Visitors and guests are welcome to attend meetings which are usually held on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30 prompt at Christ Church Centre, Christchurch Way, Stone ST15 8ZB. Refreshments are available from 6.45pm.
2026 Programme of Monthly Meetings
We have arranged a full programme of meetings for 2026 and look forward to being able to meet each other again this year. Tea and coffee will be provided at the beginning of meetings, from 6.45pm, and will be in disposable cups.
We will also continue to support the Tender Shoots Garden Club Network (TSGCN). A full list of the talks will appear on their website as they are booked. All paid-up members of Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society Garden Club are entitled to log-in to these talks and to meet up with other members in the designated ‘break-out room’.
January
Note the change of date for this Zoom meeting –
TUESDAY January 6th. 7.30pm Via Zoom with TSGCN. Simon Gulliver. Australian and New Zealand Plants – visitors from strange lands
Simon has a particular interest in garden history, plant hunters, trees and the flora of New Zealand and Australia. This talk looks at Australian & New Zealand Plants – where they come from in the wild, how they are adapted to the unique climates of their homes and how we can grow them successfully in English conditions
February
February 12th. 2pm AGM followed by Robin Pearce. Ornamental Grasses and Ferns
Robin is a retired nurseryman who used to run Worlds End Nurseries at Hallow, near Worcester. He continues to grow a very wide range of hardy plants, with a special interest in dahlia, hosta, hemerocallis, pulmonaria, galanthus, woodland plants, ornamental grasses and hardy ferns. Robin is the former chair of the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee, RHS Floral Judge, Exhibitor, Judge and Speaker.
March
March 12th. Paul Green. Plants of the Season
Paul Green of Green’s Leaves will take us on a journey through the seasons, looking at appropriate plants and their preferred conditions.
Paul specialises in rare and unusual plants from around the world. He always tests new varieties for their hardiness in the UK’s demanding climate. Paul will bring plants and give a practical demonstration so that we can see plants that he recommends for the season.
April
April 16th (NB Change of date because of Easter) Harriet Rycroft. Potty Time – a Year in Pots.
Harriet worked for many years at Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire, where she became renowned for producing season after season of the most spectacular planting and colour combinations. This talk should inspire us all with ideas for our own gardens over the coming months.
May
May 14th Samantha Hope. Hepaticas.
The genus Hepatica is very close to Samantha’s heart. This talk explores the beautiful range of plants available that Samantha came across while working with John Massey on his collection at Ashwood Nurseries.
June
June 11 John Scrace. Fabulous Fungi and Malicious Moulds.
John Scrace is a well known plant pathologist, with a career in plant disease research for Government and more recently as an adviser to the RHS. Though his talks are on serious subjects he can look on the lighter side! This evening he is talking on the positive aspects of fungi as well as the (negative) impact of moulds. This evening’s talk is a must for every gardener!
July
July 9th Diane Clements. Alpines in the wild and in cultivation.
What is an alpine, where do they grow and why? In this talk, alpine expert Diane Clement will walk us through alpine scenery at different altitudes, observing where and how the plants grow. By looking for clues we will see how we too can adapt our gardens in order to grow different types of alpines. A chance to ‘visit’ wonderful mountains and flowers! Diane has been visiting the European Alps for over 40 years to observe plants growing in the wild, and has also travelled on plant hunting trips to Colorado, Turkey, China, Japan and Kyrgyzstan. She joined the Alpine Garden Society over 20 years ago, and is a very active member of the Society, regularly exhibiting her plants at AGS shows, and is a judge and judging co-ordinator.
September
Sept 10th Nick Martin. Secret wildlife of my garden.
Over the last ten years Nick has transformed his bland garden into a wildlife haven and has been rewarded with some amazing wild visitors. From nest boxes, nectar rich plants, a pond and more we’ll see how the garden has changed and which wonderful species have responded. He is an amateur wildlife photographer with a passion for nature and the countryside.
October
Oct 8th. Neil Timm. Astride the Garden Fence.
Wild flowers in the garden, garden escapees in the wild and some that belong to both worlds. Growing wild flowers in the garden and the stories they tell.
November
Nov 12th. Rob Potterton. New Zealand plants, people and gardens.
“In 2019 I was invited to present a number of talks to garden groups in New Zealand, this talk shows a small portion of that trip, including plants in the wild and in the gardens of the wonderful people we visited”.
December
Dec 10th. Peggy Leslie. Christmas Time Floral Art.
Join us for a festive mince pie as we welcome Peggy’s return to amaze us with her fabulous floral displays.
2027
January
Jan 14th at 7.30pm. a Zoom meeting in conjunction with TSGCN. Doug Stewart – Marmalade, Dusty Faces and Salty Breeze.
In this talk Doug shares his experiences of working on the lottery heritage fund refurbishment of South Cliff Gardens in Scarborough.Doug’s work on this project involves training a small army of community volunteers to work on the gardens, (including the Italian Gardens, and the wild garden at Holbeck).A key part of this project is working out the answer to the following questions: What lives here? Why does it live here? Do we want it to live here? How do we build habitat to get more of it to live here? Find out more about sunset safaris, a biodiversity blitz, marmalade and dusky faces!
February
February 11th. 2.00pm AGM. 2,30pm Ruth Plant – The Blue Poppy Hunt
Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society 