At last, it feels as though spring has properly arrived, with tulips beginning to brighten the beds and a touch of milder weather in the air. I hope you’re enjoying the seasonal shift too—it may not be truly warm just yet, but it’s certainly a welcome change and a promise of the months ahead.
There’s plenty to look forward to this April. Your spring edition of the journal should be landing on doormats any day now, packed with inspiring features on planting, gardens, and horticulture, along with book reviews and more. A heartfelt thank you goes to Carolyn White for her fantastic work shaping the journal’s fresh new look, and a warm welcome to Drew, who will be taking over as editor from the summer issue. Keep an eye out as well for the next issue of Cornucopia, arriving soon—a wonderful collection of writing from across local and special interest groups, offering insight, inspiration, and perhaps even a new avenue to explore.
It’s also been a significant month for the Society, with the successful transition to charitable status as a CIO—an important step that strengthens our future while leaving members’ experience unchanged. Alongside this, there are events, visits, and opportunities to get involved, from talks and group gatherings to volunteering with the seed distribution scheme. As the season unfolds, I hope you’ll take time to enjoy your gardens, connect with fellow enthusiasts, and make the most of everything April has to offer—I look forward to catching up again in May.
Steve Bustin, Chair HPS
If you prefer to read Steve's message in the video, the transcript can be downloaded here.
Horticultural Advice
As you will know, we have a team of horticultural experts ready to answer any plant or garden related question you may have – a service that is included in your membership. All the questions and answers can be found on the website and here are a couple of recent questions – click on the button to visit the website to read the answer.
Q1: How to overwinter tender things when conditions are cold and wet without getting horrible tops on the pots? I am guessing good ventilation and maybe grit or wood chips on top. They always look so good in nurseries but mine get green growth on the top or moss. I am lucky enough to have two tunnels one I use solely for rearing things with a 8 x 4 heat bench.
Q2: Any ideas please as to what this might be? Appeared almost overnight soft to the touch.
Q3: At this time of year, I see thousands of daffodils flowering on roadsides, through grass, in borders, hedgerows, etc. Not one in my garden in spite of planting hundreds of bulbs over the years. Any bulbs I plant flower the first year and then are usually never seen again, mostly no leaves either. All have been so-called reliable varieties (tete-a-tete, jetfire, etc).
The picture shows a clump of rijnfelds early sensation narcissus. It’s at least 20 years old and, apart from its first year, never flowered. It’s in a mixed herbaceous border along with repeat flowering tulips, alliums, etc which are thriving.
The leaves show that they’re not overcrowded or diseased but at least there is evidence of bulbs. Any ideas what’s going on?
Q4: Please can you tell me where I may be able to purchase a Phormium Dazzler. I have been trying for a couple of years without any success.
Help Needed
We are looking for volunteers to help with Seed Identification.
Seed Identification:
We need someone to take part in our annual seed distribution who loves to look at seeds. Whilst we have lots of photos of seeds in our image library, we need help to research and label seeds as they are sent in by members. The role includes investigating things such as:
- What sort of plant it is e.g. hardy perennial etc
- A brief description of it and its growing conditions
- When and how to sow
- Its hardiness rating
- Family name
- Origin e.g. country/region or garden if a cultivar
- The RHS number and whether the plant name is accepted or it may be unresolved or a trade name etc
- Whether the seed or plant is poisonous
If you might consider helping with this role please contact Diane Puncheon using her email address.
New on the website
If you haven't already please take a look at a new articles from our contributors:
On a Chalk Hillside – March 2026
Let’s hope March is not as wet as January and February have been, and that the light levels each day are better. The flooding in the valley below us in February was as extensive as I have ever seen it, and being groundwater flooding will take a long time to dissipate through the chalk aquifer.
Trachycarpus fortunei, an Indicator Species
Although not a (hardy perennial) in the true sense, nevertheless less an indicator species for Climate change and how this may affect certain other trees, shrubs, and perennials, and how we as Gardeners adapt to these changes in our choice of planting, approach, and techniques. This depends on the variation in soil, aspect, in relation to the UK location.
Primula elatior
Primula elatior, family: Primulaceae (Oxlip) closely related to Primula veris (Cowslip) thrives in nutrient – poor calcium rich soil, its wild setting being that of damp woods and meadows. The True Oxlip, being a native wildflower in the UK, widespread throughout Europe, particularly confined in the UK within East Anglia.
Volunteering Experience in Aotearoa
In the context of climate change, it is important to anticipate the future of changing environments and growing conditions, be it for edible or ornamental production. Aotearoa, New Zealand is an excellent example of conservation, and biosecurity success is present everyday through the resurgence of native and endemic flora, fauna, and fungi species.
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.
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.
- Wed 1st Apr at 19:30 South Pennine group: Dean Charlton, Hootons Walled Nursery: “The journey of Hooton’s Walled Garden Nursery.”
- Thu 2nd Apr at 19:30 East Yorkshire group: Plant Portraits: Treasures from the HPS Special Interest Groups – Peter Williams
- Sat 4th Apr at 14:00 Hertfordshire group: Success in Sand – How to Grow Tricky Plants Easily – Dr Andrew Ward
- Sat 4th Apr at 14:30 Devon group: Roses, My Journey to and from Work – Micky Little
- Sat 4th Apr at 14:30 Shropshire group: Creating a Jungle Garden in the UK – David Hurrion
- Fri 10th Apr at 19:30 West Yorkshire group: The making of my garden over 28 years – Prof. Ann Mortimer
- Fri 10th Apr at 19:30 Nottingham group: Glorious Gardens – Bridget Blair
- Sat 11th Apr at 11:00 Somerset group: Where Does it Come Lecture From and Why? – Andrew Pitman
- Sat 11th Apr at 14:00 Northamptonshire group: Flower Power Plus Plus Plus! – Don Witton
- Sat 11th Apr at 14:00 Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire group: A Year at Spring Cottage – Val Bourne
- Sat 11th Apr at 14:00 Worcestershire group: The Principles of Organic Gardening – Garden Organic
- Sat 11th Apr at 14:00 Herefordshire and Mid Wales group: Bearded Iris – Jill Whitehead
- Mon 13th Apr at 19:30 Cheshire and Friends group: Wildlife in the Garden – Kathryn Robey (Curator of the Dorothy Clive Garden)
- Mon 13th Apr at 19:30 Middlesex group: Hardy Perennial Garden Plants – Graham Spencer
- Tue 14th Apr at 19:15 Berkshire group: A Brief History of Pleasure Gardens: from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the National Trust – Steve Bustin
- Tue 14th Apr at 19:30 Clwyd group: What have plants done for Us? – Tracy Foster What have plants done for Us? – Tracy Foster
- Tue 14th Apr at 19:30 Rutland group: Fairview Throughout the Year – Michael Myers
- Fri 17th Apr at 19:30 Staffordshire group: The Cultivation & Propagation of Agapanthus, Nerines & Associated Plants -Colin Hickman
- Fri 17th Apr at 19:30 Hampshire group: National Plant Collections, Asclepias, Calycanthus, Roscoea and Rubus- Barry Clarke
- Sat 18th Apr at 9:00 Pulmonaria group: Pulmonaria Day
- Sat 18th Apr at 9:00 South Wales group: Trip to Pan Global Plants & Batsford Arboretum
- Sat 18th Apr at 10:00 Somerset group: Plant Fair
- Sat 18th Apr at 10:00 Southern Counties group: Hever Castle and its Roses – Neil Miller
- Sat 18th Apr at 14:15 Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire group: Trees and People – Joyn Tyler
- Sun 19th Apr at 14:00 Sussex group: Talk Title TBC – Kevin Hughes
- Sun 19th Apr at 14:00 Essex group: Success in Sand – Andrew Ward
- Mon 20th Apr at 19:30 North West group: The Perfumed Garden – Karl Shorrock
- Sat 25th Apr at 9:00 Scottish and Northern Borders group: Old Farm Cottage and Beeches Cottage Nursery Lanarkshire
- Sat 25th Apr at 10:00 Somerset group: Plant Sale
- Sat 25th Apr at 10:00 South Wales group: Members’ Plant Sale at Physic Garden, Cowbridge
- Sat 25th Apr at 13:45 Western Counties group: Clematis: The Great Social Climbers! – Marcel Floyd
- Sat 25th Apr at 14:00 Wiltshire and Avon group: “Kiftsgate Court Gardens: Three Generations of Women Gardeners” by Vanessa Berridge
- Sun 26th Apr at 14:30 Kent group: Mediterranean Gardening – Lessons from Delos – Richard Gravett.
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
- Three copies of The Hardy Plant (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
New member benefits
All members get a range of discount codes from a variety of firms, you can see all of them on this benefits page, which include brands such as:
Thank you for reading!
