Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society

Our November meeting at the Christ Church Centre features a talk Totally Tulips by Pip Smith – an inspiring lecture on creating colourful spring displays in your own garden.

Pip Smith, formerly Head Gardener at several private and public gardens (most recently at Wollerton Old Hall), is now a garden designer using his previous knowledge and experience to create imaginative, sympathetic and long-lasting designs for private clients.

Our meeting starts at 7.30pm with coffee/tea/biscuit from 6.45pm.

We have had a request from Stone in Bloom who are in search of volunteers – “thoughts and ideas are as welcome as labour” – if you feel you could help in any way they have a meeting on Monday Nov 17th.

Our Gardenalia last month was a success – many thanks to all who cleared out their sheds and brought ‘stuff’ for the rest of us to buy. Some unsold items will make a return to the Sales table this month while anything else left behind was donated to charity shops or to Oak Tree Farm. We have a plant sales table most months so if any members have been splitting their perennials this is the place to sell any surplus and raise a little money.

Don’t forget the Dorothy Clive Garden opening hours change again this month –

1st November 2025 – 28th February 2026 Open – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday  10.00am to 4.00pm (gates close at 4.00pm) Tearoom: 10am to 3.30pm Gift Room: 11am to 3.30pm

If you are up to travelling a little further afield this month there are several gardening events and open gardens to visit:-

Sunday November 9th the Late Chrysanthemum Show comes to RHS Bridgewater or visit Gresgarth Hall, Caton, Lancs., LA2 9NB – autumn colour in the gardens of Arabella Lennox-Boyd.

Saturday – Sunday November 15-16 Ralph Court Garden, Edwyn Ralph, Bromyard, HR7 4LU is open under the NGS – plants for sale plus refreshments; admission £15.

Sunday November 30th – Gordale Garden Centre, Burton, South Wirral has a monthly exhibition of bonsai with experts on hand to offer advice.

Our October meeting is on Thursday October 9th with a pre-recorded, illustrated talk on Hydrangeas from Sally Gregson. She ran Mill Cottage Plants nursery for over thirty years specialising in Hydrangea and selling the more unusual, and interesting, species and cultivars of hydrangea and their shade-loving companions. Download a list of plants mentioned in the talk here.

The talk will be preceded by our Gardenalia – a sale of our members’ surplus garden tools, plants, and books. Members will receive an email with further details nearer the time.

RHS Bridgewater has some events coming up in the next few weeks, the first being a “gardening advice talk” on September 24th – Fascinating Fronds, Hardy Ferns.

They have a Plant Fair on October 4-5th and (one for your diaries) November 9th they host the North-West Counties Late-flowering Chrysanthemum Show.

The Dorothy Clive Garden have jsut announced their Autumn opening times: –

1st October 2025 – 31st October 2025 Open every day 10.00am to 4.00pm (gates close at 4.00pm) Tearoom: 10am to 3.30p Gift Room: 11am to 3.30pm

1st November 2025 – 28thFebruary 2026 Open – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday  10.00am to 4.00pm (gates close at 4.00pm) Tearoom: 10am to 3.30pm Gift Room: 11am to 3.30pm

Our next meeting is on Thursday September 11th at 7.30pm. We meet, as usual, at the Christ Church Centre on Christ Church Way, Stone. Jane Allison from Mayfield Plants will be looking at our garden plants from a very different perspective with her talk – It’s a Family Affair – looking at the sometimes surprising family connections between seemingly very different plants. A gold star if you know (without looking!) which family this plant belongs to and what others are related.

You are welcome to arrive from 6.45 to have a cup of tea/coffee, a biscuit and a chance to chat before the meeting – or to buy plants from our sales table.

Our Autumn coach trip is on September 25th and takes us to The National Memorial Arboretum. There are still a few places left so contact Erica or Helen to reserve a place. We will be able to use the Landtrain to travel around the site.

We will continue to collect toiletries for donation to The Hub at our Autumn meetings so try to bring something along with you.

Don’t forget the Plant Hunter’s Fair at Weston Park near Shifnal on Sunday September 7th (you need to buy an advance ticket) and another the following weekend (Sunday September 14th) at Arley Hall near Northwich.

No meeting in August so we are off on our holidays – whether far away or just in our own gardens. If you are staying local then there are a few events and gardens opening that you may not want to miss –

2 – 3 August RHS Bridgewater Summer Bulb Weekend Come along to a fabulous floral weekend. Enjoy vibrant displays, helpful expert advice and specialist nursery stalls from Blue Bell Cottage and Pheasant Acre. RHS Members go free. You don’t have to book for the event, but – this event takes place in the garden. To enter the garden, please pre-book a time slot ahead of your visit.

August 24-25 (Bank Holiday) Plant Hunters Fair. Dorothy Clive Garden. 10am-5pm. admission £5. Lots of other Plant Hunters Fairs in the Midlands this month – see their website for all the details.

There are only a few gardens open under the NGS this month including Yew Trees near Eccleshall, Moat Hall near Shrewsbury, Buntingsdale Park Gardens (group of gardens) near Market Drayton and Goldstone Hall Gardens which are also open on Sept 10^th. Look on the NGS website for all details and for gardens open in other areas – or use the NGS app on your phone.

If you are travelling further afield in the UK and in need of ideas have a look on our Links page to be guided to places to visit. You will also find ideas on our Photos page from previous holidays – please remember to send your garden holiday photos to us to inspire others.

Our next meeting will be on September 11th – more details on our Programme page or come back here later in August.

Our next meeting is on Thursday July 10th at 7.30pm. Our speaker will be Maureen Sawyer and her talk Flower Power considers treasures and other valuables, for long-lasting colour in the garden throughout the year. We meet, as usual, at the Christ Church Centre in Stone.

Before we get to July there are some gardens open locally during June. This weekend – June 21-22nd is Eccleshall Open Gardens which is always worth a visit. Meanwhile for the NGS on Friday (20th) 23 St John’s Road in Stafford is open and The Secret Garden in Little Haywood will open on Friday 27th.

There are two local(ish) Plant Hunters Fairs in June (details on website) – June 22 at Middleton Hall, Tamworth and June 29 at Whittington Castle, Oswestry.

We start July with a very local event. You may remember Ruth Plant came this time last year to give a talk on Dieramas. The National Collection in her garden will be open on July 3^rd, 10 and 17^th at Yew Tree Cottage, Haughton, Stafford ST18 9JR, from 11am – 4pm. Admission is £5.

There are many other gardens open in July for the NGS in Staffordshire as well as the surrounding counties – do have a look on the NGS website for these and gardens open where and when you are on holiday. Yew Trees in Eccleshall opens on weekend July 12/13; and Springfield in Bishops Wood near Stafford opens on the 19^th. then Cheadle Allotments are open on 13^th and The Bungalow, Woodfarm in Tean opens on 20^th. In Shropshire there are many gardens open this month including Hodnet Hall on 6^th and Goldstone Hall on the 9^th.

Also coming up and maybe worth travelling for are the RHS Show at Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham on July 16th and, following our talk from Sarah Haisley last November, you may like to visit the Sweet Pea Society Show, at Wem Town Hall 28-32 High Street SY4 5DG on July 19 – 20 10am – 3pm.

There are no local Plant Hunter Fairs this month but on July 27 there is the Flower Power Fair at Sandon Hall – details on website

At last – some rain! We can almost hear the gardens (and gardeners) sigh with relief and the plants start to grow again.

Our June meeting is on Thursday 12th at the usual time and venue when Stephen Lovell will be giving a talk called Bark, Berry and Leaf – Texture In The Garden, an alternative view – forget flowers and look what else nature provides in the plant kingdom. We will have our Plant Sales table as usual so don’t forget your plants and cash.

The coach trip to Norwell on May 29th is fully booked but add your name to the waiting list as there can be last-minute cancellations.

There are plenty more ‘retail opportunities’ in the next few weeks with plant fairs in our region. At the end of the month Flower Power Fairs will be at Rode Hall, Scholar Green, ST7 3QP. Bank Holiday Monday 26th May, 11am-4pm with home-made refreshments served in the old coach house. Pre-Book Tickets Online via the Rode Hall website. Admission £6.00, Children £3.00.

In June there are Plant Hunters Fairs at Hodnet Hall on the weekend June 7 – 8; Middleton Hall in Tamworth on June 22nd and Whittington Castle near Oswestry on June 29th.

For gardens to visit check in your NGS Yellow Book as there are several open this month including 23 St John’s Road in Stafford on Thursday June 19 – Friday 20th, The Pintles in Great Bridgford on June 8th, and The Secret Garden in Little Haywood on Friday 6th and Friday 27th among many others. There are also several opening not too far away in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire – one of the joys of living close to so many county boundaries – check the NGS website (or app on your phone) for details.

We look forward to seeing you on June 12th at our meeting at 7.30pm in the Christ Church Centre.

We have just been notified that Granville Square and its adjoining roads will be closed from 7pm until 10pm on the evening of May 8th for the Commemoration of VE Day. You can find details of the events on the A Little Bit of Stone website here. To help you we have a map from the Council showing the road closures and diversions which you can download here.

In view of all that will be happening our meeting has been brought forward. Tea and coffee will now be served from 6.15pm and the meeting will start promptly at 6.45pm. Members will receive an email with details beforehand. This should enable you, if you wish, to join the Commemoration events after our meeting.

There’s lots to see and do this month but first – our next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Thursday May 8th at the Christ Church Centre when Dr Michael Jones will introduce us to Carl Linneaus.

May 8^th Dr Michael Jones Carl Linnaeus – Bringing order to the Natural World

This talk explores the life and achievements of the Swedish scientist who has been described as the ‘father of taxonomy’ and the ‘prince of botanists. It is said that more has been written about Linnaeus than any other scientist with the exception of Charles Darwin. Why? The talk will attempt to answer this question. Dr Michael Jones has worked in education, both here in the UK and in Africa, but is now retired from full-time employment as Head of Science at Newman University, Birmingham.

Meanwhile, if your greenhouse is looking a little full, don’t forget our plant sales table every month when Members can bring their surplus and buy something different!

Thursday May 29^th is our Summer Coach trip to Norwell. It is fully booked but add your name to the waiting list as last-minute cancellations do happen.

There are several Plant Hunters Fairs on this month although none of them are on the doorstep. Have a look at the their website if you fancy a day out. Meanwhile Flower Power Fairs have one fair that is perhaps slightly closer to home – Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 2025. Rode Hall, Scholar Green, ST7 3QP. 11am-4pm with home-made refreshments served in the old coach house. Pre-Book Tickets Online via the Rode Hall website at https://www.rodehall.co.uk/. Admission £6.00, Children £3.00.

It is also the month when many more gardens start to open for the NGS. See their website for gardens in Shropshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Local gardens opening this month include 23 St John’s Road in Stafford on Thursday and Friday May 15 and 16, the Secret Garden in Little Haywood on May 20, and The Old Dairy House in Trentham on Sunday and Monday May 25 and 26 (Bank Holiday weekend). Look in your yellow book, use the app or website for details of opening times, costs etc.

Our meeting this month is Thursday April10th in the Christ Church Centre at 7.30pm (tea/coffee and biscuits from 6.45). John Cullen of John Cullen Gardens will tell us about his obsession with Achilleas. His first packets of seeds, from the local garden centre, were marrows and Achillea. There, his love of all things horticultural began. John Cullen Gardens in Lincolnshire specialise in plants for pollinators, as well as culinary and medicinal herbs. The Gardens hold the National Collection of Achillea millefolium and have over 30 medals including Silver at the coveted RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Gold at BBC Gardener’s World Live and the Blenheim Palace Flower Show.

Lots of plant fairs and NGS gardens opening this month within (fairly) easy reach of Stone starting with the Plant Hunters’ Fairs – check on their website for buying tickets.

Sat – Sun 5 – 6 April Weston Park, Shifnal TF11 8LE 10am-4pm Gardens & Fair £5.00 TICKETED

Sun 13 April Middleton Hall, Tamworth B78 2AE 9am-4pm Gardens & Fair £4.00 TICKETED

Fri 18 April Whittington Castle, Oswestry SY11 4DF 10am-4pm Free Entry (P&D Parking)

Sun – Mon 20 – 21 April Dorothy Clive Garden, Market Drayton TF9 4EU 10am-5pm Gardens & Fair £5.00

Flower Power Fairs have a local fair on Sunday April 27th at Sandon Hall, Sandon, Stafford ST18 0DL  (Please use the entrance opposite the Dog and Doublet Inn). Open at 11am.  Last entry to the fair will be 3.30pm. Admission £4.00 (card preferred, but cash welcome). You can also buy ADVANCE TICKETS ON LINE via Sandon Hall’s website.  Don’t forget to bring cash for the plant stands.  

Also at Sandon and also on Sunday April 27th from 2 – 4pm is the Sandon Church Bluebell Walk. “In late April, Sandon Woods is filled with our native British Bluebells. Get some fresh air and join us for one of our famous seasonal walks. Our walk will start at the church and cover around miles*. Waterproof walking boots recommended! Back to the church for tea and cake. £5 per person and no need to book in advance – just turn up on the day.” *Probably about 2 miles is our guesstimate.

Quite a few gardens are opening for NGS this month, although none right on the doorstep. If you don’t mind travelling a few miles though there are plenty to choose from –

Saturday & Sunday April 5 & 6 Upper Farm Garden Rushton, Telford TF6 5AG

Saturday April 12 Cherry Tree Arboretum Cherry Tree Lane, Woore CW3 9SR

Wednesday April 16 Goldstone Hall Gardens Goldstone, Market Drayton TF9 2NA

Sunday April 20 John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries, Ashwood Lower Lane, Ashwood Nr Kingswinford DY6 0AE 

Sunday April 27 Westwood House Oldbury, Bridgnorth WV16 5LP 

Wednesday April 30 Hundred House Hotel Bridgnorth Road, Norton, Telford TF11 9EE 

There’s plenty happening between now and our next meeting on April 10th when John Cullen will tell us about his “healthy obsession with Achillea”. As usual we will be at the Christ Church Centre; tea/coffee from 6.45 and the meeting starts at 7.30pm.

Remember to bring your booking form and cheque for the May 29th coach trip to Norwell – this trip is likely to fill up fast!

If you missed our trip to Ashwoods Nusery and John’s Garden they have some Winter Open Days on March 15, 21 and 29 and Spring Open Days start on April 5th.

The Plant Hunters’ Fairs start in March and our first local (ish) one is in Northwich at Arley Hall and Gardens on Sunday March 23rd. The following Sunday – March 30th – is much closer to home at Sugnall Walled Garden. Both are from 10am – 4pm; £5 for Arley Hall, £1 for Sugnall.

Then in April they are at Weston Park on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th, 10 am – 4pm and £5 entry; tickets in advance. Full details of all the Fairs and how to buy tickets are on their website.

Flower Power Plant Fairs start in April, including Sandon Hall – more details on their website.

Some gardens are now opening for the NGS but most are further south and west. The Millennium Garden in Lichfield will be open on Sunday March 23rd from 1 – 5pm and will cost £4.

Trentham Gardens Spring Bulb Festival starts on March 30th and runs until May 18th – it looks as if it could be well worth a visit.

Further afield RHS Bridgewater has a Spring Plant Fair organised with Plant Heritage North West from Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th April. Admission fees to the garden will still apply.