About Us

Members of the Southern Counties Group all share a passion for plants and gardens though our particular interest is in herbaceous perennials.

Our members’ experience is from beginners to experts and with our varied programme of talks on many aspects of gardens and gardening, we have the opportunity to improve our knowledge and skills.

We welcome new members of all levels of experience to join us. We have a membership in excess of 160 and attendance at our meetings is normally well above 70 with members drawn from Surrey and adjacent counties.  Come as a visitor and get to know us.

To find out more about the origins of the Hardy Plant Society and our group, please click here.

As a visitor you can

  • Meet others who share your enthusiasm for plants.
  • Enjoy our varied programme of talks during the winter months (October to April, excluding December).
  • Buy plants at our monthly meetings.  This is an excellent opportunity to buy unusual plants at reasonable prices.
  • Buy seedlings, usually at our April meeting.
  • Buy specially chosen bulbs at very competitive prices at our autumn meetings.

Become a member and

  • Extend your knowledge of plants and gardening – there are lots of enthusiastic people who will willingly share their knowledge and experience with you and our speakers pass on tips and expertise.
  • Join us on garden visits, often opening specially for us.  Some are local so we travel by car but we have an annual one-day coach trip and every other year a 3-day coach trip to gardens further afield.
  • Join us for a buffet Christmas lunch after the November meeting.
  • Get to know other members by taking a turn on the tea and coffee rota, helping selling plants or sundries, or helping to organise an event.
  • Catch up with fellow members whilst packing seeds for the HPS Seed Distribution Scheme.
  • Help at National Plant Society events at RHS Wisley, and with publicity displays and/or plant sales at village fairs/open days.
  • Receive our Monthly News Round Up (email) and a full newsletter in April and October.  The newsletter includes information about the future programme, as well as reports on past events and gardening-related articles. 
  • Attend Surrey Horticultural Federation events as Southern Counties Group is a member and so our members may attend these events.

To be a member of the Southern Counties Group, you must join the national Hardy Plant Society too.

Additionally, as a national member you can

  • Donate to or request seed from the national Seed Distribution.  There is a list of nearly 2000 varieties, many not readily available elsewhere.
  • Support the Conservation Scheme by growing plants which are at risk of disappearing.
  • Boost your plant knowledge and access our online library and advisory service.
  • Receive five national publications a year, two editions of our flagship Journal “The Hardy Plant” and three editions of the national newsletter.
  • Join any of the special interest groups.

Find out more about our varied programme and membership costs by visiting our Programme page and What it Costs page.