z Programme 2019

Meetings with invited speakers - programme for 2020 available here

During the winter months (October to April, with the exception of December) we meet and enjoy illustrated talks from local and national gardening speakers at:

The Old Barn Hall,
55 Church Road,
Great Bookham
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT23 3PQ

The meetings are on Saturdays, and directions to the venue can be found here.  The venue is accessible for those in wheelchairs and there is a loop system for the hard of hearing.

We usually* open the doors at 10.00am and free tea and coffee are served.  At 10.15am there is a plant sale where you can buy good-quality home-grown plants at very competitive prices.  In addition, there is a range of garden sundries, HPS booklets and second-hand gardening books to buy, and a raffle. 

At about 10.45am, the Chairman will officially start the meeting and a guest speaker will talk for about 1 hour followed by a questions-and-answer session.  The topic will relate to plants and gardens.

* Please note that this year's April meeting is in the afternoon and tea and coffee will be served after the talk.

Outline programme for 2019 – details of bulb sales will be added as they become available.  Items with darker green background are members-only.

Saturday 12th January
(10.00 for 10.45 am)
‘Succession Planting’ – Steven Edney.
Plant sale.
 
Saturday 16th February
(10.00 for 10.45 am)
'Epimediums' - Sally Gregson.  These are evergreen perennial ground cover plants with delicate yellow, pink or white flowers.  This illustrated talk is based on Sally’s book ‘The Plant Lover’s Guide to Epimediums’ and covers the more widely grown species and forms.  It also introduces gardeners to the beautiful new species from China, and the hybrids that have been developed over the past 10 years, and are still being bred.
Plant sale.
 
Saturday 16th March
(10.00 for 10.30 am)
AGM followed by ‘Plant Hunting in Manipur’ - Paul Barney.  This is based on his trip to north east India near the border with Burma.
Plant sale.   
 
Wed 20th March pm & Mon 25th am Half day Seed Sowing workshops at member's house. Members only
Saturday 13th April
(2.00 for 2.30 pm)
‘On The Wild Side - An Experiment in New Naturalism’ - Keith Wiley.  This is a style of gardening he has developed based on modifying landscapes from around the globe.
Plant and seedling sale.
 
Tuesday 14th May All-day gardens visit to Kent members only
Thursday 6th June All-day coach trip to an Essex garden members only
Wednesday 19th June Garden visit to Surrey members only
Saturday 6th - Monday 8th July Three-day coach trip to Wiltshire and Somerset gardens members only
Wednesday 24th July All-day gardens visit to Berkshire members only
Thursday 15th August All-day garden visit to Sussex members only
Wednesday 4th September  Afternoon tea in a member’s garden  members only
Saturday 26th October
(10.00 for 10.45 am)
‘Making the Most of What You Have’ – Ben Pope.  His talk will cover looking at effective horticultural practice, plant selection and clever design.
Plant and bulb sale.  Please bring bags to put bulbs in.
 
Saturday 23rd November
(10.00 for 10.45 am)
‘My Thirty Best Plants’ – Bob Brown.
(followed by a members-only Christmas Party)
 

You may also download the SCG 2019 Public Programme using the button below. 

Download the SCG 2019 Public Programme  

The full 2019 programme of talks and garden visits is available in the ‘Members Only’ section of the website.