2023 Programme
Talks
January 12th Alan Bloom … A Thinker & A Doer – Jaime Blake
February 9th Natural Pest Control For The Garden – Julian Ives
March 9th Claire Mucklestone – From Bourne Nursery
April 13th All Muck & Magic – Geoff Hodge
Visits
May 11th Mayfield Farm Garden, Ardleigh
June 15th The Old Rectory, Nacton
July 13th The Brambles Garden, Clopton
August 10th Two Gardens in Gislingham Village
Talks
September 14th Acers & How to Grow Them – Fiona Edmund
October 12th Bhutan – Plants, Trees & Flowers – Chris Parfitt
November 9th Greener Gardening – Ruth Goudy
December 14th Christmas Party & Permission to Poison – The Alnwick Garden – Caroline Holmes
2022 Programme
Talks
January 13th Flower Power, How Flowers Benefit Our Wellbeing Ruth Goudy
February 10th RSPB Minsmere 75 years & Counting Val & Alan Bourne
March 10th The Useful Garden Michelle Turner
April 14th Henstead Exotic Garden Update Andrew Brogan
Visits
May 12th Stone Cottage Woolverstone
June 9th Katies’ Garden Plant Centre Newbourne
June 18th Garden Party at The Old Rectory Kirton
July 14th Otley Hall
August18th Moat Alpacas Theberton
Talks
September 8th Flowering Bulbs Through the Year Sonia Burrows
October 13th Plants/Flowers for the Cutting Garden Matthew Tanton Brown
November 10th Parasitic Plants Chris Gibson
December 8th Christmas Party & The Garden Warrior Paul Davis (as seen on TV)
2021 Programme
May Visit Laurel Farm Garden Centre
June Visit Woodwards Garden visit
July Visit Ray Martin’s Rose Allotment
August Visit Kiln Farm Nursery
In the Hall
September Dahlias
October Grasses
November Parasitic Plants
December Around the World in 80 Plants & Party
2020 Programme (well, it would have been)
January 9th The Weeding of the 5,000 With 2 Hoes & 5 Wishes – Jaime Blake from Bressingham Gardens
February 13th Houseplants – Darren Broooks from Notcutts
March 12th AGM to Start; Natural Pest Control for the Garden – Julian Ives from Dragonfli
April 9th Epimediums – Simon & Jay from Hedgehog Nursery
May 19th VISIT Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses £5 per person
June 11th VISIT Woodwards Garden £6 including refreshments
June 20th Saturday DAY TRIP Capel Manor Gardens Summer Flower Festival
July 9th VISIT Ray Martin’s Rose Allotment
August 13th VISIT Kiln Farm Nursery tea or coffee £2 cake £2
September 12th Dhalias – Robert & Denise Sheriff from Honey Tye Flowers
October 8th Grasses – Joe Sharman from Monk Silver Nursery
November 12th Winter Plant Care – Luci Skinner from Woottens of Wenhaston
December 10th Christmas Party – Ben Potterton from Blacksmiths Nursery & Shorelands Wildlife Gardens
2019 Programme
January 10th – Minsmere a Volunteers’ View – Val & Alan Bourne
February 14th – Companion Planting for a Balanced Garden – Dr Ian Bedford
March 14th – Roses – Ray Martin
April 11th – Bees, Flowers & Honey – Chris & Marion Stephens
May 9th – Visit – Material Change Compost Recycling Centre
June 13th – Visit – Swann’s Nursery
July 11th – Visit – The Laburnums Garden
August 8th – Visit – Shawsgate Vineyard & Winery
September 4th – – Coach Trip – RHS Wisley Late Flower Show
September 12th – Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses – Jason Salisbury
October 10th – Hodmedods British Pulse Growers – Josiah Meldrum
November 14th – Hyde Hall Past Present & Future – Ian Bull
December 12th – The Make-Do & Mend Gardener – Nick Bailey
2018 Programme
January 11th – Central Royal Parks – Jim Buttress
February 8th – A Year in a Suffolk Field – Chris Parfitt
March 8th – The History of East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens – Alan Gray
April 12th – Water, Water Everywhere – Karen Kenny & AGM
May 31st – VISIT Freston House
June 14th – VISIT Bourne Garden Centre
June 30th – Garden Party The Old Rectory Kirton – Members only
July 12th – VISIT The Laburnums Garden
August 2nd – COACH TRIP – Hyde Hall Flower Show
August 9th – VISIT Swann’s Nursery
September 13th – Beth Chatto Gardens – Steve Marshall
October 11th – Right Tree in the Right Place – David Mitchell
November 8th – Sir Cedric Morris, Iris Breeder, Gardener & Artist – Sarah Cook
December 13th – Quiz Night – CHURCH HALL
2017 Programme
12th January Recent Developments In Garden Design Thinking – Nick Nicholson (Otley College)
9th February Butterfly Gardening – Dr Ian Bedford
9th March Chrysanthemum Growing – Simon White AGM to follow
13th April Primroses – Joe Sharman
11th May VISIT Activlives Chantry Park Walled Garden, Ipswich
8th June VISIT The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Levington
Saturday 8th July Garden Party : 41 Westmorland Road, Felixstowe
13th July VISIT Perfect Perennials Nursery, Earl Stonham
Wednesday 26th July Dyson’s Nursery, Sevenoaks & The World Garden, Lullingstone Castle.
10th August VISIT Windmill Cottage, Capel St Mary
14th September Tulips & Complimentary Planting – Neil Bradfield
12th October Winter Interest Plants – Matthew Tanton Brown
10th November Do Plants Where Coats? – Sonya Burrows
14th December CHURCH HALL An Eccentric Look At Spoken English – Charlie Haylock
2016 Programme
14th January Garden Bugs – Dr Ian Bedford
11th February Malmaison & Perpetual Carnations – Jim Marshall
10th March “Poets & Lizards (Narcissus &Orchids) – Jeremy Pratt
14th April Suffolk Plant Heritage – Maggie Thorpe
12th May Visit – Garnetts Nursery, Hacheston
9th June Visit – Home Farm Nacton- Andrew Williams
11th June Garden Party – Members only – The Old Rectory Church Lane Kirton
9th July Day Trip – Henstead Exotic Garden & Peter Beales Roses
14th July Visit – Lavender Medicine Farm, Bucklesham
11th August Visit – Foraging Walk, Newbourne – Julie Foster
8th September Succulents – Barry Gayton
13th October Trees and the Law – David Mitchell
11th November The Fragrant Garden Throughout The Year – Matthew Tanton Brown
8th December Christmas Party – Kirton Church Hall – The Perennial Mr Potter – Bryan Thurlow
2015 Programme
January 8: James Baker – The Greenways Project and the importance to wildlife in the garden
February 12: Richard Ayres MBE – Snowdrops and Winter Interest. Plants
March 12: Bob Booker – Getting the best from your tomatoes. Followed by AGM
April 9: Marianne Charles – Making gardening easier
May 14: Fernatix – Visit to The Old Manse, Stoke Ash
June 11: Elizabeth Mobs and Alison Pinn – Visit to Suffolk Seasons Flower farm
June 27 – Garden Party at Jenny Hollinger’s garden
July 9: Visit to Botanica Nursery, Campsea Ash
July 18: Summer Outing – Guided tour of Kings Seeds then on to Marks Hall, Coggeshall
August 13: Bays Farm, Forward Green, Earl Stonham, Stowmarket, IP14 5HU.
September 10: Sonya Burrows – Spring flowering bulbs
October 8: Guy Barker – Winter table displays
November 12: Simon White Holly wreath making
December 10: Christmas get-together, in Church Hall with speaker Tom Hart Dyke – Plant hunter with passion
2014 Programme
January 9 Sonya Burrows – Drought gardening
February 13 Green Thumb – Lawn care
March 13 Anne Etheridge – Spring Gems
April 10 AGM (change of date)Tracy (Anglia Bulbs) – Bulbs
May 8 Dr James visit to two gardens, Brightwell
May 22–25 Belgium trip
June 12 Trudy Willis – Visit to Priors Oak Butterfly Garden
June 28 Garden Party, Keepers Cottage
July 10 Nigel Turner – Visit to Rendlesham Forest
August 14 Visit to Fernatrix
September 11 Richard Ford – Ornamental Gardens
October 9 John Burrows – Preparation and presentation of horticultural exhibits
November 13 Andy Williams – Organic vegetables
December 11 Christmas get-together with Nick Hamilton – Barnesdale after Geoff
2013 Programme
January 10 Alan Ship – Hyacinths
February 14 Mrs S White – A to Z of Roses
March 14 Richard Ayres – The Gibberd Garden, Harlow, followed by AGM
April 11 Graham Procter – Spring in the garden
May 9 Graham Procter-‘Spring in the Garden’.
June 13 Visit: Woottens of Wenhaston nursery
June 23 Kirton Open Gardens
July 11 Visit: Suffolk Punch Trust, Hollesley – guided tour plus wagon ride
August 8 Visit: The Chilli Farm, Mendlesham – guided tour
September 12 Matthew Tanton-Brown.
October 10 Richard Ford – Around the Garden Shows
November 11 Rod Leeds – Winter and Spring bulbs
December 12 CharlieHaycock – An eccentric look at Suffolk (Church Hall)
2012 Programme
January 12 Matthew Tanton-Brown – Evergreens
February 9 Visit: Bosch, Stowmarket
March 8 Adam Paul – Sowing seeds
April 12 Guy Barker – Spring flowers and shrubs
May 10 Visit: Bourne Bridge Nursery
June 14 Visit : Crown Nursery, Ufford
July 7 Karen Allison & Heather Baxter – Summer Garden Party
July 12 Visit : Triffid Nurseries, Stoke Ash
August 9 Visit : Newbourne Springs
September 8 Annual outing : RHS Garden, Wisley
September 13 Peter Webb – The good life
October 11 Anne Etheridge – Autumn colours
November 8 Ken Crowther – BBC Essex
December 13 Christmas Meeting with Ben Potterton – The travelling horticulturalist
2011 Programme
January 13 Roger Hance : Wild flowers and birds
February 10 Guy Ackers : Survey of Hedgerows in the County of Suffolk
March 10 Roger Harvey (Harvey’s Nurseries) : Perennial flowers for cutting
April 14 Visit : Parham Hall – Meadow flowers and daffodil collection
May 12 Visit : K Plants Garden Centre
June 9 Visit : Flatford – Guided Tour
June 18 Summer outing : East Ruston Gardens
July 9 Hester and Mick Doggett – Garden Party
July 14 Visit : Ladybird Nurseries Snape
August 11 Visit : Green Island Gardens, Arldleigh
September 8 Ben Potterton (Blacksmith’s Cottage Nurseries) – Late Summer Colour
October 13 Clare, Bourne Nurseries – Seasonal Plants
November 10 Richard Ayres MBE – History of his work at Anglesey Abbey
December 8 Adrian Bloom – Blooms of Bressingham
2010 Programme
January 14 Roses (was Mike Hardy : Archaeology of the Thornham Estate)
February 11 Michael Warren : Photography through the year
March 11 Janet Parsons : Talk on Orchids
April 8 Mr B B Dewhurst : Tools with a mission
May 13 Visit : Little Blakenham Woodland Gardens (Bluebells, Azaleas, Rhododendrons)
June 3 Visit : Hullwood Barn (irises)
June 19 Summer outing : Hyde Hall
July 8 Pat Adams : Old gardening tools
August 12 Visit : Parham Hall.
September 9 Guy Barker (Naked Gardener) : Herbaceous plants
October 14 Jo Hammond : Willow Weaving
November 11 Ken Crowther: Winter shrubs and his experiences working in London parks.
December 9 Matthew Wilson : RHS Harlow Carr
2009 Programme
Jan 8 Michael Stagg : Wild Flowers
Feb 12 David Adams : Bees
Mar 12 Mr R Ayres MBE : Fun with herbaceous plants
Apr 9 Mr R Staines : Gardener’s Question Time
May 14 Visit : Goslings Farm, Trimley St Martin
Jun 11 Visit : Katie’s Garden, Newbourne
Jul 9 Visit : Christchurch Park, Ipswich
Aug 13 Visit : Mickfield Hostas
Sept 10 Mr Miller : Suffolk Punches
Oct 8 Mr G Ackers : Beetlemania
Nov 12 Mr B Bevans : Pelargoniums
Dec 10 Christine Walkden : Christmas meeting
2008 Programme
Date Speaker : Subject
Jan 10 Mr R Ayres MBE : Kirtling Towers
Feb 14 Mr R Staines : Pruning
Mar 13 Karen Kenny : Composting, worms & comfrey for fertility
Apr 10 TBA
May 8 Visit : Ben Potterton, Blacksmith’s Cottage, Langmere
Jun 12 Visit : John Coles, Roselea Nursery – growing tom’s & cu’s
Jul 10 Visit : Mr R Ayres MBE, Lode Road, Lode CB5 9ER
Aug 14 Ben Potterton : Birds of the more exotic type
Sept 11 Bob Flowerdew : No work
Oct 9 Andrew Tokely (Thompson & Morgan) : Show & Grow
Nov 13 TBA
Dec 13 Barrie Stephenson : Horticultural Antiques Roadshow