Hello Hardy Planters,

Welcome to our new look email newsletter, giving you a snapshot of what’s going on across the Hardy Plant Society this month. Check out a video message from me, then find out about October’s Hardy Plant Society events (and below) that you can attend and get involved in across the UK, plus read our latest blog posts and news.

The big member deadline this month is 25th October, the last date for submitting your seeds to the Seed Distribution Scheme – find details here.  

This newsletter will be dropping into your inbox on the first of every month so keep an eye out for our next one on November 1st – and let us know if there’s an HPS activity or event we should be mentioning. 
See you next month!

Steve Bustin, Chair HPS

If you prefer to read Steve’s message above, the transcript can be downloaded here.

This well attended event was hosted by the Lincolnshire Group of the Society at Hemswell Court on Saturday 9th September. Interesting and informative talks were given by Peter Williams, Andrew Ward and Nick Hamilton and attendees were able to browse an interesting array of plants for sale, decorative plant supports and an array of prizes on the Lincolnshire groups raffle table. It was a great pleasure to welcome both our President, Roy Lancaster and Vice-President, Val Bourne to the day.

Dates for October

• Copy for the next Newsletter is due by Monday 21st October
• The Autumn Journal 2024 is due for delivery from Friday 25th October
• Members Seed Donations are due by Friday 25th October
• The new Hardy Geraniums Booklet is currently with the printers & will be available to order here soon https://hardy-plant.org.uk/booklets/

New on the website

If you haven’t already please take a look at two new articles from regular contributors Sheila May & Kevin Line:

• On a Chalk Hillside, September – Sheila May
• The White Garden – Kevin Line

Our Horticultural Advice Team handle questions of all sorts, we’ve published many of their previous questions and answers on their page.

We also announced our new Ambassador Rachael de Thame.

Bursary Reports

We also have several new Bursary reports which make interesting reading from recipients of the Kenneth Black Bursary Scheme, all are available to read here: https://hardy-plant.org.uk/bursary-scheme-reports/

Click on a cover below to read more.

 

 

Events at Local and Special Interest Groups

Below is a listing of Local & Special Interest Group Events around the Country. Most are open to guests for a fee. For more details click the link below and check with the organisers of the specific event for more details including the venue location.

• Thu 3rd Oct at 19:30 East Yorkshire group: Growing Mediums- Life after Peat – Julian Davies
• Sat 5th Oct at 14:00 Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire group: A tale of Three Gardens – Troy Scott-Smith
• Sat 5th Oct at 14:30 Northamptonshire group: Plants for Difficult Places- Janette Merilion
• Sat 5th Oct at 14:30 Shropshire group: Fritillarias and Erythroniums – Jim Almond
• Sat 5th Oct at 14:30 Devon group: Peat Free Discussion Session – Bob Brown, Jeremy Wilson, Alistair Griffiths
• Sun 6th Oct at 10:00 Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire group: Autumn Plant Fair
• Mon 7th Oct at 19:30 Cheshire and Friends group: Autumn Bulbs – Zdenek Valkou-Walker
• Tue 8th Oct at 19:30 Rutland group: Seagate- A Growing Story with Irisis – Chris Davey
• Tue 8th Oct at 19:45 Berkshire group: ‘SALVIAS’ – Colin Roberts
• Fri 11th Oct at 19:00 West Yorkshire group: The Cultivation of Agapanthus, Nerines & Associated Plants – Colin Hickman
• Sat 12th Oct at 14:00 Worcestershire group: ‘Designing and Building a Chelsea Show Garden’ by Mark Gregory
• Sat 12th Oct at 14:00 Herefordshire and Mid Wales group: Hostas-Ben Matthews
• Sat 12th Oct at 14:00 Norfolk and Suffolk group: Indispensible Plants – Dr Andrew Ward (Norwell Nursery)
• Sat 12th Oct at 14:00 Wiltshire and Avon group: AGM followed by Andrew Tolman: Glorious gardens—a gardener’s choice
• Sat 12th Oct at 14:30 West Midlands group: Anthony Norman – Plants for Bees in the Garden
• Sun 13th Oct at 14:00 Essex group: ‘Designing with Plants’ – Fergus Garrett
• Mon 14th Oct at 19:30 Cumbria group: A Passion for Perennials – Sarah Hopps
• Tue 15th Oct at 19:30 Clwyd group: ‘A Year in John Massey’s Garden’ – Nigel Hopes
• Thu 17th Oct at 19:30 Galanthus group: Bourne to be a Galanthophile – Val Bourne, HPS Vice-President
• Fri 18th Oct at 19:30 Hampshire group: Colour Less Work – Fact or Fiction – Gillian Taylor
• Sat 19th Oct at 11:00 Somerset group: Paul Cumbleton – ‘A Growing Addiction: Bulbs from the Winter Rainfall Area of South Africa’
• Sat 19th Oct at 14:00 Fenland group: Subject TBC _ Colin Ward
• Sat 19th Oct at 14:00 Derbyshire group: Plant Genetic Engineering. A Simple Introduction – Mike Davey
• Sat 19th Oct at 14:00 South Wales group: Hillview Hardy Plants – Ingrid Millington
• Sat 19th Oct at 14:15 Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire group: A Blaze of Glory — Timothy Walker
• Sun 20th Oct at 14:00 Sussex group: Talk
• Sat 26th Oct at 14:30 Dorset group: ‘My Evolving Garden’ with Sue Kent
• Sun 27th Oct at 14:30 Kent group: Wafters, Wanders and Woodlander – Lynn Moore

Join the Hardy Plant Society

Help us spread the benefits of plants and gardening. Our members tell us they feel relaxation, happiness, satisfaction, calmness and love from plants and gardening. We want to see these benefits reach everyone, and at the same time improve our environment.

Since 1957 we’ve been promoting plants and helping our members adapt to changes in our environment. Entirely member funded, we run a network of local groups around the country and are always looking to start more.

All memberships provide many benefits including

• The option to join any of our local or special interests groups
• Two copies of The Hardy Plant (in full colour, by post)
• Three copies of The Newsletter (in full colour, by post)
• Immediate access to the members area of our website with access to all our news and articles
• Free plant advice through our advisory service
• Participation in the Conservation scheme
• Participation in the Seed Distribution Scheme
• The option to subscribe to Cornucopia for an additional fee