Surrey Horticultural Federation Late Spring – May 2025 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the Surrey Horticultural Federation Late Spring Newsletter!

Please share this newsletter with your members and help them stay up to date with all the events happening in Surrey and the surrounding areas.

Take Part in Plantlife’s No Mow May!

We’ve lost approximately 97% of the UK’s flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s.  Flowering meadows feature plants and flowers that are vital foods for pollinators, like bees, butterflies, and moths.

97% of our meadows have been lost but your lawn can help!  A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution, and can even lock away carbon below ground.  There are over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature.

This is why Plantlife calls for people to get involved with #NoMowMay every year, and the charity encourages us to let wild plants get a head start on the summer.  All you have to do is not mow your lawn in May (and ideally beyond – leave your grass to grow long over summer and cut it in September).  For more information, visit Plantlife’s website.

Many butterfly caterpillars feed on grasses, they can’t survive in mown lawns. Leave your grass uncut in May, June, July, and August and you’ll provide more flowers for butterflies and moths, grass for caterpillars, and more food for birds and wildlife.

Make a ”Mains to Rains” pledge and water the way nature intended

The glasshouse landscape borders in summer at RHS Garden Wisley. Photo credit: the Royal Horticultural Society.

Have you made your ‘Mains to Rains‘ pledges yet?  The mains2rains website helps us recognise how by adopting a few simple changes in our gardens and allotments, we can all help our gardens and outdoor spaces thrive without using mains water.  We’re encouraging people to collect rainwater and re-use rainwater during dry spells.

What mains2rains pledges could you make?

  • Could you install a water butt to collect rainwater from your roof?
  • How about pledging to place container plants on saucers and trays during spring and summertime?  This small change has a big difference, reducing the need for watering and fertilising, and making watering easier for you during the hottest months of the year.
  • Can you switch to using self-watering containers?  Self-watering containers save water and are easier to manage than traditional containers.
  • Pledge to add a mulch of bark or homemade compost around any new plants you plant.
  • Pledge to plant the right plant in the right place.  For example, plant drought tolerant plants in free-draining sandy soils and moisture loving plants in wetter soils – be sure the plants you plant out are suited to the soil and conditions in your garden or allotment.
  • Can you lift any paving slabs and plant up a flower bed or even sow a lawn instead?
  • Instead of concreting your patio can you use permeable paving?
Have you thought about lifting up some of your paving to create extra planting spaces and allow water to soak into the soil? Photo credit: the Royal Horticultural Society.

See all the pledges on the mains2rains website.  The ‘Mains to Rains’ pledge is part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the Royal Horticultural Society and Cranfield University, part-funded by Innovate UK.  Find more information and make your pledges on the mains2rains website.

Ecolocal’s Organic Food Growing 6 Week Course Starts on Saturday 3rd May 2025!

Belinda Allen is giving a talk about Companion Planting to Witley Gardening Association on Wednesday 7th May 2025 at Grayswood Village Hall

 

On Wednesday 7th May 2025, Witley Gardening Association are meeting at Grayswood Village Hall, Haslemere, GU27 2DJ.  Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start; Belinda Allen will be giving a talk about Companion Planting.  Entry is free to Witley Gardening Association members and £5 for non-members.

Thursley Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale is from 10.30am until 12 noon on Saturday 10th May 2025 by the Cricket Pavilion, on the recreation ground in Thursley, GU8

Thursley Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale is from 10.30am until 12 noon on Saturday 10th May 2025 by the Cricket Pavilion, on the recreation ground in Thursley, Godalming, Surrey, GU8.  New members and visitors are always very welcome – this is a superb opportunity to buy beautiful plants at great prices!   Thursley Horticultural Society are a lovely and friendly, welcoming group.   New members and visitors are always very welcome.

New ‘Unearthed: The Power of Gardening’ exhibition opens at the British Library

  • Unearthed: The Power of Gardening (2 May – 10 August 2025) explores the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening in Britain
    Presents historic manuscripts, artefacts and artworks alongside contemporary material, including a new piece by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and a series of short films featuring grass-roots gardening organisation Coco Collective
  • Series of events starring Jamaica Kincaid, Olivia Laing, Beth Orton, Adam Frost, Poppy Okotcha, Zakia Sewell and Matthew Herbert at the British Library
    Exhibition accompanied by displays at 30 public libraries across the UK and a new book featuring 10 original garden designs by award-winning designers and landscape architects including Harry Holding, Tonkin Liu, Grow to Know and Sarah Eberle
  • Unearthed: The Power of Gardening (2 May – 10 August 2025), a major new exhibition exploring the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening in Britain and the impact it has on people, communities and the environment, opens at the British Library this week.

From botanical gardens and allotments to windowsills and green community spaces, Unearthed reveals how the act of gardening can promote healing and wellbeing, forge closer communities, refresh neglected spaces and drive social change. The exhibition delves into the evolution of gardening practices, the movement of plants through the British Empire and looks ahead to how gardening might alleviate the impact of climate change on the natural world.

Unearthed also considers the role gardening has played in social and political movements, from the Diggers and True Levellers protesting the Enclosure Acts during the English Civil War, to the Garden City movement of the early 20th century, and up to the present day where guerilla gardeners use seed bombs to plant flowers in neglected urban spaces.

Highlighting the Library’s rich horticultural and botanical collections, exhibits will include:

  • The only surviving illustrated collection of herbal remedies from Anglo-Saxon England (around 1000–25)
  • Handwritten plans and records by renowned gardeners, including Beth Chatto’s notes for transforming a car park in Essex into a gravel garden (1991) on loan from the
  • Archive of Garden Design, Garden Museum and John Evelyn’s sketch showing the tools he thought a gardener should have (about 1660-80)
  • The first English gardening manual, A Most Briefe and Pleasaunte Treatise by Thomas Hill (1563)
  • One of the finest botanical works ever produced, The Hortus Eystettensis (1613), which revolutionised the representation of plants
  • A portrait of John Ystumllyn, one of Britain’s earliest known Black gardeners, painted in 1754 and on loan from a private collection, care of Anthony Mould Ltd.
  • One of two surviving 19th-century Victorian Wardian cases in the UK, which were invented to keep plants alive on long sea voyages by creating a protective environment of constant humidity, on loan from the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • The first mechanical lawnmower (1832), reportedly tested by its inventor Edwin Budding at night to avoid ridicule from his neighbours, on loan from Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd.
  • Gardening boots belonging to horticulturalist and designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) loaned by Guildford Heritage Service, Guildford Borough Council
  • Striking examples of botanical art from across the world, including paintings of honeysuckle (about 1806) and waterlilies (about 1798–1805) from India and drawings of flowers, plants and fruits native to China (about 1701)
  • The Prisoner’s Herbal (2019) by activist Nicole Rose who was imprisoned during the 2010s, in which Rose identifies weeds commonly found in prison yards, such as dandelions and nettles, and explores how they can be used as herbal remedies and in cooking

Unearthed will showcase a series of new short films produced in collaboration with Coco Collective, a grass-roots gardening organisation with two Afro-diaspora led community gardens in London. The films explore the links between food growing and wellbeing practices, consider gardens as a way to reclaim space and build community, and examine the legacies of empire on plant cultivation and the importance of embracing ancestral knowledge.

The exhibition culminates within a specially commissioned video installation by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Expanding on her award-winning interspecies artwork Pollinator Pathmaker, which transforms how we see gardens and who they are designed for, Ginsberg depicts the British Library’s piazza on Euston Road from the perspective of foraging insects. Visitors will encounter a simulated landscape of Ginsberg’s digital plant paintings that switch between human view and the artist’s ‘pollinator vision’ filter. Drawing upon the utopian world Ginsberg has created within the Pollinator Pathmaker software, the work challenges us to change our perception.

Sustainability is at the core of Unearthed with the design and build having been guided by practices aimed at reducing environmental impact, with the Library measuring the carbon emissions of an exhibition for the first time. Most of the materials used in the build are bio-based and the exhibition was designed to easily disassemble for more efficient re-use and recycling.

Maddy Smith, lead curator of Unearthed: The Power of Gardening at the British Library, said: ‘Gardening is much more than simply ‘the nation’s favourite pastime’; it has the power to change people’s lives in many different ways. Gardening connects us to our past, grounds us in the present and encourages us to look ahead to the future. It is often the expansive gardens of stately homes that spring to mind when we think of historic gardens, but people from all walks of life are, and have been, gardeners. I hope the stories and voices in this exhibition, drawn from the Library’s rich horticultural collections, will take root in the minds of visitors and inspire them, whether they are gardeners or not.’

Accompanying publication and free display

A new book, Gardens of the Future: Unique Visions for a Changing World, edited by Ruth Chivers with a foreword by Olivia Laing, features 10 original garden designs by acclaimed designers and landscape architects Harry Holding, Eelco Hooftman of GROSS. MAX., Tom Massey, Ann-Marie Powell, Tonkin Liu, Nelson Byrd Woltz, Andy Sturgeon, Sophia Kaplan and Lauren Camilleri of Leaf Supply, Sarah Eberle and Grow to Know. The newly imagined designs are also on display in the Library’s free Entrance Hall Gallery for the duration of the exhibition.

Events programme

There will be a programme of events featuring writers Jamaica Kincaid and Olivia Laing in conversation (2 May), a two day takeover of the British Library Piazza for The Great Garden Fete (6-7 June) with stalls, live music and a talks programme from the Royal Horticultural Society, The Night Garden Party (6 June) with a special acoustic performance by Beth Orton, plus DJs Zakia Sewell and Matthew Herbert; the Gardens and Empires conference (27-28 June) and an evening with Adam Frost and Poppy Okotcha (10 July), with more to be revealed.

Free displays at public libraries across the UK

Inspired by the exhibition, there will be panel displays and events at 30 libraries across the UK, arranged through the Living Knowledge Network, showcasing their own collections, local green spaces and sustainability initiatives.

The exhibition is supported by a donation made in memory of Melvin R Seiden, with thanks to Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust for additional support.

Surrey Wildlife Trust – Free Training Courses for Community Groups

May-June 2025

We are very pleased to confirm that Surrey Wildlife Trust is offering a limited number of FREE places to Surrey based community groups on each of the courses listed below. There are still places available on these courses.

Reptiles of Surrey

Friday 9th May, Witley Centre, 10am-3pm

Join Senior Ecologist Jamel Guenioui and discover the unique world of Surrey’s reptile community before going in search of them in Witley Common. Witley Common is one of the best places to potentially see all of our native reptile species.

You will:

  • Learn about each species in the classroom

  • Explore the local heathland to look for reptiles

  • Learn how to use wildlife keys to accurately identify reptile species

Amphibians

Friday 16th & Saturday 17th May, 6pm and 10am, Nower Wood

This course is run over 2 days by the SWT Ecology Services team.

On Friday evening you will:

  • Learn about the ecology of a variety of amphibians

  • Discover an overview of survey techniques

  • Conduct a torch survey in the ponds of Nower Wood

Survey & Recording Techniques for Beginners

Friday 30th May, Nower Wood, 10am-3pm

Discover why and how to accurately survey and record a variety of species. This course is ideal for those who have recently taken on the maintenance of a plot of land or simply have a general interest the natural world.

You will be taught how to accurately collect data through surveys to create a base line. From this you will be shown how to capture and record that information which will help to determine the status of a species.

Wildflower ID

Thursday 19th June, Nower Wood, 10am-3pm

Gain valuable insight into identifying wildflowers from an expert ecologist.

You will:

  • Spend the morning in the classroom learning how to use wildflower guides and identification techniques

  • Use your new knowledge at the diverse chalk grassland habitat of Headley Warren

  • Enjoy a picnic surrounded by the beauty of this wildflower meadow

This is the perfect day for newcomers just learning how to identify plants as well as those looking to further develop their wildflower knowledge.

How to book

To book your space free of charge, please contact Sue O’Regan with your name, email address, phone number, and community group name at adult.learning@surreywt.org.uk

Alessandra Valsecchi will be giving a talk about Growing Grapevines to the National Vegetable Society Surrey District Association on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at East Horsley Village Hall

The National Vegetable Society Surrey District Association are looking forward to welcoming Vineyard Manager and Vine Expert, Alessandra Valsecchi to their meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Avenue, East Horsley, Leatherhead, Surrey KT24 6QT.   Expert, Alessandra Valsecchi will be giving an informative talk on Growing Grapevines.   Entry is free for National Vegetable Society members, £1 for members of affiliated societies, £2 for RHS Students, and £3 for visitors – everyone is very welcome to attend this interesting and informative talk.

The National Vegetable Society Surrey District Association are a small, friendly group of keen vegetable growers.  Members grow a wide range of edible plants in their gardens and allotments.  Our members range from new gardeners, all the way through to experienced, expert, and professional growers.  New members, visitors, and guests, are always welcome at the National Vegetable Society Surrey group’s talks, meetings, shows, and events.

Squire’s Garden Centres invite Garden Lovers to Attend their Summer Hanging Basket Masterclasses on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at all their Garden Centres!

Squire’s Garden Centres invite garden lovers to attend their Summer Hanging Basket Masterclasses at 10am and again at 2pm on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at all of Squire’s Garden Centres.  All of Squire’s Garden Centres (excluding Chertsey) will be offering this special Masterclass.  Participants will craft a vibrant hanging display, learning how to expertly layer a selection of trailing and upright plants with a striking centrepiece bloom, such as a scented geranium or fuchsia.  The session will also cover essential watering, feeding, and pruning techniques to keep baskets flourishing all season long.

Tickets cost £30 per person, which includes the planted basket, a free tea or coffee voucher to enjoy in Squire’s Café Bar, plus 10% off all plants in-store on the day.  Spaces are limited for these events and so early booking is recommended.  Visit squiresgardencentres.co.uk to secure your place.

George Lockwood will be giving a talk about Flowers in the Garden Year Round to Ascot Horticultural Society on Wednesday 14th May 2025

On Wednesday 14th May 2025, George Lockwood will be giving a talk about Flowers in the Garden, Year Round to Ascot Horticultural Society at King Edward’s Hall, King Edward’s Road, Ascot, SL5 8PD.  Doors open at 7.45pm.  Entrance is £1 for members and £3 for visitors, which includes refreshments.

Haslemere Manor is holding an NGS Open Day on the 18th May 2025

Visit Grayshott Hidden Gardens from 12 noon until 6pm on Sunday 25th May 2025 and Monday 26th May 2025

Over 35 gardens and attractions are opening their gates for this special event, so take the opportunity to explore these beautiful gardens, set amongst National Trust land.  Whether you want ideas on how to transform a new build plot, or you wish to experience the amazing views Grayshott gardens offer, or just be inspired, then this two-day event is worth the trip.  There’s plenty to interest all the family, with a wide range of attractions, including a working forge, an outdoor educational venue for kids to enjoy, hunt the garden fairy, and a photography competition.  There’s an easy access trail for wheelchairs and pushchairs.  Tickets at £7.50 each (kids go free) are available in advance on the website from April 20th or buy tickets on the day.  The gardens open from 12 noon until 6pm both days.

Ecolocal’s Plant Health One Day Workshop is on Saturday 31st May 2025!

Grayswood Open Gardens is from 11.30am until 4.30pm on Sunday 1st June 2025!

Grayswood is proud to open its gardens for the 7th time.  Eleven private gardens will be opening for this special event.  There will also be a display of Classic Cars at Grayswood Cars, yummy teas and home-made cakes at the village hall, and a bumper plant sale on the green for visitors to snap up some bargains!

The open gardens are a mix of large (Grayswood House, Clammer Hill House, The Old Coach House) and small, ranging from formal to cottage style (Wyck House).  Many gardens are terraced.  Visitors can admire some interesting designs at Pegasus and Findings Cottage.

The modernist White House (rare Grade II* listing) was built in 1933.  The formal gardens remain true to the original.  There are flat lawns surrounded by modernist rectangular beds; the sculptural concrete driveway island links to a wildlife pool encased by a concrete pagoda.

Near the Wheatsheaf, down a small lane is Little Hollow.  The garden reflects the artist owner’s creativity and gardening know how.  Behind the house is a large patio edged with glorious beds.  The studio lies alongside a large pond with a water feature, beyond is a lovely view across the woodland.

Along Lower Road is the AppArt Sculpture Garden.  It has espalier and fan fruit trees, raised vegetable beds, and a bright red pergola festooned with roses and clematis.  The sculptures are added to each year and make wonderful features.

Along The Klondyke is No. 3.  This small garden packs a big punch!  Careful design blends with a riot of planting among far eastern artefacts – it’s truly a one off.

Opening for the first time for Grayswood Open Gardens is the Manor House, 3 Gates Lane.  Set in 6 acres with fine views, an impressive show of azaleas and wisteria; water gardens and a magnificent rose garden.

The gardens will be open from 11.30am until 4.30pm.  Tickets cost £6, on sale at Wyck House and the village hall.
https://www.facebook.com/grayswoodopengardens or email: grayswoodopengardens@gmail.com

Ecolocal’s Microgreens Course is on Saturday 7th June 2025!

Everyone is Welcome to Enter Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society’s Early Summer Show on Saturday 13th June 2025!

Everyone is welcome to enter Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society‘s Early Summer Show on Saturday 13th June 2025 at The Winn Hall, Dunsfold Common Road, Dunsfold, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 4AJ.  The show opens to the public at 2pm; if you’re interested in entering please email chairdhhs@gmail.com for more information.

Ecolocal’s Summer Currant Pruning Course is on Saturday 28th June 2025!

Our Surrey Horticultural Federation 2025 Garden Visit is to Lower House, Bowlhead Green in Godalming on Sunday 29th June 2025

Our 2025 Surrey Horticultural Federation Garden Visit is on Sunday 29thJune 2025 to ‘Lower House’, Bowlhead Green, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 6NW (By very kind permission of Georgina Harvey).

This large private garden will be open on this day exclusively for SHF Clubs.

Garden entry from 2pm to 4.30pm  

Teas Available on the Terrace

Entry £8 each, which will be donated to the owner’s charity. Free parking and plants for sale.

Gertrude Jekyll’s 1916 plans resonate throughout the garden with recent additions. Topiary area with Buxus and white roses, and climate change areas of drought-resistant, pest and disease-free species. Many unusual shrubs, trees, and roses, kitchen garden and greenhouses. Routes available for wheelchair users.

 To find it:-  Take the main A3 south from Guildford, leaving at the Thursley/Bowlhead Green junction (shortly before the tunnel), then follow Bowlhead Green sign left into French Lane and approx. 1 mile until the small green.  Turn left into Lower House Lane and follow until the end.  Alternatively, take the A 286 from Milford to Brook, then follow Bowlhead Green signs, turning right at the small green.  Both ways are very narrow roads, please take care!

Do you need certificates for your Flower Show?

The Surrey Horticultural Federation Certificates of Merit are available from our Chairman, Janet Arm.  If you would like to receive Certificates of Merit, please post an A4 or Foolscap sized, stamped addressed envelope with a large second class stamp (£1.55) to Janet Arm at Redleaf Nursery, Green Lane, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2AP.

Spreadsheets for Show Cards

John Manches has devised a special computer spreadsheet to cope with printing show entry cards and adding up the points won for cup presentations.  If any Surrey Horticultural Federation Clubs and Societies are interested in receiving John’s template, please contact John by email at: johnmanches74@gmail.com or phone 01252-702752.

Sunday Gardening Programme on BBC Radio Surrey

Don’t miss the Sunday Gardening programme on BBC Radio Surrey from 10:30am until 12 noon.  Each week, the show have a segment where they promote gardening events in the local community; from talks to workshops, from fairs to meet-ups.  No matter if it’s big or small, ticketed or free, the team want to hear from you and your society about what events you’ve got planned.

If you have any events to promote, then get in touch via email: Sunday.gardening@bbc.co.uk.  It’s possible you could also have the opportunity to come on the programme and tell the listeners about your group and what it is you do.

Additionally, please do let your members know that if they ever have any gardening questions, they can reach out to the Sunday Gardening programme via email Sunday.gardening@bbc.co.uk or call the team from 10am on Sundays on 0800 587 1046.  The Sunday Gardening programme are joined every week by a gardening expert who is ready to answer any question you may have.

Report Asian Hornet Sightings

I am sharing this early, to allow you to have time to share this information with your members, so they’re informed and prepared, ready for summer.  Asian Hornets have been sighted in the UK in recent years.  Why does this matter?  The Asian Hornet is highly aggressive predator of our native insects; entomologists feel that the Asian Hornet poses a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators.

Two Asian hornet nests were found in Surrey in September 2023.  The nests were subsequently destroyed by experts from DEFRA.   Keep up to date with Asian hornet sightings by clicking here.

If you think you’ve seen an Asian Hornet, take a photo if you can.  Please take care and do not disturb an active nest.   Members of the public who suspect they have found an Asian Hornet should report it to the NNSS through their online form or by emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

A free ID sheet is available from the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS).  Click here to view detailed pictures to help you correctly identify an Asian Hornet.

Speaker Feedback

Has a speaker given a talk to your society over the past few months?  Please share your confidential feedback by emailing me your thoughts, both positive and negative on the speakers you booked last year, and I will share your feedback privately (via email) with the other clubs that are members of the SHF – thank you.  My email is beth@pumpkinbeth.com.
NB: Speaker feedback is private and confidential and is not to be shared with anyone other than your group’s programme secretary. 

Publicising Your Club or Society’s Events

If your club or society is a fully paid up member of the Surrey Horticultural Federation, I will be delighted to add your society or club’s events to our website. Please email me, beth@pumpkinbeth.com.  To successfully publicise your event, I need to know:

  • What date your event takes place.
  • What time your event starts.
  • Where your event is held.
  • What type of event you’re holding?  If it’s a talk, please let me know the name of the speaker and their talk title.
  • Finally, I need to know the entrance fee for non-members and visitors.

Do You Have Anything You Would Like Me to Add to the Next Surrey Horticultural Federation Newsletter?

If you are a member of the Surrey Horticultural Federation and you have something you would like me to add to the next newsletter or an event you would like me to add to the website, please contact me, Beth Otway, the Surrey Horticultural Federation’s Website & Events Secretary – my email is beth@pumpkinbeth.com.

On behalf of our Chairperson Janet Arm, Our Membership Secretary and Treasurer, Katharine Deaville, and all the Surrey Horticultural Federation Council, I’d like to send you our very best wishes.

Kind regards
Beth

Beth Otway
Website & Events Secretary
Surrey Horticultural Federation

Upcoming Events:

May 2025
Thu 1-May-2025 Greek Roadside Weeds: a talk by Paul Whitlock The Alpine Garden Society Woking – West Surrey Group Hamish Sinclair 01483 487463
Fri 2-May-2025 Viticulture in the South of England: a talk by Alessandra Valsecchi Woodham & New Haw Horticultural Club Louise Clubley 07843 962421
Fri 2-May-2025 Clematis and Climbers: a talk by Everett Leeds Lightwater Gardening Club Ms. Lynn Bull 01276-502497
Sat 3-May-2025 Ashford Horticultural Society Plant Fair Ashford Horticultural Society Mr. B. Muggeridge 01784-254986
Sat 3-May-2025 Brockham Green Horticultural Society’s Annual Plant Sale Brockham Green Horticultural Society Ruth Johnson 01737 842691
Sun 4-May-2025 Plant Heritage Plant Fair at Denbies Wine Estate Plant Heritage, Surrey Group (NCCPG) Wendy Bentall 01276-858256
Sun 4-May-2025 Growing Redhill: Planters Working Party Reigate Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Sun 4-May-2025 Capel Horticultural Society Spring Litter Pick Capel Horticultural Society David Silliman
Mon 5-May-2025 Send Gardening Society Plant Sale at The May Fair Send Gardening Society Fiona Collett 01483 765730
Mon 5-May-2025 Interesting Plants and Bulbs: a talk by Souren Ala Oakley Gardening Club Ms. Maureen Dallaway 01256-780788
Mon 5-May-2025 Yateley and District Gardening Society Plant Stall at the May Fayre on the Green Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Tue 6-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Looking after the planters and tidying up the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 6-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 7-May-2025 A talk by Timothy Walker Wonersh and District Garden Club Mrs. H. Goodridge 01483-535108
Wed 7-May-2025 Storrington Horticultural Society: Outing to Furzey Garden and Exbury Garden Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Wed 7-May-2025 Companion Planting: a talk by Belinda Allen Witley Gardening Association Christine Cox
Thu 8-May-2025 A talk by Sheila Das Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Cynthia Reilly 07790 273225
Thu 8-May-2025 Yateley and District Gardening Society Private Visit to a Japanese Garden in Fleet Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Fri 9-May-2025 Bees, Wasps & Hornets: a talk by Tony Lack Froyle Gardening Club Madeleine Dowding 01420-85530
Sat 10-May-2025 Thursley Horticultural Society Plant Sale Thursley Horticultural Society Mrs. Pat Clake 01252-706869
Sat 10-May-2025 Grayshott Gardeners’ Plant Sale Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Sat 10-May-2025 Onslow Village Garden Club Plant Sale Onslow Village Garden Club Mrs Anne Bradbeer 01483 563421
Sat 10-May-2025 Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Plant Sale Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Cynthia Reilly 07790 273225
Sat 10-May-2025 Dunsfold & Hascombe Plant Sale at Dunsfold Village Fete Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Paul Goudie
Sat 10-May-2025 Plant Heritage Surrey Group Visit to the Mathers Foundation Orchid collection Plant Heritage, Surrey Group (NCCPG) Wendy Bentall 01276-858256
Sat 10-May-2025 Woldingham and District Horticultural Society Spring Plant Sale Woldingham and District Horticultural Society Heather Stark 0790 1944 381
Sat 10-May-2025 Elstead Garden Club’s Plant Sale Elstead Garden Club Mrs. Alison Gravett 01252-703318
Sat 10-May-2025 Capel Horticultural Society Plant Sale Capel Horticultural Society David Silliman
Sun 11-May-2025 Plant Fair at Borde Hill Garden Plant Heritage, Surrey Group (NCCPG) Wendy Bentall 01276-858256
Mon 12-May-2025 Secrets of Garden Design: a talk by Nick Turrell Elstead Garden Club Mrs. Alison Gravett 01252-703318
Tue 13-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 13-May-2025 Dahlias: a talk by Darren Everest Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Wed 14-May-2025 Dahlias: a talk by Darren Everest Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Wed 14-May-2025 Growing Grapevines: a talk by Expert, Alessandra Valsecchi National Vegetable Society (NVS) Surrey District Association Beth Otway
Wed 14-May-2025 Banstead Horticultural Society Coach Trip to Ramster and Wisley Gardens Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Wed 14-May-2025 Yateley and District Gardening Society Private Visit to a Japanese Garden in Fleet Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Wed 14-May-2025 Flowers in the Garden Year Round: a talk by George Lockwood Ascot Horticultural Society Mrs Lindsey Payne 07847511361
Thu 15-May-2025 Plant Trials with the RHS: a talk by Steven Edney from No Name Nursery (with plants for sale) New Society Gardening Club (Camberley) Sarah Wesley 07400 850876
Fri 16-May-2025 RSPB Pulborough: a talk by John Oliver Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Sat 17-May-2025 Churt Horticultural & Produce Society Flower Arranging with Elizabeth Barralet Churt Horticultural & Produce Society (CHAPS) Mandy Martin
Sat 17-May-2025 Woodham and New Haw Horticultural Club Plant Sale and the Silver Club Cake Sale Woodham & New Haw Horticultural Club Louise Clubley 07843 962421
Sat 17-May-2025 Gardeners, Cooks, Flower Arrangers and Crafters Questions Caterham & District Horticultural Society Mrs. Karen Murray
Sat 17-May-2025 Horsley Garden Society Plant Sale Horsley Garden Society Terry Lazenby
Sat 17-May-2025 Newdigate Plant Sale Newdigate Horticultural Society Jen Warans
Sat 17-May-2025 Caterham & District Horticultural Society: Cuppa at the Community Garden Caterham & District Horticultural Society Mrs. Karen Murray
Sun 18-May-2025 Fernhurst Horticultural Society Plant Stall at Fernhurst Revels Fernhurst Horticultural Society John Hargrove 01428-641896
Mon 19-May-2025 Gardening with a Bad Back: a talk by Christian Dupont Basingstoke Horticultural Society Mr. Philip Wraight 01256-324185
Tue 20-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Looking after the planters and tidying up the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 20-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 21-May-2025 Dahlias: a talk by Mark Saunders Onslow Village Garden Club Mrs Anne Bradbeer 01483 563421
Wed 21-May-2025 Aspects of Fuchsias: a talk by Carol Gubler Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society Christine Hockham 01243 824726
Wed 21-May-2025 The Musings of a Garden Designer: a talk by Simon Horrill Cheam and Cuddington Horticultural Society Mr. N. Clarke 0208-644-9291
Thu 22-May-2025 A History of Allotments: a talk with Dr Judith Hill Epsom Garden Society Catherine Flitter 07821-277708
Thu 22-May-2025 Kingston, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Self-drive Trip to Visit Shamley Wood Estate Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Mr. K.G.Lewis 01737-210707
Sat 24-May-2025 Banstead Horticultural Society Mini Show and Open Day Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Sun 25-May-2025 Grayshott Hidden Gardens Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Sun 25-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Looking after the planters and tidying up the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Mon 26-May-2025 Grayshott Hidden Gardens Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Tue 27-May-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 27-May-2025 The Development Of Millais Nursery: a talk by Daniel Turner Milford Horticultural & Gardening Society Mr Stewart Miskimmin 01483-421509
June 2025
Sun 1-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill: Planters Working Party at Reigate Station Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Sun 1-Jun-2025 Grayswood Open Gardens Witley Gardening Association Christine Cox
Mon 2-Jun-2025 How Merstham Horticultural Society Began: a talk by the committee Merstham Horticultural Society
Mon 2-Jun-2025 Secrets of Chelsea: a talk by Pip Bensley Oakley Gardening Club Ms. Maureen Dallaway 01256-780788
Tue 3-Jun-2025 Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Visit to Dunsfold Centenary Open Gardens Tour I Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Paul Goudie
Tue 3-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Looking after the planters and tidying up the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 3-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 4-Jun-2025 Wonersh & District Garden Club Members Visit to a Chinthurst Lodge, Wonersh Wonersh and District Garden Club Mrs. H. Goodridge 01483-535108
Wed 4-Jun-2025 National Trust Gardens: a talk by Paul Whittle Send Gardening Society Fiona Collett 01483 765730
Fri 6-Jun-2025 Monet: Painter & Gardener: a talk by John Hughes Woodham & New Haw Horticultural Club Louise Clubley 07843 962421
Fri 6-Jun-2025 Super Seasonal Display Ideas: a talk by Mark Saunders Lightwater Gardening Club Ms. Lynn Bull 01276-502497
Sat 7-Jun-2025 Headley Open Gardens: Through the Garden Gate Headley Horticultural Society Mrs. Jill Howard-Duff 01428-714073
Sun 8-Jun-2025 Headley Open Gardens: Through the Garden Gate Headley Horticultural Society Mrs. Jill Howard-Duff 01428-714073
Tue 10-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 10-Jun-2025 Aquatics for All: a talk by Paul Patton Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Wed 11-Jun-2025 Sissinghurst – Growing the garden and the Gardeners: a talk by Paul Mooncie-Dunmall Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Wed 11-Jun-2025 Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society’s Outing to Pashley Manor Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society Christine Hockham 01243 824726
Wed 11-Jun-2025 Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Visit to Dunsfold Centenary Open Gardens Tour II Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Paul Goudie
Wed 11-Jun-2025 Storrington Horticultural Society: Outing to Oxford Botanical Garden and Waterperry gardens Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Thu 12-Jun-2025 Beekeeping: a talk by Richard Emmett Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Cynthia Reilly 07790 273225
Thu 12-Jun-2025 Yateley and District Gardening Society Coach Trip to Hever Castle, Edenbridge, Kent Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Thu 12-Jun-2025 Visit to Fittleworth House with Guided Tour by Mark Saunders (Head Gardener at Fittleworth House) Churt Horticultural & Produce Society (CHAPS) Mandy Martin
Sat 14-Jun-2025 Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Early Summer Show Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Paul Goudie
Sat 14-Jun-2025 Caterham & District Horticultural Society Plant Sale at Caterham Carnival Caterham & District Horticultural Society Mrs. Karen Murray
Sat 14-Jun-2025 Epsom Garden Society’s Annual Garden and Craft Show Epsom Garden Society Catherine Flitter 07821-277708
Sat 14-Jun-2025 Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Celebrate Magna Carta Day (at the High Street in Egham) Egham Gardens and Allotment Association Cynthia Reilly 07790 273225
Mon 16-Jun-2025 Basingstoke Horticultural Society Garden Visit Basingstoke Horticultural Society Mr. Philip Wraight 01256-324185
Tue 17-Jun-2025 My Life in Gardening: a talk by Gerald Smith Esher and Molesey Garden Society Ann Beauchamp 02089791415
Tue 17-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Looking after the planters and tidying up the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 17-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 18-Jun-2025 Witley Gardening Association & Milford Horticultural Society Visit to Witley Manor Witley Gardening Association Christine Cox
Wed 18-Jun-2025 Thursley Horticultural Society Members’ Rose and Rosé Wine Evening Thursley Horticultural Society Mrs. Pat Clake 01252-706869
Wed 18-Jun-2025 Onslow Village Garden Club’s Summer Show Onslow Village Garden Club Mrs Anne Bradbeer 01483 563421
Wed 18-Jun-2025 Growing Dahlias the Withypitts Way: a talk by Richard Ramsay Cheam and Cuddington Horticultural Society Mr. N. Clarke 0208-644-9291
Thu 19-Jun-2025 New Society Gardening Club’s Summer Outing New Society Gardening Club (Camberley) Sarah Wesley 07400 850876
Fri 20-Jun-2025 Apuldram Roses: a talk by Elizabeth Sawday Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Sat 21-Jun-2025 Banstead Horticultural Society Early Summer Flower Show Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Sat 21-Jun-2025 Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Gardener’s Delight – Open Gardens Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Mr. K.G.Lewis 01737-210707
Sat 21-Jun-2025 Caterham & District Horticultural Society: Cuppa at the Community Garden Caterham & District Horticultural Society Mrs. Karen Murray
Sun 22-Jun-2025 Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Gardener’s Delight – Open Gardens Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Mr. K.G.Lewis 01737-210707
Sun 22-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Tidying up and Weeding the areas by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 24-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 24-Jun-2025 Super Seasonal Displays: a talk by Mark Saunders Milford Horticultural & Gardening Society Mr Stewart Miskimmin 01483-421509
Wed 25-Jun-2025 Hardy Geraniums by Jacqueline Aviolet Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society Christine Hockham 01243 824726
Sat 28-Jun-2025 Growing Redhill AGM with Refreshments Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Sat 28-Jun-2025 Kingswood, Walton & Tadworth Horticultural Society Early Summer Show Kingswood, Walton, & Tadworth Horticultural Society Mr. K.G.Lewis 01737-210707
Sat 28-Jun-2025 Milford Horticultural Society Summer Show Milford Horticultural & Gardening Society Mr Stewart Miskimmin 01483-421509
Sun 29-Jun-2025 Surrey Horticultural Federation Garden Visit to Lower House, Bowlhead Green, Godalming Surrey Horticultural Federation Ms. Beth Otway
July 2025
Tue 1-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Planting up the areas and Looking after the Planters by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 1-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 2-Jul-2025 Wonersh & District Garden Club Members Visit to TBC Wonersh and District Garden Club Mrs. H. Goodridge 01483-535108
Fri 4-Jul-2025 Churt Horticultural and Produce Society Roses and Rosé Evening Churt Horticultural & Produce Society (CHAPS) Mandy Martin
Fri 4-Jul-2025 Flower Arranging: a talk by Debbie Eley Lightwater Gardening Club Ms. Lynn Bull 01276-502497
Sat 5-Jul-2025 Froyle Fete & Flower Show Froyle Gardening Club Madeleine Dowding 01420-85530
Sat 5-Jul-2025 Elstead Garden Club Summer Show Elstead Garden Club Mrs. Alison Gravett 01252-703318
Sat 5-Jul-2025 Banstead Horticultural Society will be holding a Plant Sale at Banstead Village Fair Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Sat 5-Jul-2025 Woldingham and District Horticultural Society Summer Flower and Produce Show Woldingham and District Horticultural Society Heather Stark 0790 1944 381
Sat 5-Jul-2025 Fernhurst Horticultural Society Summer Propagation Workshop with Alan Horgan Fernhurst Horticultural Society John Hargrove 01428-641896
Sun 6-Jul-2025 Wonersh & District Gardening Club’s Plant Sale at Wonersh Fair Wonersh and District Garden Club Mrs. H. Goodridge 01483-535108
Mon 7-Jul-2025 Merstham Horticultural Society Plant Swap and Social Evening Merstham Horticultural Society
Mon 7-Jul-2025 Oakley Gardening Club Garden Visit Oakley Gardening Club Ms. Maureen Dallaway 01256-780788
Tue 8-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 8-Jul-2025 Herbaceous Borders: a talk by Geoff Hawkins Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Wed 9-Jul-2025 Wildflower Meadows Old and New: a talk by Souren Ala Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Wed 9-Jul-2025 Tips and Tricks to Perfect Cookery Entries with Ann Thomas Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Wed 9-Jul-2025 Witley Gardening Association Visit to PlantPassion in Clandon Witley Gardening Association Christine Cox
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Ewhurst Horticultural Society Summer Show Ewhurst Horticultural Society Mrs. Anne Dyball 07980 122530
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Grayshott Gardeners’ Summer Show Grayshott Gardeners Sue Wheeler 07719 457821
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Horsley Garden Society Summer Show Horsley Garden Society Terry Lazenby
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society: Hascombe Centenary Open Gardens Tour Dunsfold & Hascombe Horticultural Society Paul Goudie
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Ashford Horticultural Society Summer Show Ashford Horticultural Society Mr. B. Muggeridge 01784-254986
Sat 12-Jul-2025 Yateley and District Gardening Society Visit to Jackie Corrall’s Garden Yateley and District Gardening Society Mrs. Julia Dobbin 01252-870533
Mon 14-Jul-2025 The Therapy Garden: a talk by Stella Diamond Elstead Garden Club Mrs. Alison Gravett 01252-703318
Tue 15-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Planting up the areas and Looking after the Planters by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 15-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Wed 16-Jul-2025 Planning and Planting a Border: a talk by Geoff Hawkins Onslow Village Garden Club Mrs Anne Bradbeer 01483 563421
Wed 16-Jul-2025 Fuchsias: a talk by Carol Gubler Epsom Garden Society Catherine Flitter 07821-277708
Wed 16-Jul-2025 A Lifetime with Roses: a talk by Catherine and David May from Seale Roses Thursley Horticultural Society Mrs. Pat Clake 01252-706869
Wed 16-Jul-2025 Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society’s Outing to Painshill Park Wallington, Carshalton and Beddington Horticultural Society Christine Hockham 01243 824726
Wed 16-Jul-2025 Storrington Horticultural Society: Outing to Waddesdon Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Thu 17-Jul-2025 How to Turn your Garden into a Space that Benefits Butterflies and Moths: a talk by Bill Downey New Society Gardening Club (Camberley) Sarah Wesley 07400 850876
Fri 18-Jul-2025 Carnivorous Plants: a talk by Don Fitzgerald Storrington Horticultural Society Janet Webber
Sat 19-Jul-2025 Cheam & Cuddington Horticultural Society’s Summer Show Cheam and Cuddington Horticultural Society Mr. N. Clarke 0208-644-9291
Sat 19-Jul-2025 Caterham & District Horticultural Society: Cuppa at the Community Garden Caterham & District Horticultural Society Mrs. Karen Murray
Mon 21-Jul-2025 Shrubs: the Backbone of your Garden: a talk by Geoff Hawkins Basingstoke Horticultural Society Mr. Philip Wraight 01256-324185
Tue 22-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 22-Jul-2025 Milford Horticultural Society Social Evening Milford Horticultural & Gardening Society Mr Stewart Miskimmin 01483-421509
Sat 26-Jul-2025 Banstead Horticultural Society Summer Flower Show Banstead Horticultural Society Gail Fraser 01737-356576
Sat 26-Jul-2025 Plant Heritage Surrey Group Propagation Day Plant Heritage, Surrey Group (NCCPG) Wendy Bentall 01276-858256
Sat 26-Jul-2025 Capel Horticultural Society Allotments Competition Capel Horticultural Society David Silliman
Sun 27-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Planting up the areas and Looking after the Planters by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 29-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Planting up the areas and Looking after the Planters by Merstham Hub for Raven Housing Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086
Tue 29-Jul-2025 Growing Redhill and Surrey Choices: Creating a Bee Friendly Garden for LB’s Bee Keeping Project Growing Redhill Karen Murray 01737 903086

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