Speaker Events

SPEAKER EVENTS 2020-2021

Generally each Meeting is booked for the 4th Saturday each month unless affected by Bank Holidays.
We meet to hear a range of Speakers from January to April, then September to November, although 20-21 is slightly different as we are hosting the national A.G.M. which is a ticketed event. We have therefore chosen to have an extra speaker, in December, so all our members will get the same number of "free" events.
Our doors generally open at 2.00 pm ready for the talks to start promptly at 2.30 pm, unless otherwise indicated.
All are welcome - group members are free and visitors cost £3.50, unless they join at the Meeting, where the cost of their entrance is refunded

Date and Time of Meeting	Speaker	More about the Speaker	Title of Talk
Saturday 25th January 2020 starts at 2.30 pm	Bob Gibbons	Bob Gibbons is a naturalist, author and photographer. He organises holidays and, after 50 years, he still continues to seek out and record the most outstanding places to see natural displays.	From Orchids to Pitcher Plants - the Extraordinary Flora of Newfoundland
Saturday 22nd February 2020 A.G.M. at 2.00 pm followed by talk at 2.30 pm	A.G.M. followed by Helen Picton	Helen runs a small family run nursery specialising in Michaelmas Daisies. Her grandfather, Percy, took over as Nursery Manager after the Second World War.	Montana and Beyond - Clematis and all their Joys
Saturday 28th March 2020 We shall be hosting the National Hardy Plant Society A.G.M. at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne.	Keith Wiley & Mat Reese	This is not one of our normal speaker events and is "Ticket Only" obtainable from National only. We shall be having an "extra" free-to-members Speaker meeting in December to compensate	Value
Saturday 25th April 2020 at 2.30 pm	Terry Baker	Terry co-founded the Botanic Nursery, with Mary Baker, in 1976. As a garden designer he needed more plants and decided to propagate what he needed. The nursery, a 2 acre walled garden, is home to the National Collection of Digitalis.	Terry's Favourites: Peonies, Hollyhocks and Foxgloves
Saturday 26th September 2020 at 2.30 pm	Andrew Humphris	Andrew talks about his past career, working at Savill Garden, The Courts (NT) in Wiltshire and Biddulph Grange (NT) in Staffordshire, followed by Wollerton Old Hall, which we visited in the Shropshire holiday, and now to a private brand new garden here in Dorset - West Lodge.	Making Beautiful Gardens from Scratch
Saturday 24th October 2020 at 2.30 pm	Nick Wray	A curator at the University of Bristol's Botanic Garden	The Evolution of Flowers
Saturday 28th November 2020 Doors Open at 1.30 pm for talk to start at 2.30 pm TICKET ONLY. Prices to follow	Nick Bailey	Nick is known as a regular presenter of the BBC's Gardeners' World. He was also Head Gardener for London’s famous Chelsea Physic Garden, where he spent the last seven years redesigning the gardens and diversifying the plant collection.	"365 Days of Colour"
Saturday 12th December 2020 at 2.30 pm	Dr Michael Jones	Dr Jones aims to reveal that there is much more to mistletoe than its usual role at Christmas. He will explore its biology, ethnobotany and the myths that surround the plant.	Mistletoe: Fact, Myth and Legend
Saturday 23rd January 2021 at 2.30 pm	Speaker to be announced	Not available	Not available

Date and Time of Meeting	Speaker	More about the Speaker	Title of Talk
Saturday 26th January 2019 at 2.00 pm AGM then speaker starts at 2.30 pm	AGM followed by Lyn Miles	Lyn has a collection of over 200 named varieties of snowdrop, plus drifts of singles and doubles throughout her garden. She is the Membership Secretary and Newsletter Editor of the HPS Galanthus Group.	For the Love of Snowdrops
Saturday 23rd February 2019 at 2.30 pm	Rosy Hardy	Her display in Chelsea's Great Pavilion showcases some of their favourite varieties, as well as their new introductions, all planted with such artistry that the Hardys have won 20 Chelsea Gold Medals. Bringing plants to sell.	Seasonal Plants
Saturday 23rd March 2019 at 2.30 pm	Mike Webber	Value	Botanic Gardens from the Arctic to the Tropics
Saturday 27th April 2019 at 2.30 pm	Katherine Crouch	In 2008 Katherine won the BBC Gardener of the Decade competition. She set up Katherine Crouch Garden Design and has since been designing gardens all over the South West.	Plants that should be Better Known
Wednesday 25th September 2019 at 7.30 pm	Charles Dowding	The acclaimed innovator of no dig, organic growing since 1983, and of new ways to crop salad leaves. He has written nine books, writes for national and international magazines, appears on TV and radio including BBC Gardeners’ World, and teaches extensively at home and abroad.	No Dig Philosophy on gardening
Saturday 26th October 2019 at 2.00 pm TICKET ONLY Tickets available from 17th March 2019, £2.50 for Dorset HPS member and £8.00 for non members, including refreshments. Talk starts at 3pm	Fergus Garrett	Fergus became Head Gardener at Great Dixter in 1992, beginning a long, fruitful association with Christopher Lloyd. He is an author and lectures extensively, but mostly works full-time, hands-on in the garden, with people who come from all over the world to train at Dixter.	Designing with Plants the Great Dixter way
Saturday 23rd November 2019 at 2.30 pm	Andrew Haynes replaced by Neil Lovesey	Unfortunately Andrew cannot be with us,but will save his talk for another day. Andrew, the President of our Dorset Group, is Head Gardener at Edmondsham House, where there are 6 acres of grounds and a large Victorian walled garden which is managed organically using no-dig vegetable beds.	"The Bee Friendly Garden" replaces our original talk on Really Useful Plants
Saturday 25th January 2020 at 2.30 pm	Bob Gibbons	Bob has been described as 'one of Britain's best naturalists'. After many years working in nature conservation, he is now a freelance author, photographer, lecturer, and leads numerous hugely popular tours to many destinations.	From Orchids to Pitcher Plants - the extraordinary flora of Newfoundland
Saturday 24th March 2020 all day	Keith Wiley & Matt Reese	Dorset will be hosting the National Hardy Plant Society AGM	More details to follow

2018-2019

Date and Time of Meeting	Speaker	More about the Speaker	Title of Talk
Saturday 27th January 2018 at 2.30 pm	Helen Yemm	Famous for writing the Telegraph's Thorny problems column	Inspiration for Late Summer Colour
Saturday 24th February 2018 at 2.00 pm EARLY START	AGM followed by Ray Broughton	Ray is a horticultural scientist and lecturer with over 30 years of experience, currently teaching at RHS Wisley.	Pests and Diseases
Saturday 7th April 2018 at 2.30 pm	David Hurrion	Deputy Editor of the BBC Gardeners World Magazine, and broadcaster	The Answer Lies in the Soil
Saturday 28th April 2018 at 2.30 pm	Mary Payne	Writer, garden designer, broadcaster	Compton Acres - Revisited
Wednesday 26th September 2018 at 7.30 pm	Alan Edmondson replacing Nick Gilbert	Alan is an RHS speaker and contributes regularly to Radio Solent's "The Kitchen Garden" programme. He is a positive expert with masses of experience.	Primulas and Auriculas
Saturday 27th October 2018 at 2.30 pm	Jon Evans		Autumn at Blackthorn Nursery
Saturday 24th November 2018 at 2.30 pm TICKET ONLY	James Alexander Sinclair	Garden designer, award winning writer, an accredited judge at the RHS Shows and Chair of the RHS Gardens Committee	An Afternoon With James Alexander Sinclair

2017-2018

Date and Time of Meeting	Speaker	More about the Speaker	Title of Talk
Saturday 25th March 2017 at 2.30 pm	Ken Thompson	Plant Biologist, lecturer, author and Telegraph columnist	Dealing with Plants that Behave Badly
Saturday 29th April 2017 at 2.30 pm	Kevin Hughes	Owner of Heale House Nursery which specialises in unusual plants and shrubs	Stars of the Spring Garden
Saturday 30th September 2017 at 2.30 pm	Marina Christopher	Owner of Phoenix Perennials Nursery and supplier of plants to many RHS Show Gardens	Gardening with Gravel
Saturday 28th October 2017 at 2.30 pm TICKET ONLY (Last few remaining)	Roy Lancaster	RHS President, Broadcaster and celebrated Plant Hunter	A Life of Plants
Saturday 25th November 2017 at 2.30 pm	Neil Lucas	Owner of Knoll Gardens & Nursery, local specialists in grasses	Using Perennials in the Modern Garden