Don’t forget … we are back in the Memorial Hall and we’re holding our annual Seedling Swap!

The speaker for our April meeting is Fiona Edmond, owner and creator of Green Island Gardens near Colchester.

Fiona says … “I am a great believer in fate, and as such I know that it was always my destiny to end up at Green Island. Like my farmer father, I know that we are only on this earth for a short time and can only be considered as guardians of the land. Over the last twenty years I have been lucky enough to be able to indulge my passion for my love of plants as well as create the garden of my dreams, and it gives me enormous pleasure and satisfaction now to be able to share it with others.”

Fiona’s garden is open to the public and there’s lots of information about Fiona and her garden on her website greenislandgardens.co.uk

Seedling Swap

The talk will be followed by tea/coffee and biscuits, and our annual seedling swap. If you have not joined in the seedling swap before then here’s your opportunity. If you have any excess seedlings to swap please bring them along. Even if you don’t have any you might be able to go away with some seedling treasures grown by other members. It’s worth bringing along a small seed tray or similar to take home your ‘booty’.

On a more serious note … no members have come forward to join the committee.

Unless someone volunteers, the Society will not progress beyond November this year. Groups and Societies are folding on a regular basis due to the lack of interest in joining the committee … Cuffley Horticultural Society being a recent example.

Do you really want our group to fold? Come on, it’s fun to be on the committee and not onerous unless, as it is now, that some committee members are doing two or three roles at the same time.  It cannot go on like this much longer. No-one would be dropped in the deep end, there’s lots of sharing of information and help available.

So please, contact Annie or any committee member and help keep the group going!

‘Benton End’, Hadleigh, Suffolk

We are back in the Memorial Hall!

The speaker for our first meeting back in the Memorial Hall is Lucy Skelton, Curator of Benton End House and Gardens.

Benton End in Hadleigh, Suffolk is the 16th century former home of celebrated artist-plantsman, Sir Cedric Morris. Morris made a garden as influential in its day as Sissinghurst for the irises he bred there; it became one of the first modern gardens of naturalistic design, developed as it was for the study of the unusual plants Morris chose with his keen artist’s eye.

It is now a charitable trust under the care of the Garden Museum of London.

The talk will be followed by tea/coffee and biscuits, and as usual we would like as many member contributions to to the HHPS plant table as you can manage!

We are pleased to remind you of our upcoming talk by David Hurrion.

With over 40 years of practical experience in gardening and horticulture, David has a wealth of hints, tips and inspiration to share. He is the Associate Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and a show judge for the RHS.

We are happy to welcome guests as usual, so bring your friends! Please arrive in good time for this presentation and remember your plants for our sales table.

The meeting will take place at:

St Helen’s CE Primary School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN

The school has a car park, but if this should happen to fill up then our recommendation would be the public car park in East Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk away.

We are pleased to remind you of our upcoming talk by photographer Andy Sands.

Andy has always enjoyed a keen interest in natural history encouraged by his grandfather throughout his childhood. On leaving school he took a job in a specialist camera shop learning the art of photography from his colleagues.

He now has a particular interest in macro photography of insects, specialising in British subjects, fungi and woodland. Looks like we’re in for a fascinating talk!

We are happy to welcome guests as usual, so bring your friends! Please arrive in good time for this presentation and remember your plants for our sales table.

The meeting will take place at:

St Helen’s CE Primary School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN

The school has a car park, but if this should happen to fill up then our recommendation would be the public car park in East Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk away.

We are pleased to remind you of our upcoming talk by Sally Gregson, author and owner of Mill Cottage Plants. Sally will give us an introduction to some of the loveliest winter performers for our gardens illustrated by slides both of winter flowering plants and a few ideas for structure in the garden – the ‘skeleton’ on which to clothe the garden for the rest of the year.

Sally will have copies of her most recent book ‘Designing and Creating a Winter Garden’, for sale .. an ideal Christmas present maybe?

After Sally’s presentation we will have the opportunity to enjoy tea, coffee and a mince pie. We are happy to welcome guests as usual, so bring your friends!

The meeting will take place at:

St Helen’s CE Primary School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN

The school has a car park, but if this should happen to fill up then our recommendation would be the public car park in East Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk away.

The plant table this month will be Beryl’s last before she hands over the reins of Plant Sale supremo, so please bring and buy as many as possible!

AGM reports will shortly be emailed to members only – please lookout for these.

This meeting will take place at:

St Helen’s CE Primary School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN

The school has a car park, but if this should happen to fill up then our recommendation would be the public car park in East Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk away.

Head Gardener at Sissinghurst Castle

We are pleased to remind you of our upcoming talk by Troy Scott Smith, garden writer, designer and consultant. Troy will be speaking about the redesign and restoration of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West’s Delos garden at Sissinghurst. He will be bringing plants for sale.

We are happy to welcome guests as usual, so bring your friends! Please arrive in good time for this presentation and remember your plants for our own sale table and any laundered tablecloths which belong to the group!

The meeting will take place at:

St Helen’s CE Primary School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN

The school has a car park, but if this should happen to fill up then our recommendation would be the public car park in East Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk away.