Hello Hardy Planters,

Welcome to November’s newsletter, giving you a snapshot of what’s going on across the Hardy Plant Society this month. Check out my video video message below, then find out about November’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.

This newsletter will be dropping into your inbox on the first of every month so keep an eye out for our next one – 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.

Gift Aid

As most of you will know, Gift Aid is a UK government initiative that allows registered charities, such as the Hardy Plant Society (HPS), to claim tax relief on the donations they receive.  It’s based on the assumption that most people donate to charity (your HPS subscription is treated as a donation) after they have already paid tax on their income. Through Gift Aid, charities can claim back your tax (at a rate of 25%) from HM Revenue and Customs.  However, in order to allow HPS to claim Gift Aid on your subscription, you need to opt in – we cannot claim it automatically.

Gift Aid is a very important source of income for the HPS amounting to just over £10,000 a year.  So, a big ‘thank you’ to those of you who have already signed up.  If you’re uncertain about whether you have already opted in, please contact Clare in the Office to check using the contact form here. If you haven’t signed up, and are a UK taxpayer, please consider doing so. 

There are three ways to opt-in for Gift Aid:

1. If you buy or renew your membership online, there is a box at checkout
2. Let us know by filling in this online Gift Aid Form
3. Or download, print and return this form by post

One final point.  If you have signed up in the past, but have ceased to pay tax, you must let us know and we will remove you from the list. All our contact details are on this page.

Stuart Senior, Honorary Treasurer

Plant renaming

Our website has an extensive library of plant and seed photos, which are interlinked with the articles and journals we publish. You can browse plants, see what else is in their genus or family, and see what we’ve written about them, it’s easy to get carried away with exploration.

We recently applied name corrections to 6,600 plants in the library, as part of an on-going project to ensure we reflect the latest naming changes. Many of those were minor corrections, but some reflect significant changes to their name or genus. The plant photos show a “Renamed” banner in the top right, and a drop-down menu enables you to find this smaller group of around 400 plants.

If you have high quality plant photos that you could donate to the society, please get in touch with Alan Lennox our postholder for the plant library.

Seed Distribution Scheme

When you plant a seed and see the first signs of green life, you have unlocked a wealth of potential. Experience the joy and sense of achievement that comes from the successful germination of your seed.

Support your society, the seed distribution scheme and its volunteers by ordering seed from this season’s selection available soon. The list will be available on the website as well as the paper copy in your newsletter. Remember that the earlier your order is in at the office, the better chance you have of receiving your first choice.

The updated seed list display will include three ways to get more information,

1. A link to the main information page in the Plant Library,
2. A link to search Google and
3. A link to search The RHS Plant Finder

Between these three you are able to make an informed choice about which seeds will suit your garden.

Orders must be received by 9am on January 6th 2025. Online ordering will begin once the Newsletter is on your doormats, via https://hardy-plant.org.uk/seed/ – we will alert members by email.

Diane Puncheon, Postholder (Seed Distribution Scheme)

Garden Survey

Coming Soon – the HPS Garden Survey Just to let you know that that the HPS is going to be asking about your plant preferences. We’re interested to hear about those plants you love, those you wouldn’t give garden room to and those you’d love to have – but have never been able to grow. We are also interested in hearing about your plant experiences in our changing climate and on using peat-free compost. We will be using your thoughts and opinions to help gardeners across the UK make better decisions when picking plants to grow in their gardens.

The link will be in the newsletter and sent out via an HPS email to you in mid-November so please look out for it.

Ann Franks, Trustee and Publicity Postholder

HPS Newsletter

Keep an eye out this month for the latest edition of the HPS newsletter arriving through your doors. The publication has a new name – Seedlings! Keeping you informed of what’s been happening in and around the Society since June including interviews, competitions and book giveaways.

Sarah Probert, Postholder (Newsletter Editor)

Photo Competition

Grab your cameras and start snapping away! The deadline for entries for this year’s Photo Competition is Monday 9th December. You’ve got a whole month to give it your best shot. More details of how to enter, and the prizes waiting to be won can be found here: https://hardy-plant.org.uk/photo-competition/

Previous winners can be seen in their full glory on our photography page.

Alan Lennox, Postholder (Photography Competition)

Vacancies

Can you help?

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.

We are currently looking for people to take on the following roles:

1.     Social Media Postholder

This role involves overseeing much of the HPS social media activity (with support from our central team); advising the Board on what is (and isn’t) doing well on our social media accounts; generating relevant content and engaging with our followers and commenting on other people’s posts. Some experience on Facebook, Instagram etc would be very useful but training can also be given.

2.     Publications Postholder

This postholder looks after our range of publications including our 10 plant specific booklets (ensuring stock levels, advising when updates are needed and potentially commissioning new booklets) and also coordinates between those involved in all aspects of the production of our 3 periodicals (The Hardy Plant journal, this newsletter and Cornucopia).

3.     Journal Editor

Our Journal editor, Souren Ala, has indicated that he’d like to step away from the role, although he has kindly agreed to stay in place for up to a year (2 issues) to help train and mentor his replacement. 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. This role comes with a small stipend to reflect the fact that the editor is also responsible for selling advertising in the Journal.

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.

Renewals and Subscriptions

The Hardy Plant Society now operates a rolling membership policy so if you renewed or joined after January 2024 your subscription will be due from the date you joined or renewed. This information can be found when you login to your account on the website. Note: If you pay by standing order your subscription will continue to run from 1^st January – 31^st December each year.

2025 Subscription Rates

• Single UK & Overseas Subscription £17
• Joint UK & Overseas Subscription   £19
• For airmail Postage outside of Europe please add £10
• Student Subscription £10 (you must be a current horticultural student)
• Cornucopia Subscription £3.50 (UK) £5.00 (Overseas)

Further details of renewal methods can be found in the November issue of the newsletter or by contacting Clare in the office.

Cornucopia

Cornucopia, published twice a year, is a digest of articles edited by Clare Foggett, from the newsletters of HPS local and specialist groups.  

Anyone, including non-members, may subscribe using via our online shop.  A subscription is £5.50 for the public, £3.50 for HPS members in the UK and £5.00 for HPS members outside the UK. 

Members, if you do not pay via the website please add £3.50 (or £5 outside UK) to your membership subscription payment.

New on the website

If you haven’t already please take a look at a new article from regular contributors Sheila May, https://hardy-plant.org.uk/on-a-chalk-hillside-october-2024/

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

Bursary Reports

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

Click on a cover below to read.

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.

• Sat 2nd Nov at 0:00 Northamptonshire group: After the Rain, Snow & Drought – What Next for the Gardener – Howard Drury
• Sat 2nd Nov at 14:00 Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire group: The Swiss Garden: Restoration of a Regency Garden – Corinne Price
• Sat 2nd Nov at 14:30 Shropshire group: Old Roses or Delos or Good Gardening – Troy Scott Smith
• Sat 2nd Nov at 14:30 Devon group: Roscoea – Samantha Hopes
• Mon 4th Nov at 19:30 Cheshire and Friends group: Flower Power – Maureen Sawyer
• Mon 4th Nov at 19:30 Galanthus group: Roadmap to Galanthia – Gerard van Buiten
• Wed 6th Nov at 19:30 South Pennine group: “Where do they Come from?” A Look at Some Plant Origins – Trish Kohn
• Thu 7th Nov at 19:30 East Yorkshire group: Burton Agnes Gardens – Jeremy Palmer
• Fri 8th Nov at 19:00 West Yorkshire group: Scents of Purpose – Maureen Sawyer
• Fri 8th Nov at 19:30 Nottingham group: Coast to Coast, via Gardens….by Car! – Alun Whitehead
• Sat 9th Nov at 14:00 Herefordshire and Mid Wales group: Trilliums & The Woodland Plants of North America – Keith Ferguson
• Sat 9th Nov at 14:00 Norfolk and Suffolk group: Rosa Persica Hybrids – Daniel Myhill
• Sat 9th Nov at 14:00 West Midlands group: Harriet Rycroft – Planting Pots for Winter Interest and Spring Joy (2pm start)
• Sat 9th Nov at 14:00 Worcestershire group: A Crayfish On The Lawn 2024 by Josh Elphick
• Sun 10th Nov at 14:00 Essex group: ‘The Wonderful World of Willows and Friends’ – Mark Mason
• Mon 11th Nov at 19:30 Cumbria group: Plants for a Changing Climate – Dr Andrew ward
• Tue 12th Nov at 19:30 Rutland group: The Dark Months of the Year – Not Just Snowdrops – Diane Clement
• Tue 12th Nov at 19:45 Berkshire group: ‘PERFECT PLANTS FOR SUSTAINABLE GARDENING’ – Gillian Taylor
• Fri 15th Nov at 19:30 Staffordshire group: The Value of Trees – Dr Peter Thomas
• Sat 16th Nov at 0:00 Scottish and Northern Borders group: Lecture Day
• Sat 16th Nov at 0:00 Fenland group: AGM and Talk
• Sat 16th Nov at 10:30 Somerset group: AGM followed by Stella Exley – ‘Camassia, Chris, Chelsea & Chaos’
• Sat 16th Nov at 14:00 Hampshire group: Autumn in the Garden – Nigel Hopes
• Sat 16th Nov at 14:00 Wiltshire and Avon group: Roy Cheek: Insectivorous Plants
• Sat 16th Nov at 14:00 Derbyshire group: Biodiversity Audit at Great Dixter (How a Garden can Support Wildlife) – Fergus Garrett
• Sat 16th Nov at 14:00 South Wales group: Mounton House – Helena Gerrish
• Sat 16th Nov at 14:15 Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire group: AGM followed by a members talk
• Mon 18th Nov at 19:30 North West group: Running a Sustainable Garden Business – Beccy Saunders
• Tue 19th Nov at 19:30 Clwyd group: ‘The World in One Garden’ — Barry Grain
• Fri 22nd Nov at 14:00 Salisbury Plain Mini-Group group: Creating a Traditional and Victorian Christmas – Maureen Hinton
• Sat 23rd Nov at 14:00 Dorset group: ‘Abundance’- Toby Buckland
• Sat 23rd Nov at 14:30 Kent group: Some Like it Hot – Annie Godfrey
• Sun 24th Nov at 11:00 Sussex group: Creating Movement whilst Frozen Stiff – Ben Pope

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