Talks, Shows and Outings in 2025

Tonight we have two talks from our members. Frances will talk about ‘Saving Heritage Vegetables’ - the benefits and importance of preserving these varieties, and her experience as a volunteer seed guardian for the Heritage Seed Library. Chris will discuss ‘The Green Stuff’ – a brief look at what makes plants tick (photosynthesis). Frances will also have any remaining marigold seeds for our Summer show special class. Tickets will also be on sale for our May trip to Beth Chatto’s garden (full details available in January) – please note that we require full payment at time of booking.

Kevin spoke to us last year with an entertaining and very informative talk about roses. This led to questions from the audience about pruning - so he is back with us again tonight, to advise on the general approach to pruning a wide range of plants and shrubs. Kevin is an experienced and knowledgeable lecturer with Iong-standing involvement in the Royal Horticultural Society; his practical knowledge and advice will be invaluable.

Stephen is a garden historian who has taught at Hadlow College and is currently Head Gardener at Tonbridge School. The Arts and Crafts movement, pioneered by William Morris and others, took great inspiration from plants and nature for interior design. This approach also heavily influenced garden designers including Gertrude Jekyll, as Stephen will tell us tonight in his usual informative and wryly humorous style. Do come along and enjoy.

Beth Chatto’s world-renowned garden is wonderful, despite being sited in one of the driest parts of England. The garden includes woodland, herbaceous beds and borders, several ponds with waterside planting, a scree garden and the very famous gravel garden. There is a café, shop and plant nursery (all peat-free and mostly grown onsite). (NB The site no longer accepts cash.) We are visiting at what should be a colourful time of year. Full details including price should be available in January, with booking from our February meeting onwards. (Payment in full is required at time of booking please.)

Our shows always have a good turnout of exhibits, so please come along and enjoy the evening, whether or not you are entering. Tonight’s show will be judged by our members. Visitors are very welcome to attend free of charge (but are not allowed to judge). Please see Show Classes and timings and how to enter, including the special classes for photography and for marigolds (seeds issued Jan/Feb). Refreshments will be available.

John has many years’ experience as an RHS judge and is our regular judge for our autumn show (and was a member of our society and committee some years ago). If you have never entered our shows, why not come along and hear his friendly and straightforward advice on how to go about it. If you do enter shows, his wealth of knowledge and good-humoured advice will help you understand what judges look for and how to improve your exhibits.

Our Society has several members with long experience of successfully growing a wide range of plants – herbaceous and woody, fruit and vegetables, bulbs, alpines, and many more – often to a very high standard. Tonight a panel of our ‘homegrown’ experts will hopefully answer some of your gardening difficulties - so come prepared with your tricky questions and problems! .Also, if you have an unidentified plant that you want named, please bring along a representative sample (or a photograph), and our panel will try to identify it for you.

As usual, tonight’s Autumn show will be judged by experienced external judges (including John Hughes, our July speaker). This year we are again hosting the Inter-Village Cup. Come along and enjoy the exhibits, including wonderful floral arrangements. Visitors are free of charge for our shows and are very welcome as always. Refreshments will be available. Please see Show Classes for full details of our show classes and how to enter.

This is Melanie’s first visit to our society, but she is a registered full-time speaker with many years’ experience talking to WI, U3A and other groups. She has a great fondness for Belgium, and in this wide-ranging and colourful talk she will show us the distinctive style of Flemish gardening in the Flanders area.

Our short Annual General Meeting (a legal requirement) offers the chance for you to hear how your society is run, and to ask questions and have your say. After the awarding of our annual trophies, we will have a buffet of cheese and other savouries, wine or juice, and time to chat with other members. Do come along to this sociable and relaxed evening.

There is no indoor meeting in December. We look forward to seeing you in January.