May we take this opportunity to wish all our members and readers a merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Our AGM and meeting (members only) will take place on Thursday January 9th, 2020. The AGM  is at 7.30 pm.  Our speaker this month is David Wilkinson on his Favourite Staffordshire Places.

David Wilkinson was Stafford Borough Council Archaeologist until retirement and his talk is a personal choice of some twenty favourite places.

Please note that new car parking charges are coming into force at the beginning of the year – so check before you leave your car for the evening.

Book this month to go on our trip to Colesbourne Gardens to see the snowdrops in February. Full details are on the Events Page.

Our December meeting is on Thursday 12th at the earlier time of 2.30pm – an afternoon tea is included! The speaker is Danny Wells who will talk about the Art of the Christmas Card. Tickets for the Afternoon Tea should be booked in advance, although a limited number will be available on the day, and will cost £3.50.

Danny’s talks, courses and tours celebrate the history of the Victorian age.
There is also a strong focus on the Derbyshire Dales, Staffordshire Moorlands & London’s East End.
His aim is to unlock the past, discovering, stimulating and creating a greater understanding of these areas.

November is Gardenalia month! This meeting on Thursday November 14th is the chance to clear out your shed of surplus equipment or bag a bargain. This ever-popular sale will continue after our talk from David Emley who came in January to talk about Staffordshire wildlife. This month he will present a talk on butterflies of Staffordshire. We are very grateful to David for stepping in at short notice.

Meetings start at 7.45 at the Christ Church Centre in Stone; visitors are welcome and admission is £1.50.

Next month’s meeting starts at 2.30pm with an afternoon tea for which you will need a ticket. Tickets should be bought at this November meeting if at all possible.

Our October meeting is on Thursday October 10th when Don Whitton will talk about Euphorbias. He is a National Collection Holder for this genus and has a keen interest in all perennials. The meeting, held at the Christ Church Centre in Stone, starts at 7.45pm – visitors are welcome and admission is £1.50.

The photo is of Euphorbia mellifera and was taken at Cambridge Botanic Gardens in April.

The 33rd Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society Annual Show takes place on Saturday September 14th at Walton Community Centre, Whitemill Lane, Stone.

The Show open to the public at 2pm and admission is free.

There is ample free parking.

The flowers will be for sale and available for collection at 4pm.

Full details are on our Events page.

Our September meeting is one week early – Thursday 5th September – when Alun and Jill Whitehead will give a talk on the Wild Gardens of Shropshire. They hold a National Collection of Iris and their garden participates in the Open Gardens NGS scheme. The meeting starts at 7.45 at the Christ Church Centre on Christ Church Way in Stone. Admission is £1.50 and visitors are welcome.

Saturday September 14th is the day of our 33rd Annual Open Show. Full details, entry forms and Schedule are available to download on our Events page or you can contact our Chairman Helen Harrison. The Show opens to the public at 2pm and admission is FREE!

We have no meeting in August. Our next meeting is September 5th when Alun and Jill Whitehead from Aulden Farm Nursery will talk about Wild Shropshire Gardens. Note that this is one week early as our 33rd Annual Open Show is being held on Saturday September 14th at Walton Community Centre. Further details are on our Events page where you can also download the entry forms and Schedule.

In the meantime we hope the weather stays fine, enjoy your gardens and visiting the Plant Fairs and gardens locally and further afield – lots of links to places to visit on our Links page. See you in September!