Conservation Scheme

In the HPS Conservation Scheme we keep garden worthy plants from disappearing. We create a living library of plants for the future, conserving plants which have merit and are deserving of a place in our gardens. We preserve the work of plant breeders to retain wonderful plants in cultivation.

Open ‘Organisation’ to see how the scheme works, or ‘Aims and Benefits’ to see what our goals are. The ‘Successes’ section lists the cultivars that are now more widely available, thanks to the scheme.

If you would like to get involved with the HPS Conservation Scheme, you can contact the national Co-ordinator using the email form under ‘Get Involved’.

To see the plants we are currently working on simply scroll down to the Conservation Plant List which follows.

There is a national Conservation Co-ordinator who oversees the scheme. Local HPS groups have their own co-ordinators who organise a team of Conservation growers within the group. It is also possible to participate as an individual for members who do not belong to a local HPS group.

Plants are exchanged at a national meeting once a year, usually held in the autumn. This is a meeting of all the local group co-ordinators who report on their plants and evaluate the list of current plants in the scheme.

Plants are chosen for the scheme based on their availability to gardeners. We use the RHS Plant Finder to see how many nurseries list a particular plant. If there are four or fewer nurseries, the plant is a candidate for the scheme. Anyone can suggest a plant if they know of, or grow something special that is not readily available from nurseries.

HPS members who participate in the Conservation Scheme,

Grow plants from the active Conservation Scheme list
Propagate one or more plants to share with other scheme participants
Observe and report back any interesting information or growing tips
Suggest possible plants to add to the scheme

Aims

The Constitution of the Hardy Plant Society includes several charitable objects which are fulfilled by the Aims of the Conservation Scheme. These are to:

identify perennial plants in need of conservation. Usually, this means plants which have fewer than four entries in the RHS Plant Finder, or those deemed worth preserving but not in the Plant Finder at all.
assess whether the plants identified are truly good garden plants
identify growing conditions which encourage the plants to thrive in different parts of the country.
identify suitable propagation techniques for the plants.
propagate and distribute conserved plants to other HPS members, national plant collection-holders and nurseries
provide an educational and research facility through the HPS website, including images and information which can be readily accessed by the public and HPS members.
raise awareness of the work of the HPS Conservation Scheme

Benefits for local groups and individuals

Local groups and individual members have the opportunity to:

engage in an interesting, sometimes challenging, but rewarding activity.
acquire, grow and propagate scarce plants from HPS members in all areas.
learn more about specific plants by research, group discussions and by practical propagation.
do something practical to maintain the bio-diversity of perennial plants.
distribute knowledge and information acquired to the wider public.

These are the plants that we have successfully increased and made more widely available. They are listed for sale by four or more nurseries on their websites or in the RHS Plant Finder. Not all plants will pass the scrutiny of Conservation Scheme growers, being too difficult to maintain, too slow to increase, or surpassed by more recent cultivars.

P004	Aster amellus 'Veilchenkonigin' (Violet Queen)
P092	Campanula makaschvilii
P132	Chrysanthemum 'Apollo'
P217	Chrysanthemum 'Beechcroft'
P158	Chrysanthemum 'Chelsea Physic Garden'
P011	Chrysanthemum 'Cottage Apricot'
P187	Chrysanthemum 'Duchess of Edinburgh'
P165	Chrysanthemum 'Dulwich Pink' AGM
P214	Chrysanthemum 'E.H. Wilson'
P166	Chrysanthemum 'Early Yellow'
P013	Chrysanthemum 'Goldengreenheart'
P130	Chrysanthemum 'Ruby Mound'
P101	Chrysanthemum 'Vagabond Prince'
P107	Digitalis obscura
P029	Euphorbia stygiana
P155	Geranium x oxonianum 'Trevor's White'
P041	Hemerocallis fulva 'Variegated Kwanso'
P185	Hesperantha 'Cindy Towe'
P173	Heuchera 'Brownfinch'
P105	Iris x robusta 'Dark Aura' AGM
P064	Lychnis coronaria 'Gardeners' World'
P117	Moltkia doerfleri
P124	Origanum 'Bristol Cross' AGM
P095	Primula 'Lady Greer'
P085	Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Loofahsa Wheaten Gold'
P163	Zantedeschia 'Glen Coe'

The Conservation Scheme is open to any HPS member as an individual or as part of a local group. If you are interested and want to find out more, get in touch with the National Co-ordinator Sally Adams at conservation@hardy-plant.org.uk , or use the handy contact form below.

Send us a message

Group	Co-ordinator
Berkshire	Rachel Shields
Cambs. and Beds.	Peter Johnson
Cheshire and Friends	David Race
Derbyshire	Nigel Parkes-Rolfe
Dorset	Penny Cleaver
Essex	Sally Adams
Hereford and Mid Wales	Liz O'Rourke
Lincolnshire	Heather Farquar
Middlesex	Philippa May
Norfolk and Suffolk	Chris Davies
Nottingham	Erika Lax
Somerset	Caroline Reeves
South Pennine	Janet Boulding
Southern Counties	Cathy Rollinson
Staffordshire	Clive Plant
West Yorkshire	Jill Lister
Western counties	Jan Vaughan
Worcestershire	Kathryn Elrick Smith