- DURATION 60 mins
Event Description
Did you know that the spider plant is a cousin of asparagus, 'lucky bamboo' is neither lucky nor a bamboo?!
Join author and educator Michael Holland for a short journey through a history of houseplants before zooming into the backstories of a selection of favourites and oddities. Explore their strategies for survival in the wild, their ecology, taxonomy, etymology and folklore.
- Duration: 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Michael Holland, FLS biog.
Michael studied Ecology at Lancaster and Oregon State Universities and is a keen photographer, wildlife gardener and all-round composting nerd! Michael had a 25-year career at the eminent Chelsea Physic Garden in London, latterly as Head of Education for over 17 years. He has taught tens of thousands of people, aged 2 to 92, about the natural world. He is both a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and of the London Environmental Educators’ Forum (LEEF) and is on the Education Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. He has spoken at a number of global conferences; a highlight being invited to lecture at a botanical garden in Japan.
He has appeared on a number of television and radio shows and podcasts about plants and history (including Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Channel 5’s ‘The Thames: Britain’s Great River’ series with Tony Robinson and Mr Plant Geek’s Plant-Based Podcast to name a few).
He's written three books:'I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast' (a colourful compendium of plants and ethnobotany), 'Smart Animals' (about intelligence in the animal kingdom) and 'A Jungle In Your Living Room - a guide to creating your own houseplant collection'; and has written numerous articles for BBC Gardeners' World online.
www.growingunderstandings.co.uk @pond_dipper
More Information
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