Fifty Plus (50+) - Horticulture.

I have just come back from Giving a Talk to a Horticultural group on Alpine Plants. 2nd talk I have given to this group in the last 3 months and they want me back to give another talk before Christmas. Problem is that although they are Gardeners- They are not specialists in any thing- I specialise in Alpines. The first talk was just about the basics of keeping Alpines- and tonights was a bit more specialist- without getting Technical. What the H*ll am I going to talk to them about next time? If I go into my Full Alpine lectures I give to the Alpine Garden Societies- I will bore them to tears.

Then I hit upon it- While I was Climbing Ventoux this year- The wife was taking pictures of the Flora on the Mountain. I can bring in my interest of Cycling and Alpines in one hit. Wonder how many of them will be interested in pictures of me cycling past Gentiana Grandiflora or A picture of Hellebores with the Cycle just shown in the background.

Forget that idea- It would be the same as me me posting pictures of The weeds in my garden on the forum.

You would be surprised what people will find of interest! I would love to see those photos. Have you any photos of bicycles and wild orchids?

And then, combine cycling with birding...that's what I do :) .

East Hill

Yes, pictures, pictures, pictures. Pictures are never boring.

Many years ago I volunteered my sister to give a talk to our Botany Club. She had been working summers in a fire watch tower in the Montana wilderness and loved to take pictures. She gave a slide show of pictures she had taken the previous summer.

One picture was of a helicopter and waterbucket hovering over her watch tower. She explained that lightning had struck her outhouse and set it on fire. So she called it in over the radio telling the dispatcher that her outhouse was on fire. The helicopter came and dumped a bucket of water on it.

Another was of a rather large spider on its web in her tower. She said that the spider had eight legs until after she took the picture, and then it didn't have any legs.

Everybody enjoyed the show, even though there were few references to plants. So, it doesn't matter if what you talk about isn't necessarily botanically related, it just needs to be entertaining...

Well, you know what they say: You can lead a horticulture but...
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Yes, pictures!

I'm sure the people would love to see the pictures. You just might spark an interest in biking for someone, too.