Anemone Nemerosa "Westwell Pink" and Primula Vulgaris taken by Debbie Steel

HOME PAGE

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
ANY CHANGES TO OUR EVENTS, AS A RESULT OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, WILL BE DETAILED ON THIS HOME PAGE.
​Whilst everyone  is isolating at home, we are asking all our members to send in photos of their garden, so we can remind ourselves why we enjoy gardening so much. Once we are able to return to our day-to-day lives, we propose to ask everyone to vote for their favourite and a small prize will be on offer so GET SNAPPING and send your photos to Debbie - no particular subject and no limit. 

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

Our Coronavirus Photo Competition

​​NEWS UPDATES

• 23rd March 2020 - Following a suggested period of 12 weeks isolation by the government, our 2 trips to Encombe and Eastington Farm have had to be cancelled. Full refunds are being paid to everyone affected by this.
  
• 20th March 2020 - We have also postponed our annual holiday, this year travelling to Cheshire. It will now depart on the 11th July 2021, for 4 days. The hotel has been confirmed but other elements of the holiday may be subject to change. Those already booked on the trip this year will have priority booking for next holiday. 
  
• 20th March 2020 - We have had to cancel our Plant Fayre on the 9th May
  
• 18th March 2020 - We have received notification that the Colehill Memorial Hall will be closed until the end of April. The April Speaker Meeting, with Terry Baker, and Seedling Swap have therefore been cancelled.
• 17th March 2020 - Email sent out to all members confirming we are keeping a close eye on things for Speaker Meetings, Day Trips and Holiday. Regular updates will be given via the website, especially with regard to cancellations. However assurances were given that should any Day Trips be cancelled, as a result of the coronavirus, we shall refund in full any payments made.
• 14th March 2020 - The ALD/AGM on 28th March, hosted by Dorset Group, has been postponed in the light of the potential spread of coronavirus. The new date will be 5th September 2020, with everything else remaining the same. Both Keith Wiley and Mat Reese will be speaking at the new event which will still be held at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne. Any ticket holder will automatically have their ticket switched to the new event, or may claim a refund if preferred. National Office will be contacting all ticket holders so please do not ring them unless absolutely necessary.
• 8th March 2020 - Following a Trustee Meeting of the National Hardy Plant Society, they have released the following statement  "The ALD/AGM on 28th March will be held as planned although we are monitoring the Coronavirus situation and will follow advice from government and health authorities. Attendees will be notified of any change."
• 28th February 2020 - We have had to abandon our hopes to visit Wildside on 2nd August but instead, have managed to secure 2 new Day Trips to Wildside on July 22nd and 26th. Both will be identical trips. For the first month this will only be available to members, plus up to 1 guest, but will then be open to all afterwards. Full details will be put on the website long before the month is up, but if you would like to know more, please contact us via the website.
• 28th February 2020  - As a result of the lengthy Reserve List for our Day Trip to Encombe/Eastington, we are now in a position to offer a second date for this trip 1 week later. The second trip will run on the 10th June and will depart half an hour earlier than the trip on the 3rd June. The gardens will be visited in reverse order. Once again we are offering this just to our members, plus 1 guest, for the next month, before we welcome applications from all. If you would like to know more beforehand please make contact via the website.
• 22nd February 2020 - Following our A.G.M. Barbara Gooch, Jane Norris, Janice Walters and Janet Riggs have all retired from our Committee with our thanks for everything they have done for the Group. New members voted on are Helen McIllmurray, who will be coordinating our team of volunteers, Rowena Jecock, who will be our new Membership Secretary and Liz Underwood. Sheila Westgate will be responsible for refreshments whilst not being on the committee.  
• 1st February 2020 - the results of our                         1st January Flower Count WINNER - Elaine Lofthouse and Diana Guy (42 flowers). Those who also entered were Sue Hough (32), Helen Powell (8), Leonie Oldfield (16), Penny Cleaver (7), Pat Osman (25+), Anne Butler (11), Margaret Hobson (17), Maggie Webb (20), Ann Broscomb (14), Eric Watson (22),  Hilary Hanbury (6). Thanks to all of you , and to Diana Guy for collating all this information.
• 30th January 2020 - our holiday is now SOLD OUT but please contact us if you would like to go on the Wait List
• 25th January 2020 - our Day Trip to Encombe/Eastington is now sold out but please contact us if you would like to go as we may try to set up a second visit on another day if there is sufficient demand. At the meeting it was announced that we are proposing a third Day Trip, on 2nd August, to WILDSIDE in Devon for an exclusive visit. The full details are not complete yet but we have asked for people to register their interest in the trip. Tickets should then be on sale at the February meeting.
• 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. 

HARDY TIMES FEBRUARY 2020

PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT HAVE A SPEAKER MEETING IN
MARCH 2020 AS WE ARE HOSTING THE NATIONAL HARDY PLANT SOCIETY'S LECTURE DAY AND A.G.M.
This will be a ticketed event, at the Allendale Community Centre,
Wimborne, on Saturday March 28th 2020.
Our speakers will be Keith Wiley and Mat Reese.
This event, in its entirety, has now been postponed until the
5th September 2020 due to recent events. National will be contacting ticket holders offering them to transfer to the new date or for a refund.


Following the outbreak of Coronavirus, I am afraid we have had to
cancel this meeting. We shall keep you up-to-date with any
further changes that may need to be made

Our next talk will be on Saturday, 25th April. Doors Open at 2.00 pm.

TERRY BAKER

of the Botanic Nursery, is coming to speak about

"Terry's Favourites - Peonies, Hollyhocks and Foxgloves”.

The Botanic nursery was founded by Terry and Mary Baker in 1976,
when Terry, a garden designer, found that he needed to propagate
many of the plants he wished to use. There has been a nursery
on the site - a two-acre walled garden close to Stonor School - since
1904. The soil is a limestone brash, so the nursery is strong on
lime-tolerant hardy plants. Foxgloves are a speciality, and Terry
holds the National Collection of digitalis
At the end of May, the nursery holds its Foxglove Week, a chance
for those who missed the Chelsea display to see the collection,
with guided tours that outline some of the history of the plants.
Terry creates planting schemes to show how they can be best
used, both in the nursery beds and the adjoining garden.
The latter was originally stock plants for cuttings but is gradually
becoming more of a display area.

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.