Hellebore photo taken by James Westgate

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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

• 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. 
• 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​

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 is sold out but if you would be interested in attending
please contact us via the website, or contact National Hardy Plant
Society, to see if there are any cancellations.


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.