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
Admission £1.50 including refreshments.

2022 Programme of Monthly Meetings

We have arranged a full programme of meetings for 2022 and look forward to being able to meet each other again. At the moment we are asking that members continue to wear masks in the Christ Church Centre; the room will also be well-ventilated (i.e. the windows and doors will be open, so please wrap up!) and hand-sanitiser will be available. Tea and coffee will be provided at the beginning of meetings and will be in disposable cups.

We will also continue to support the Tender Shoots Garden Club Network (TSGCN). A full list of their talks will appear on their website as they are booked and upcoming talks will be advertised here a few weeks beforehand – along with the ability to download any plant lists or other information – see below.

January

No Meetings – TSGCN Talks available – see below.

February

Feb 10th – Stone C and D Garden Club AGM (members only) followed by a talk from Indy, who founded TSGCN, on using Zoom and the various talks that are available.

March

March 10th – Steve Hickman (Hoyland Plant Centre) – Agapanthus.

April

April 14th – Graham Hardman – Japanese Gardens

May

12 May – Diana Clement – A Garden For All Seasons

June

9th June – Mike King – Sarracenias

July

14th July – Jane Allison (Mayfield Plants) – Banquet for Bees and Butterflies.

You will be able to find her at the plant fairs at Hodnet Hall on June 11-12, Cholmondley Castle on July 13th, and at the Dorothy Clive Garden on August 28-29th.

August

No meeting

September

8 Sept – Wildegoose Nursery – Going Higher and Higher

“Using tall perennials to create an immersive atmosphere in the garden. Going through some of our favourite tall and even taller perennials and grasses and how we like to use them here at Wildegoose.”

October

13th Oct – Dr Richard Gulliver – The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

I am a Shropshire-based gardener, botanist, ecologist and wildlife enthusiast, having lived in Shropshire since 2017. My wife and I are joint authors of the Aidgap Guides – Orchids, Woodland Flowers and Grassland Flowers (1). We spent 27 years in the Hebrides engaged in wildlife surveys and teaching. In 2007 we were involved in the development of The Botanist Islay Dry Gin and, until we retired in 2017, we collected and prepared all of the 22 local botanicals for every distillation. The 22 includes several which were grown in Islay gardens for medicinal and culinary purposes, some have horticultural allies which are popular garden plants today. Our Islay garden formed the subject of an article in The Hardy Plant – the half-yearly journal of The Hardy Plant Society – in Autumn 2020 and our Shropshire garden in the Autumn 2021 issue. I am a regular member of the audience of the Zoom meetings of the Tender Shoots Garden Club Network.

November

10th Nov – Byron Machin – A Tour of Britain’s Rarest Flora

Half a dozen plant species represent the media’s idea of endangered species (for example the Lady’s Slipper Orchid and the Killarney Fern) but in fact lots stand on the brink of extinction. This talk is part of my quest to see them all, before it is too late.

This talk is preceded by our Gardenalia Sale of gardening equipment and odds and ends, as well as plants.

December

8th December 2.30pm start – Margaret Leslie – Christmas Flower Arrangements

TSGCN Talks

These are available free to members of this club – please contact Helen if you want to know how to join in or look on the TSGCN website.

Oct 17th Mon – Francesca Page-Smith from the National Trust – Eythrope Gardens

Nov 9th Wed – Nancy Stevens – “Shrubs Are Boring”  Really?……Are You Quite Sure?

Nov TBC – George Hargreaves – Notable Botanic Gardens of the UK

Dec TBC – Christmas Quiz with prizes

TBC – Chris Blackburn from Concept Research – Sonic Pest Repellers