Hardy Plant Society

Shropshire Group

Next Meeting

15th June, 2013 at 10.30am and 1pm
Garden Visits
At 10.30am: 1 Church Bank and Oak Cottage, Welshpool. Two very different hidden and secluded town gardens. Church Bank has a gothic arch over a zig-zag path leading to exotic arbours. There are many unusual plants and water features. Oak Cottage has paths and stepping stones through borders with many interesting plants, especially Alpines.
At 1.00 pm: Diamond Cottage, Welshpool. The 1¾ acre hillside garden (at 700 ft) of Shropshire group members Jean and David Dorril, with extensive views and an informal layout making the most of a sloping site. Many unusual perennials and shrubs and a large vegetable garden. (Bring a picnic lunch.)



19th January, 2013 2.30 pm
“Choice Herbaceous Perennials through the Year”
Sue Beesley
Sue is a past winner of BBC Gardener of the Year. Now owner and manager of Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Nursery in Cheshire, Sue has a special love of herbaceous perennials and has created a wild flower meadow at her garden.

16th February, 2013 2.30 pm
“Spring Bulbs and Perennials”
Christine Ffoulkes Jones
Christine and her husband Nick run Hall Farm Nursery where they have developed a fine reputation for plants which they grow in their own peat-free compost. Together they have won numerous gold medals including two at Chelsea.

23rd March, 2013 from 12 noon
“Plant Collecting”
Bleddyn Wynn-Jones
The talk will take place at 2.30pm, following the AGM
Bleddyn is a modern day plant hunter who travels to remote parts of the world to collect rare and unusual plants. He and his wife Sue won the prestigious President’s Award at Chelsea for their display of exotic plants found on the tops of mountains, down ravines and in the middle of remote jungles.

20th April, 2013 at 2.30 pm
“Living with a National Plant Collection”
Don Witton
Don is the holder of the National Collection of Euphorbias featured in BBC’s Gardeners’ World and in numerous garden magazines, and is author of the HPS Euphorbia booklet.

18th May, 2013 from 10.30 am
“Irises for the Natural Garden”
Alun & Jill Whitehead
The talk will take place at 2.30 pm
At 10.30 am, there is a Garden Visit to Lower Hall
At 1.15 pm, there is a Plant Discussion
Lower Hall is a 4 acre garden with the river Worfe running through it. A large pool is edged with gunneras, hostas and primulas. A bridge leads to woodland with rare magnolias, acers and azaleas. A walled garden contains roses and mixed borders. £4.
Alun and Jill are owners of a 3 acre garden and nursery in Herefordshire which specialises in irises and day lilies.

15th June, 2013 at 10.30am and 1pm
Garden Visits
At 10.30am: 1 Church Bank and Oak Cottage, Welshpool. Two very different hidden and secluded town gardens. Church Bank has a gothic arch over a zig-zag path leading to exotic arbours. There are many unusual plants and water features. Oak Cottage has paths and stepping stones through borders with many interesting plants, especially Alpines.
At 1.00 pm: Diamond Cottage, Welshpool. The 1¾ acre hillside garden (at 700 ft) of Shropshire group members Jean and David Dorril, with extensive views and an informal layout making the most of a sloping site. Many unusual perennials and shrubs and a large vegetable garden. (Bring a picnic lunch.)

20th July, 2013
Coach Trip
To a small town garden in Droitwich with over 100 clematis, Spetchley Park, and Meadow Farm garden and nursery, owned by Diane and Rob Cole who have been to our plant fair several times.

17th August, 2013 at 10.30am and 1pm
Garden Visits
At 10.30am: The Rowans, nr Malpas. A 1 acre Italianate themed garden, divided into numerous formal and natural areas with unusual trees, several ponds, herbaceous borders, vegetable plot, greenhouse and an extensive Hosta collection. £4.
At 1.00 pm: Park Cottage, nr Wrexham. The 5 acre garden of Shropshire group members, Wendy and Joe Sime. The garden contains over 3,000 labelled species and varieties of flowering shrubs, trees, grasses and shade loving plants. Distinct areas include a herbaceous border, a maze, a new scree area and several water gardens, each with a different chararacter. Bring-and-share lunch and bring-and-buy plant sale.

21st September, 2013 at 2.30 pm
“Climbers”
Anthony Norman
Anthony and his wife Susan run the Cheshire based nursery Conquest Plants and are currently building a National Collection of Euonymus.

19th October, 2013 at 2.30 pm
“Using Bulbs in the Garden”
Christine Skelmersdale
Christine owns Broadleigh Gardens in Somerset which specialises in bulbs, woodland and foliage plants. She has been awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour, the RHS’s highest award, for services to horticulture.

16th November, 2013 at 2.30 pm
“Dragon Mountain - a Botanical Walk in the Drakensberg mountains”
Mark Duffell
Mark is a trained botanist and member of our Group who gained the RHS Diploma in Horticulture and went on to become 'Young Horticulturist of the Year' in 2001. He now teaches botanical identification for a variety of organisations including Wildlife Trusts.

14th December, 2013 at 2.30 pm
“The Work and History of the Royal Botanic Gardens”
Matthew Biggs,Matthew trained at Pershore College and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. He has travelled extensively world-wide leading specialist garden tours.
The ChristmasTea will follow the talk.

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