The HPS in May 2025: News and Events

Hello Hardy Planters,

I’m not quite tip-toeing through the tulips in my video this month but instead am enjoying the display of Rembrandt tulips in my back garden. I don’t normally like random mixes of colours (usually preferring a more…let’s say considered combination!) but this year I’ve made an exception and the results have been joyous.

Excuse my croaky voice but do take a watch to find out about some of the exciting HPS events coming up, including the chance to meet some of your HPS colleagues if you’re lucky enough to be visiting the Chelsea Flower Show this month.

There’s also news about opportunities to get involved in the HPS and a tease of an event that will hopefully be coming up later this year in conjunction with the Hardy Plant Society in Oregon, USA – and check out our list below of other Hardy Plant Societies around the world – we’re clearly not the only country with a passion for hardy perennial plants!

Also check out your chance to buy our excellent HPS books before a price rise in a few weeks time. 

See you in June,

Steve Bustin, Chair HPS

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

Links within the video:

• Ranunculaecae AGM

Seed Donations Now Open

It’s not too early to be thinking about collecting seed for the Seed Distribution Scheme. From now until the closing date on October 24th, seed receivers will be working to process the  donations that will be offered to members in the seed list in November.

Please support this benefit that  the society offers and share with other members the opportunity to grow the plants which give you pleasure. Many unusual varieties have been donated over the years and those who purchase seed have the opportunity to grow plants which have enriched their gardens for many years.

Instructions about how to donate and where to send your seed are on the website. If you have any queries or difficulties please do not hesitate to get in touch seed@hardy-plant.org.uk

Diane Puncheon, Seed Distribution Scheme Postholder

P.S. For advice on how to save seeds, check out the valuable and timely feature on seed saving from our Vice-President, Val Bourne, in the new copy of The Hardy Plant journal.

HPS Plant Books: Buy now before prices rise

How many of the eight specialist HPS plant books do you already have on your shelves? Perhaps you already use them as handy reference guides on choosing and growing some of your favourite plants?  All eight books are written by acknowledged experts and illustrated with photographs and diagrams to explain everything from botany to propagation and are a must for any serious gardener. They make great gifts for your gardening friends and family, too!

There are eight books in the series covering Hardy Geraniums (in a new edition published last year), Euphorbias, Hardy Garden Chrysanthemums, Ferns, Pulmonarias, Peonies, Galanthus and Border Phlox.

Unfortunately because of the sharply rising costs of paper and printing we’ve been losing money on the books for some years so from 1st July the price per copy will have to rise to £10 for members and £12 for non-members – but we wanted to give you the chance to complete your collection of these wonderful publications at the old price of £5.50 plus P&P.  

To order visit www.hardy-plant.org.uk/booklets but you will need to submit your order before 30th June to secure the old price. 

Annual Lecture Day and AGM

The 2025 Hardy Plant Society Annual General Meeting and Lecture Day is to be hosted this year by the Derbyshire Group and will take place on September 13th at the Eastwood Hall conference centre. 

There will be talks including:

• Val Bourne ‘Colour in the Garden, Practical Garden Recipes That Work from Season to Season’
• Troy Scott Smith ‘Gardening Through the Seasons’
• Steve Bustin ‘Trowel and Error: Creating a city garden, one mistake at a time’

There will also be plant stalls from:

• Potterton’s Nursery (www.pottertons.co.uk)
• Morton Nursery (www.morton-nurseries.co.uk)
• Bridge Farm Plants (Facebook page)
• The Derbyshire HPS Group
• Piecemeal plants (http://www.piecemealplants.co.uk/)
• Wildgoose Nursery (https://www.wildegoosenursery.co.uk/)

And also tables for our special interest groups

• Galanthus
• Peony
• Pulmonaria
• Shade and Woodland
• Variegated
• Conservation Scheme

Click the button below for more details of the event, speakers & locations. Scroll down for links to the booking forms and get your ticket now!

Would you like to get more involved with the HPS and bring your time and talents to bear on the future of the Society? We currently have a number of roles open and are looking for people who might like to come onboard and join our large team of much-valued volunteers.

It’s a great way to meet new Hardy Planters, expand your own knowledge and experience and help the Society to thrive. In the last few months we’ve welcomed a new Social Media Postholder, Marina Lindl, a new Publications Postholder, Carolyn White and new Publicity & PR postholder Gilly Jenks. 

We need a new editor for Seedlings

Hopefully you’ve been enjoying Seedlings, our three-times a year print newsletter that rounds up all the news from across the Hardy Plant Society plus features, competitions and expert articles.

Our current editor, Sarah Probert, has decided to step down from the role as she’s been offered an opportunity she can’t turn down, so we’re now looking to replace her in time to produce the November edition. Sarah will give the new editor a thorough briefing on how she brings together the issue and the new incumbent will be fully supported by the HPS team.  

This role would suit someone who enjoys being across everything the HPS is up to and enjoys writing and editing copy. They’ll need an eye for detail and accuracy and obviously a passion for hardy plants!

This role is at the heart of the Hardy Plant Society and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new editor. If you think this could be you, please drop Steve Bustin a mail on chair@hardy-plant.org.uk for more details. 

Journal Editor

We are re-advertising this role as Souren Ala, our current editor, has indicated that he’d like to mentor his replacement in the production of the Autumn 2025 issue. This role needs some journalistic/editorial experience and good horticultural knowledge to commission the right writers to write on the right topics to maintain the journal’s excellent reputation for in-depth botany and horticulture features.

If you would like more details on any of these roles or to have a chat about what might be involved, please contact our Chair, Steve Bustin, on chair@hardy-plant.org.uk. We are also very happy to look at people sharing roles as a ‘job share’ to help spread the workload, if you’d be interested in taking on the role with a friend. 

If you haven’t already please take a look at a new articles from our  contributors:

• Kevin Line: Spring at Lakeside Garden
• Sheila May: On a Chalk Hillside for April 2025

We always want to hear from anyone who can write about plants and gardening. If you have something you’d like to see published, please get in touch.

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.

• Sat 3rd May at 10:00 South Wales group: Members’ Plant Sale at Cowbridge Physic Garden
• Sat 3rd May at 14:00 Northamptonshire group: Toxic Trees, Poisonous Perennials & Wicked Weeds – Alison Foster
• Sat 3rd May at 14:30 Devon group: Tropical Gardening in North Devon – Steve and Dawn Morgan
• Sat 3rd May at 14:30 Shropshire group: A 12 Month Garden – Geoff Hodge
• Wed 7th May at 19:30 South Pennine group: Modern Gardening Myths – Ken Thompson
• Thu 8th May at 9:00 Lincolnshire group: Coach Excursion to RHS Harlow Carr.
• Thu 8th May at 19:30 East Yorkshire group: Hunting Brook Gardens – Jimi Blake (keynote speaker)
• Fri 9th May at 10:00 West Yorkshire group: Plant Auction & Sale
• Sat 10th May at 10:00 Lincolnshire group: Annual Plant Fair
• Sat 10th May at 14:00 Worcestershire group: From Grey to Green: Transforming Coventry University Campus – Jamie Whitehouse
• Sat 10th May at 14:30 Monmouthshire group: Bomb-Proof Roses – Val Bourne (HPS Vice-President)
• Sun 11th May at 10:00 Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire group: Grand Plant Sale
• Sun 11th May at 10:00 Sussex group: Plant Fair – Group Stall
• Mon 12th May at 19:30 Cheshire and Friends group: Scented Plants – Marguerite Hughes
• Tue 13th May at 15:00 Cumbria group: Visit to Farleton Nursery
• Tue 13th May at 19:30 Clwyd group: National Collection of Verbena & Exhibiting at the RHS Tatton Show – Tracy Jones
• Fri 16th May at 10:30 Sussex group: Talking Plants MEMBERS ONLY
• Sat 17th May at 10:00 West Midlands group: Plant Sale
• Sat 17th May at 11:00 Derbyshire group: Plant Fair
• Sat 17th May at 11:00 Northamptonshire group: Plant Stall at Moulton Festival – Northamptonshire
• Sat 17th May at 13:30 Berkshire group: Plant Sale
• Sat 17th May at 13:30 Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire group: Plant Sale followed by My Greenhouse Year – Gillian Taylor
• Sat 17th May at 14:00 Wiltshire and Avon group: Green with Envy – are Green Walls all they are Cracked up to be – Charlotte Holmes
• Sat 17th May at 14:30 Fenland group: Restoration and maintenance of Ramsey Walled Garden – Jane Sills
• Sat 17th May at 14:30 Dorset group: Annual Plant Fair
• Sun 18th May at 10:00 Staffordshire group: Annual Plant Sale
• Sun 18th May at 11:15 Clwyd group: Plant Fair
• Mon 19th May at 19:15 North East group: Gardener’s Question Time – Members’ Panel
• Mon 19th May at 19:30 North West group: Cottage Gardens – Graham Iddon
• Mon 19th May at 19:30 Cumbria group: Blooming Marvellous, a year of Cumbria in Bloom – Shelagh Todd
• Sun 25th May at 10:30 Rutland group: Plant Sale
• Fri 30th May at 14:00 Salisbury Plain Mini-Group group: Heavenly Hostas – John Baker
• Sat 31st May at 9:00 Hardy Geraniums group: Hardy Geranium Day & AGM – NOW SOLD OUT
• Sat 31st May at 12:00 Shropshire group: Annual Plant Fair
• Sat 31st May at 13:45 Western Counties group: Do Your Roots Need Doing? – Andrew Mikolajski

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

Thank you for reading!