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Welcome to the website of the Hardy Plant Society Dorset Group. We are a Group of gardening enthusiasts, of all levels of expertise, who enjoy listening to excellent speakers regularly, growing and  buying plants, and visiting beautiful gardens and nurseries. We welcome new members and visitors to all our events. The Group 
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We are one of the regional groups of the Hardy Plant Society, whose aims include stimulating interest in growing hardy perennials. In fact last year, 2018, we celebrated our 20th anniversary year since we were formed, by 21 members breaking away from the Hampshire Group in 1998. 

​For photos and write up of previous meetings ​click here.

Our 2019 Celebrity, Fergus Garrett, with our Chair, Debbie, Committee Member Judy Spratley, and local celebrity Neil Lucas from Knoll Gardens, who came along to enjoy the afternoon

​​NEWS UPDATES

• 3rd January 2020 - As the applications for the 2020 Holiday and Day Trips flood in, there is now only 1 place available for the Holiday. Please make contact if you are interested in coming along or going on our Wait List. 
  
• 30th October 2019 -  Our President, Andrew Haynes, is unable to talk to us in November. However we have an excellent replacement speaker - Neil Lovesey.
• 25th October 2019 -  Despite having previously sold out of Fergus tickets, I now have few more available. Is anyone interested?
• 3rd September 2019 - Prospect House Trip went well. See Events/Previous Events for write up and photos 
• Full write up of our wonderful holiday in Kent, click on Events/Holiday for more details
• 2nd Aug 2019 - Twin Scaling demonstration held by Jane Norris at her home. 5 members got together to find out more about how to propagate snowdrop bulbs by this unusual method. For write up and photos - click here. 
• 23rd July  2019 - Gardeners' Question Time Report and photos - click here. The 2 shows recorded will air on Radio 4 on 2nd Aug and 23rd Aug at 3 pm and then repeated the following Sunday at 2 pm. If you missed the first one and the repeat, you can still listen to it by clicking on link https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00076v0
• 21st July  2019 - GQT now SOLD OUT
• 24th Jun 2019 - Sale of Gardeners' Question Time Tickets now available to local horticultural societies and general public. See details and poster below to see how to apply for tickets.
• 13th Jun 2019 - We have been chosen to host a recording of 2 episodes of BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time on Tuesday 23rd July at 5.30 pm. Members given first opportunity to purchase tickets at £4.50 each.
• 9th Jun 2019 - Back to Manor Farm, see Calendar of Events. Fergus Garrett tickets will be available there.
• Also check out the write up for our day Trip to Savill Garden, written by Marion Davies, together with some of her photos. See Events/Day Trips

HARDY TIMES JANUARY 2020

Our 2019 season has now finished.
We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you in January 2020.

Our first speaker in the new year will be

​BOB GIBBONS

Our very own local star living in Wimborne! I have known friends
who have gone on tours with Bob to share his love of butterflies and
other wild life. His photography is to die for.

Bob Gibbons is a naturalist, author and photographer. He also runs
his own wildlife holidays. His most recent book is 
Wildflower Wonders of the World.
Sarah Raven writes "Bob Gibbons' book on wildflower wonders
is what we all need". Bob has travelled the world to photograph
the least accessible wildflower sites you will find on the planet.
He started nearly 50 years ago on an overland plant collecting
trip to Afghanistan and has continued ever since to seek out and
record the most outstanding places to see natural displays.

Just recently Bob FRPS (Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society)
has won the Wildflower Landscapes Prize at
the International Garden Photographer of the Year.

(Not only does he know that in the far corner of some field you will
find some rare gem, but he is also brilliant on his birds!)

Jane Norris

Upcoming events, for Hardy Plant Society (Dorset & other Groups) and other local gardening events

Go to Calendar of Events to see what other gardening events are happening.