue
Online through Zoom or another suitable platform
During weekdays
In the evening
At weekends
A typical talk lasts approximately one hour, with additional time available for questions.
Longer presentations, combined sessions and bespoke event formats can also be discussed.
Talk fees
Clear and straightforward pricing
Standard talk rate
£150 per hour
This applies to online and in-person talks.
Travel time, mileage, venue costs or significant additional materials may apply where relevant.
Travel time beyond 30 minutes from Seaford (Sussex) is normally charged at:
£50 per hour
Travel-time charges may sometimes be waived for bookings of four hours or more.
A complete fee will be confirmed before the booking is agreed.
Professional assurance
Dan holds:
Public Liability Insurance to £10 million
Employer’s Liability Insurance to £10 million
An Enhanced DBS certificate covering adults and children
Organisations are still encouraged to maintain appropriate insurance for their own venue, event and activities.
How to book
A simple booking process
1. Choose a subject
Select one of the established talks or ask about a bespoke presentation.
2. Tell Dan about your event
Provide the proposed date, location, expected attendance, audience and preferred session length.
3. Discuss the format
Confirm whether the talk will be online or in person, along with any venue, timing or technical requirements.
4. Confirm the booking
Dan will confirm availability, fees, travel arrangements and the agreed subject in writing.
5. Promote your event
Biography text, photographs and suggested promotional wording can be supplied to help you advertise the talk.
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