Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!

HPS seed lists are, I trust, dropping through members’ letter boxes right now, along with those from seed companies, all encouraging us to grow something from seed.

There can’t be a gardener alive who doesn’t get a thrill from seeing those first shoots appear through the soil, so I urge you to study the list and get your order in early. For just £5 towards administration costs, you can choose 20 packets. I know they don’t always germinate and sometimes aren’t what they purport to be, and that can be disappointing, but when some fabulous plants that you’ve grown come into flower, perhaps that won’t seem so important. Read more

Feeling Seedy

Judy Harry
Sunday 26 April
Smarden Charter Hall 2.30pm map
followed by
Seedling Swap and Sale

Members’ lecture meeting. Guests are welcome to attend up to two meetings before becoming members.

Judy Harry, a garden lecturer and adult education tutor, and a past chairman of the Society, has been a member of the HPS for about twenty years. Read more

Have you ordered your seed?

Is there anything more thrilling than seeing the first little shoots appearing from a pot of seeds? And what wonderful potential in each little seedling. It might grow into a huge tree or a tiny alpine plant but, of course, first, you have to sow the seed. If you haven’t placed your seed orders yet there’s still time. Read more

Bulbs from seed

by Gill Regan

In the third article based on the talks given at the Seedling Swap in April 2006, Gill Regan shares with us the hard-won secrets of growing bulbs from seed. The many striking photographs that accompanied her talk showed that, after early setbacks, she has clearly discovered a successful formula. Read more

Trees and shrubs from seed

by Jeremy Spon

The second talk given at our first Seedling Swap in April 2006 dealt with the pleasures and principles – and the few pitfalls – of growing trees and shrubs from seed. Jeremy Spon’s infectious enthusiasm comes across in print, just as it did in his talk.

In my talk at the Seedling Swap, I tried to address two main questions: how to grow trees and shrubs from seed? And why? Of the two, I think the second is in a way more important. Read more

‘Some grasses grown from seed’

by Virginia Oakes

In April 2006 we had our first ever Seedling Swap. It was a great success and much enjoyed by everyone who attended. Three members gave presentations on different aspects of growing from seed and over the next three issues of the newsletter there will be a transcript of each one. Hopefully they will show all those members who didn’t manage to attend just what they missed and encourage them to join in next year.
Here then is the first one, ‘Some grasses grown from seed’ by Virginia Oakes. Read more