User Rating
You are not logged in. Please login to review this user.
Excellent Instructor
I had the pleasure to attend 3 semesters of LandEscape Landscaping certificate program. I had always gardened as a hobby, but Kirk's enthusiasm, experience and carefree approach to the topic has lit a fire in me to learn more and plant, plant, plant!! Thank you Kirk for being my instructor and becoming my friend.
Williamsburg May 2015 Educational Conference
Kirk is an endearing and brilliant speaker and has developed his characters in a way that I felt I was in the same time period as the historical men he portrayed.
I was fascinated to hear his lecture and the detail of his research and the beauty of his visuals and subject he chose to present.
He engaged with us throughout the conference as we took garden tours and gathered in between meetings.
I would highly recommend him. I hope to be fortunate to hear Kirk Brown again soon.
I was fascinated to hear his lecture and the detail of his research and the beauty of his visuals and subject he chose to present.
He engaged with us throughout the conference as we took garden tours and gathered in between meetings.
I would highly recommend him. I hope to be fortunate to hear Kirk Brown again soon.
Dynamic Speaker
Kirk Brown recently attended the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, the oldest and largest such gathering in the Southeast. His conference-opening performance as Frederick Law Olmsted was spellbinding-- informative and entertaining. He participated fully in the four-day conference, interacting with the diverse range of attendees focused on native plants. Kirk also spoke at the end of the conference, reviewing 400 years of history in the use of native North American plants. He left attendees inspired to go out and continue to encourage gardeners and landscapers to use native plants in a more ecologically sustainable manner.
John Bartram’s Legacy
Kirk Brown recently portrayed John Bartram's legacy founding the colonial American world horticultural trade and his dedication to document North American plants at the Native Plants Conference at Millersville University. Mr. Brown unfolded the tale of Bartram's accomplishments with expert knowledge and wit that helped us to understand our horticultural American roots. Brown also made us realize how important to fuse Bartram's plant knowledge with present-day environmental challenges and landscape design craft. No wonder John Bartram in the person of Kirk Brown brought all of us in the audience to a standing ovation at the end of his presentation. Centuries of intervening time have not caused any of us to lose the perennial passion for plants we share with our early American trail blazers.
Engaging Witty Learned
Kirk as Frederick Law Olmsted presented 150 years of Olmsted in Washington to our state annual meeting on April 11, 2015 at the U.S. National Arboretum. Nobody leaves his programs without learning something, usually a lot. Kirk tailors his programs to the locale. It was the best program yet at a state meeting.
KIRK BROWN
If ever there was a genius who could make history come alive,it is KIRK BROWN.On November 19,2014 The Brooklyn Heights Garden Club hosted an evening with Kirk Brown and Frederick Law Olmsted at the historic Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims.It was a great success, no one nodded off,and everyone stayed to talk with him until the last chairs were removed!
Always in character!
Kirk is one of the most put together and compelling speakers I've watched and would highly recommend.
Taking on a character is no easy feat and he does it effortlessly. It's entertainment, inspiration, and a wonderful history lesson come to life when you hear him speak!
Taking on a character is no easy feat and he does it effortlessly. It's entertainment, inspiration, and a wonderful history lesson come to life when you hear him speak!
Top notch professional speaker.
Let the multiple personalities of storyteller par excellence Kirk Brown carry you back in time through the lives of such renowned horticulturists as John Bartram (The King’s Botanist), Carl Linnaeus (the inventor of our horticultural naming system), Swedish botanist Peter Kalm, and Frederick Law Olmsted who, while most famous for creating New York’s Central Park, also designed numerous other parks and residential communities.
Review of Krik R. Brown
He was absolutely delightful and the members of the Garden Club are still talking about him and how much they enjoyed his program.
Fantastic Presentation!
Kirk's portrayal of John Bartram at our recent Association of Zoological Horticulture conference was fabulous. John delivered a presentation that was tailored towards our audience. Kirk was a pleasure to meet and easy to work with in making arrangements to attend and present. Thank you!
Entertaining History
Let's first say that I am NOT a history buff but Kirk's portrayal of John Bartram at the America in Bloom Symposium in 2014 actually made me want to learn more history. I laughed, I pondered, I was engrossed by the photo presentation and I wanted more. Kirk does a great job at adapting his presentation, information and humor for the audience. Just the overall concept of having a historical figure come to life is a brilliant way to educate and inspire gardeners of all ages and experience levels. Kudos Kirk!
Perfect
John Bartram was very inspiring and entertaining! He was perfect to open the Association of Zoological Horticulture Annual Conference. His traveling companion Kirk was a pleasure as well.
Many Hats, One FAB presenter!
Kirk came to the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course as our keynote and class room presenter. Well actually, John Bartram came as the keynote and Kirk appeared for 2 other talks. Our Board president, said John (aka Kirk) was the BEST keynote he has heard, and folks in Kirk's sessions were wowed as well. This comment sums them all up: "Eloquent and instructional." You'll get your money's worth with this speaker who wears many hats (and costumes) and is a great educator for pros or consumers alike. Well done, Mr. Brown!
John Bartram Lives!
Great presentation of historical facts and in a fun way... great for all tree huggers and professionals!
More than we could have hoped for!
John Bartram came to Madison, WI to talk to 150 members of the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society. What a fascinating and captivating way to present the life of one of America's most significant horticulturists - and the emphasis on sustainability was a pleasant message. Possibly the most fun we have had at a speaker meeting. There were 20-30 minutes of questions at the end and people were still so mesmorized that not one person left until the very end. As one attendee emailed me later "His presentation was, I thought, perfect;educational, entertaining and historical. I loved it all." Our highest recommendation!!!!!!!
Amazing and Eye-Opening Experience
I had the pleasure of seeing Kirk (in character as gardening great John Bertram) at the Direct Gardener's Association meeting this year in Chicago.
John captured the audience's attention from the moment he started and for a full hour he had us in the palm of his hands.
Spectacularly scripted and phenomenally performed. I want to see him again!
Thanks John (ok, Kirk) for an informative, fun and inspiring session!
John captured the audience's attention from the moment he started and for a full hour he had us in the palm of his hands.
Spectacularly scripted and phenomenally performed. I want to see him again!
Thanks John (ok, Kirk) for an informative, fun and inspiring session!
Engaging and Delightful Speaker
As Kirk has said to me "John usually gets all of the credit." I've seen Kirk as John Bartram, but this time I watched Kirk speaking as Kirk about the business of speaking.
While Kirk's "in character" presentations are amazing--well researched, funny, engaging--so are his presentations as himself. Kirk is a smart speaker, has great pacing and information, and, most unusually, creates a new talk for EVERY SINGLE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT. That's incredibly special. Most people only slightly adjust their talks to fit the audience, but Kirk creates a special talk just for your group. I highly recommend him.
While Kirk's "in character" presentations are amazing--well researched, funny, engaging--so are his presentations as himself. Kirk is a smart speaker, has great pacing and information, and, most unusually, creates a new talk for EVERY SINGLE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT. That's incredibly special. Most people only slightly adjust their talks to fit the audience, but Kirk creates a special talk just for your group. I highly recommend him.
The Business of Speaking, Distinguished Panelist
In a potentially deadly panel on the business end of public speaking, Kirk kept the audience in stitches with stories from his experience and escapades. The content was strong, and we were on the edge of our seats from the sheer hilarity of it all. He made my day!
Good job!
I heard Kirk Brown present his John Bartram talk in Chicago at the annual DGA conference. The first role of any presenter is to understand his audience. Kirk certainly did that...and with lot's of gusto! He kept us attentive throughout his talk sensitively mixing humor and insightful historical references to his subject. His strong visual presentation kept us hooked on his every word as he demonstrated an "old-world" like program with his captivating slides and a costume that each of us in the audience adored! Plain and simple (as his Bartram character attested to in his life), Kirk Brown is a very good speaker that will entertain and educate any size garden group.
Great DGA presentation
Kirk, a.k.a. John, hit a home run for us at our recent Chicago conference. It was more a performance than a presentation - in all the best sence.
In a class all his own
I've been privileged to witness Kirk all his glory (no, he didn't disrobe) at the annual Garden Writers Association symposia for the past few years. The man is a force of nature with the rare gift of being able to captivate his audience while delivering solid information -- I call it tools for my tool belt. You can't go wrong with a speaker like Kirk.
Kirk’s presentation at the Garden Writer symposium
Kirk's strong point as a speaker is his ability to keep the audience engaged in the topic with his enthusiastic delivery and mastery of visual presentations. Kirk passes on information in a fun manner so everyone leaves feeling they have spent their time wisely and learned in the process.
Top Marks
In July of 2012, I lead a group 33 South Carolina gardeners on a visit to Bartram’s Garden and other horticultural points of interest in the Delaware Valley. Kirk, as John Bartram, joined us for our first dinner and presented a program on John’s work and influence, as well as his garden, home and family life. Simply put, it was a magical evening. The program–part horticulture, part history and part theater–was mesmerizing. It set the tone for our garden adventures yet to come, and it provided important background information and historical perspective for our journey.
On a more practical level, I would also like to say what a pleasure it was to work with Kirk. As a speaker coordinator for many educational gardening programs in the Upstate of SC, I have no hesitation in recommending Kirk as a speaker. He was easy to reach and responded promptly to all requests, he was knowledgeable and well prepared, and he was enthusiastic and engaging with his audience. Kirk got top marks in my book and I look forward to working with him again in the future.
On a more practical level, I would also like to say what a pleasure it was to work with Kirk. As a speaker coordinator for many educational gardening programs in the Upstate of SC, I have no hesitation in recommending Kirk as a speaker. He was easy to reach and responded promptly to all requests, he was knowledgeable and well prepared, and he was enthusiastic and engaging with his audience. Kirk got top marks in my book and I look forward to working with him again in the future.