Lecture Reports 2020


14th January 2020
What do I do with this Space? - Darren Lerigo

A very entertaining and informative talk from a working gardener who specialises in topiary, pruning and bee-loving plants (best is helenium). Darren gave out a seedball to everyone – a clay ball containing wild flower seeds and mentioned buying seeds from realseeds.co.uk (no F1 hybrids or genetically modified seeds). To achieve a garden with less maintenance, Darren recommended mulching, improving the soil, planting perennials not annuals, reducing the lawn, using bigger pots and trying to see weeds as flowers. If you missed the talk, you also missed the chance to buy some Japanese garden tools and garden hats from recycled material. Dareen has sent us two contacts for garden compost Dalefoot  and Melcourt.


10th March 2020
RHS Wisley: Horticulture and New Developments – Emma Allen

Emma showed us many of the recent developments at Wisley with an interesting presentation. Some of the new areas well worth a visit are the exotic garden, the wisteria tunnel (75m long), the top terrace bedding, the canal shores which have been planted up with hibiscus and topiary, ivy used for standards and decorative ‘wall panels’, the heather garden, the riverside, etc. So lots of work for their 100 strong team of gardeners and 100+ volunteers. Wisley are building a National Centre for Horticultural Science and Learning including a Wellbeing Garden. So much as ever to see at RHS Wisley.


All other lectures scheduled for 2020/21 season were cancelled due to coronavirus.