Welcome to the
Hardy Plant Society
The Hardy Plant Society is dedicated to promoting plant knowledge, fostering communities, enhancing well-being, championing the environment, and facilitating research and partnerships. Our members find relaxation, happiness, and joy in gardening.
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Supporting the
Hardy Plant Society
By supporting the HPS, you’re joining a movement that believes in the joy of plants and the goal of sharing that joy as widely as possible. You’re advocating for a charity where knowledge about these amazing organisms is shared, where communities come together over the love of gardening, and where every individual recognises the therapeutic and environmental benefits of plants.
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Why join the
Hardy Plant Society?
The HPS has activities for every plants person and gardener
Meet like-minded individuals
Meet other members in a local group for talks, plant sales and conversation. Most groups meet monthly during the winter, and also organise trips and online events
Learn from others
Members have access to the latest plant articles and news within our two magazines The Hardy Plant and The Newsletter. Members will have full access to our plant library and the option to receive Cornucopia too.
Help our world
Choose to take part in our Conservation Scheme to preserve and propagate less well known plants. Members also benefit from our Seed Distribution Scheme providing access to hundreds of seeds from growers around the country.
Member benefits
As part of the HPS, you will be able to ask for plant advice, attend a talk, go to a plant sale. Members or non-members can apply for bursary funding.
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Discover the Hardy Plant Society
Local Groups
Meet other gardeners at one of our many local groups. Local groups meet regularly and arrange an annual calendar of speakers, visits, plant sales and other activities.
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Special Interest Groups
Our Special Interest Groups provide a way to go deeper into specific plants and species
The Hardy Plant Society
Conservation Scheme
Our national Conservation Scheme aims to identify and preserve some of the plants in danger of being lost. Volunteer members of the scheme grow the plants in a variety of places across the country and report back on how well the plants have grown for them. They also propagate the plants and pass them round so it’s a good way of getting your hands on a rare plant.
The Hardy Plant Society
Official Publications
The HPS produces three periodicals during the year, and has a range of booklets available. Members receive a year's worth of The Journal and the Newsletter as part of their membership. Cornucopia has an additional fee, as do the booklets.
The Hardy Plant
The Hardy Plant is published twice a year and sent free to members, bringing articles from experts such as Bob Brown and Val Bourne. Each edition provides a wealth of knowledge into plants and gardening, with all the content being original and exclusive to the HPS.
The Newsletter
The Newsletter is where all the news within the HPS is published. It is published 3 times a year and includes news for members, events, updates from our President and Chair, articles, competitions and introductions to people to who run the HPS.
Cornucopia
Published twice a year, Cornucopia is a digest of articles from the newsletters of HPS local and specialist groups. Anyone, including non-members, may subscribe.
The Hardy Plant Society
Booklets
The society publishes a series of booklets you can buy to extend your knowledge of your favourite hardy plants. From Border Phlox to Pulmonarias, these booklets provide detailed insights from expert authors. Visit our shop to get yours.
Latest News
New Bursary Report: Community and Conservation in the Kingdom of Bhutan
Fri 24 / Nov / 2023
A new bursary report from Selina Tan and Zoe Roberts from Kew Gardens reports on their trip to Bhutan, partly…
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On a Chalk Hillside – November 2023
Sat 11 / Nov / 2023
As I finished last month talking of bees on beans, here is a shot of the flowers of my Runner…
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Geranium Dreamland
Tue 31 / Oct / 2023
It’s that time of year to rethink the perennial borders. I like to leave as much interest as possible on…
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On a Chalk Hillside – October 2023
Tue 10 / Oct / 2023
This month:- compost experiments; some fruit and vegetable progress; thoughts on pollination techniques. But first following on from last month’s…
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Eco Plant Whisperer – April 2023
Sat 25 / Mar / 2023
Helleborus – Orientalis It’s just not easy to spot an entire Hellebore plant at this time of year that doesn’t…
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On a Chalk Hillside March 2023
Thu 02 / Mar / 2023
Posted on 02.03.2023 | Updated on 03.03.2023 | Added in Sheila May’s Blog Snowdrops It is two years since I…
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