Societies & Associations
The Sweet pea came to the UK in 1699 so in 1899 it was decided by some prominent horticulturists to celebrate this popular flower. The bicentenary exhibition was held at Crystal Palace, London on 20-21 July 1900. It was a tremendous success and prompted the inauguration shortly after of the National Sweet Pea Society.
The society’s first exhibition was held in the new Methodist Central Hall Westminster on 25-26 July 1901. At this show the first Spencer variety was unveiled with much longer stems and larger, frilly flowers.
Over the years regular exhibitions have seen the introduction of countless new varieties. From 1905, the society decided to publish an annual booklet to record the developments of the year and this has continued (with the exception of 1941-43) every year since. The NSPS Annual includes a great diversity of articles and remains our flagship publication. Sample articles from the 2016 Annual are reproduced via links in the Membership section.
The society expanded its publications in 1939 to issue four bulletins a year. The number and size of bulletins has varied over the years but now stands at two per year.
The Society’s objects remain:
To disseminate knowledge of Sweet Peas and other Lathyrus species,
To encourage, improve and extend the cultivation of these flowers by means of scientific trials, the holding of exhibitions and displays, by publications and other actiivities.
Eastling Gardeners Club is an horticultural society for the village of Eastling nr Faversham in Kent. The club usually meets four times a year including the New Year’s Party!
It invites a wide variety of experienced speakers, covering a suitable range of topics. The talks are followed by wine and homemade nibbles, at which members can exchange views. There is also a yearly outing. New members are welcome. The cost of annual membership is £6, which covers entrance to all the meetings. Non-members are £3 per meeting. The club meets in Eastling Village Hall on Thursdays, 7.30 p.m. start.
For nearly 90 years Newton-le-Willows Gardeners’ Association has been working for the benefits of local gardeners with a membership of about 650 in and around Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, in the United Kingdom. The main attraction for members is our shop on the Rob Lane Allotments site in Newton (generally known as the “Sales Hut”) where composts, fertilizers, and many other gardening requisites can be purchased at very competitive prices.
We also hold a Flower & Vegetable Show in September each year and there are monthly lectures or demonstrations on a variety of horticultural topics. Coach trips are arranged to major flower shows, stately homes, famous gardens, or other places of interest.
Members receive two newsletters each year and the annual membership fee is £4.00
Our origins are uncertain, but the general belief is that it probably all started with the formation of an Allotments Association during the First World War.
Marlborough Gardening Association, Wiltshire, UK – one of the town’s most active voluntary organisations with over 150 members.
We’re a friendly group of gardeners and horticultural enthusiasts which meets monthly for talks on garden topics at Christchurch Wesley Hall, Oxford Street, Marlborough. We also publish a monthly newsletter and organise events and visits for members.
Our annual programme is packed with interest for active and armchair gardeners alike. Each year the Association arranges a series of talks, a lunch, visits to gardens and nurseries, and a plant sale in Marlborough Town Hall.
New members are always welcome. To join us please complete the Membership Form or come along to a monthly meeting. The annual subscription is £ 7.50.
Members receive the monthly newsletter, free entry to the Monthly Gardening Talks, a 10% discount on gardening sundries at T.H. White and special rates on Events and Visits.
The Hebe Society promotes the cultivation and conservation of hebes and other New Zealand native plants. The Hebe Society was founded in 1985. It is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, New Zealand Alpine Garden Society and Tatton Garden Society. Most members are in the British Isles, but some are in the rest of Europe, North America and New Zealand.
Although initially formed for those interested in hebes, the Society now supports the cultivation and conservation of all New Zealand plants.
If you have discovered the delights of growing streptocarpus, this site is the place for you. With the help of the British Streptocarpus Society, you can expand your collection and knowledge and join the many members who share your enthusiasm.
The Society was formed in September 1999 especially for Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose) growers with small, medium or large collections. The current membership is just over 550. We welcome new members with a wide range of growing knowledge and experience. Members range from beginners with a few plants on their windowsills to expert growers with many years of experience. We are happy to help new members to increase their expertise and enjoyment of streptocarpus growing.
Fernhurst Horticultural Society is your local gardening club. Anyone who is interested in plants and gardening is welcome to join no matter what type of garden they have – large or small – established or new – a conservatory – or pot plants on the patio.
The origins of the Society date back to 1912 when a Flower Show Committee was formed to organise an annual show. The Flower Show was held every year without a break until in 1935 the Horticultural Society was founded to take over from the Flower Show Committee and expand the range of activities. Shows have been held every year since except for the war years and in 1948 the Society was affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society.
The aim of the Society is to encourage interest in gardening and provide opportunities for members to exchange experience, and increase their knowledge of plants and gardens. Three types of activity are organised each year the shows in spring, and autumn, days out by coach to visit notable gardens or events, and monthly evening talks by visiting lecturers during the winter. In addition the Society participates in the Fernhurst Revels.
We welcome new members and the annual subscription is just £5. Check out our membership page for details of the many benefits of becoming a member. Find out more about the Society by reading a copy of the Schedule, which is available at both the Post Office and the Fernhurst Centre. For further information contact the secretary Bob Pennington by email or telephone 01428 664406
The North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS) is a leading gardening charity set up more than 100 years ago to support and promote horticulture across the north. The society organises and runs the twice yearly Harrogate Flower Shows, widely regarded as the biggest and most prestigious independent shows in the gardening year.
Both the spring and autumn events host a range of ‘shows within a show’ enabling dozens of specialist gardening groups to hold their annual shows, promote their work and recruit new members, free of charge. From dahlias to daffodils and bees to bonsai, the specialist societies have become an integral part of our events, including the National Vegetable Society (NVS) and the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS).
Profits from the Harrogate Flower Shows are handed back to the NEHS, to enable the charity to continue its important work in promoting horticulture. In 2012 the society launched a new grants programme to provide funding for community projects in the north of England. More than 70 groups have since benefited from grants, adding to the range of financial support already provided for gardening organisations, such as the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s ‘Young Horticulturalist of the Year’ Competition.
Hardy Plant Society – We love hardy perennials for their variety, colours, shapes, sizes and longevity. We help each other to grow them better, to try different species and we exchange and spread information about them.
Most of us are in the UK but some garden outside it. Some of us are experts, like our President, Roy Lancaster, the renowned plant explorer, some of us are beginners and most of us are somewhere in-between, but we all want to learn more to make our planting more satisfying and to enjoy our gardens more.
Being members of the Hardy Plant Society gives us more opportunities to meet others, in local groups and special interest groups focusing on a particular plant family or growing conditions; to attend National Society events; to obtain a wide range of perennial plants and take part in our Seed Distribution Scheme and, by being involved in our Conservation Scheme, help keep garden-worthy plants in cultivation by as many people as possible.
Joining the National Hardy Plant Society means you can join other members in a wide range of gardening activities.
Once you’ve joined us we’ll invite you also to join the local group or minigroup nearest to you. There are over 40, so one will probably be reasonably close by. Each group sets its own programme but will usually include talks by local or national speakers, garden visits and plant sales. Some also organise plant sales open to the public and short garden tours. Most produce a newsletter.
The Alpine Garden Society was founded in 1929 with the aim of promoting an interest in all aspects of alpine plants, rock gardening and rock garden plants, in fact any small hardy plants and bulbs, their cultivation in rock gardens and plant conservation in their natural habitats. We are one of the largest specialist garden societies in the world. Our membership includes amateur gardeners, plant enthusiasts, professional growers, botanists, naturalists, photographers and artists, as well as those who are just beginning to discover the fascination of alpines.
Whatever your interest in alpine and rock garden plants we believe our Society has something to offer everyone.