Programme 2023-2024
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De Hessenhof, A Nursery with Heart
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Monday 9th October, 2023
7.30pm
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Hans Kramer Specialist Nurseryman
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Hans started selling plants as a teenager, in 1981 he took over the family farm which he has built up into a world class organic nursery.
He will tell us about the development of this nursery and the principles and practices he works by.
A man with unrivalled knowledge of perennials and a keen eye for neglected species he will show us some of his favourites and some of the new and unusual ones we should know about.
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Klinta Tradgard - Planting for the Future
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Tuesday 21st November 2023
7.30pm
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Peter Korn Nurseryman and Garden Designer
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Peter Korn and his partner Julia Andersson own and run a nursery at their home in Klinta, Sweden.
From the Tradgard he is setting convention on its head with gardens that defy usual practices. He propagates and grows using a deep layer of sand on top of an alkaline soil.
This toughens plants up for our now demanding climate.
Peter will telling us how to plant for the future, while increasing diversity and so benefittinng valueable wildlife.
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Pots for Winter Interest and Spring Joy
Monday 11th December, 2023
7.30pm
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Harriet Rycroft, Queen of Pots
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Head Gardener at Whichford Pottery for some fourteen years, Harriet became well-known for creating spectacular displays.
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She will be talking about planting pots that will give joy right through until early summer.
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Using illustrations from Whichford and her own yard she will show you the plants and spring-flowering bulbs she uses to create a framework of colour and texture.
Harriet will also discuss some of the practicalities of creating and maintaining such displays.
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Polyculture - Eat What you Grow
Wednesday 17th January, 2024
7.30pm
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Alys Fowler, Author, Gardener and Broadcaster
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Having trained with the RHS, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the New York Botanical Gardens, Alys now lives and gardens in Aberystwyth.
A regular contributor to The Guardian she has written more than 8 gardening books.
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Alys maintains a garden full of great things to eat and in this talk will look at how to set up a polyculture garden that celebrates biodiversity as well as deliciousness. She will look at propagation methods, polyculture combinations, perennial vegetables and soil fertility.
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Creating Movement whilst Frozen Still
Monday 12th February, 2024
7.30pm
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Ben Pope, Horticulturalist and Head Gardener
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Ben's early education in art and design led to his appreciation of good patterns and colour.
He currently leads a team that is developing and maintaining a private garden in West Sussex.
Alongside his role as Head Gardener he lectures at the Chealsea Physic Garden and West Dean College as well as writing regularly for Gardens Illustrated.
Ben is also a member of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee.
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This will be a seasonal talk looking at the structure of a winter garden and how to achieve interest during the cold months. Ben will identify the plants to use , detailing any specific needs or aesthetic uses.
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A Buzz in the Garden - Gardening for Bees
Wednesday 13th March, 2024
7.30pm
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Richard Rickitt, Co-Editor BeeCraft Magazine
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Richard once worked in special effects in film and tv productions but now is one of the UK's best known beekeepers.
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He is co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine that has been in print since 1919, and is now read around the world.
His particular interest is in the interaction between bees and the environment.
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There are almost 300 species of UK bees which, along with other pollinators, are responsible for more than one third of everything we eat as well as the reproduction of our plants.
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This fascinating talk introduces many of the bees found in the UK and explains how you as a gardener can make a valuable contribution to their survival by creating a pollinator oasis in your garden or even windowbox.
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Richard is the author of the forthcoming book Beekeeping for Gardeners.
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Fifty Shades of Green
Thursday 18th April, 2024
7.30pm
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Razvan Chizu, Garden Designer
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Razvan currently works a Social Media Manager for the Alpine Garden Society as well as writing for various magazines, lecturing and leading tours.
He grew up in Transylvania, surrounded by vast woodlands and species rich meadows, a fact that influenced the way he designed gardens.
His interests range from alpine plants and bulbs, succulents , fruit and heirloom vegetables, ferns and orchids, to perennials, shrubs and trees.
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'Fifty Shades of Green' starts by exploring leaves, their diversity of shape, size, colour and texture, and then continues by giving examples of how foliage plants can be used to great effect in your garden.
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Patagonian Plants with Ornamental Potential
Thursday 16th May, 2024
7.30pm
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Marcela Ferreyra, Botanist.
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Marcela is a botanist, teacher and botanical tour guide.
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For almost twenty years she has worked as a guide for groups of visitors that travel through Patagonia to photograph its flora.
Patagonia hosts a wide range of ecological regions such as rainforest and alpine zones, steppe and mountains.
This talk will focus on plants with ornamental potential . Flowering perennials and small shrubs will be shown in their own habitat, the spectacular region of Patagonia.
This an opportunity to hear from someone who has always had this special environment close to her heart.
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The meeting will start with the AGM
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Naturalistic Planting with Shrubs
Monday 9th September, 2024
7.30pm
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Kevin Philip Williams, Horticulturalist & Naturalistic Gardener
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Michael Guidi, Ecologist and Horticultural Researcher.
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Kevin Philip is a naturalistic gardener who studied as a Horticulture Intern at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, he worked on The High Line in Manhattan.
Michael is an ecologist and and horticultural researcher who is passionate about naturalistic planting.
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Shrubs excel at sharing communities with other living things.
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This is a celebration and exploration of the glorious spectrum of shrublands that there are and the multiple possible design applications that could emulate them.
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Kevin Philip and Michael will talk about the adaptability of these tough plants, something that will be so valuable in our own gardens in a time of global climate change.
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This is a special extra lecture included in the 2023/24 membership fee.
Visitors are welcome , £8