9th Dec 2025

Manoj Malde –  A Designer’s Journey to Chelsea

A question that often gets asked is “How do you make the gardens look so established and mature, like they have been growing there for years”. This talk will highlight the entire back story of how a designer sets out designing and creating a garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Manoj will take you through the process of where his ideas began, the hurdles of finding a sponsor, the submission process to the RHS and the plans that need to be created, plant sourcing and building the show garden at the site and the infinite amount of detail and thought that goes into bringing a show garden together for the Chelsea Flower Show.

10th Feb 2026

Timothy Walker – Rockery in the garden

Timothy is a botanist, lecturer, author and a former director of the Oxford
Botanic Garden.
The rock garden at the Botanic Garden has been rebuilt three times since 1926.
His talk looks at the building of a rock garden, the plants that can be grown on
it and includes examples of rock garden plants from all over the world.

10th March 2026

Andrew Mikolajski – Permaculture for gardeners

Andrew is a horticultural consultant, speaker and author of 40 gardening titles.
The term ‘permaculture’ was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in
the 1970s to describe a design system that creates sustainable gardens that
mimic natural ecosystems. By working with nature rather than against it, you
can reduce waste and your impact on the environment.

This meeting will be preceded by the AGM which will start at 7.45pm

14th April 2026

Paolo Arrigo, Franchi Seeds – Tips for spring sowing and perfect pesto

Franchi is the oldest family run seed company in the world, established in
1783, specialising in rare and heirloom seeds. Paolo is a seedsman, and an
enthusiastic champion of slow food, endangered vegetables and biodiversity.
A keen grower, he believes we shouldn’t overcomplicate gardening and is
adept at advising which plants will thrive in the UK climate.

12th May 2026

Anne Rowe: Lost houses and gardens around Welwyn Garden City

Anne is a freelance landscape historian who has coordinated research for the
Hertfordshire Gardens Trust since 1998 and lectures in landscape history.
She has written several books about medieval parks and the history of
Hertfordshire landscapes.

11th Nov 2025

Twigs Way – A history of women in the garden

Twigs is a garden historian, author and lecturer on garden history and designed
landscapes. Her talk about the female horticulturists through the centuries
reveals how the fortunes of the female gardener have been as varied as
their roles, from the early misfortunes of Eve to the successes of plant
breeders.

14th Oct 2025

Anne Luder – Capel Manor & Show Winning Gardens

Anne worked as a garden designer for over thirty years, with a special interest in allergy-free and challenging gardens. She is former lecturer at Capel Manor College, specialising in therapeutic horticulture. Her talk will be taking us on a virtual tour of some of the gardens at Capel Manor and elsewhere that have won RHS show medals and how they have been adapted for all year interest.

9th Sept 2025

Annie Godfrey, Daisy Roots – Autumn fireworks

Annie is a garden designer and the owner of Daisy Roots, a small independent
nursery in Hertford specialising in hardy perennials and ornamental grasses.k
Her talk will focus of how to keep the garden colourful right up until winter
frosts threaten.

13th May 2025

Dusty Gedge – Green roofs and biodiversity

Dusty is a green roof and urban green infrastructure professional, and ornithological/wildlife consultant and a nature photographer. He in the co-author of the Small-Scale Green Roof guide that has enabled lots of small, green roofs to sprout across the globe on sheds and garages. Delivering biodiversity on green roofs is the ultimate aim of his work.

This meeting will also feature a plant swap

8th April 2025

Kate Harwood – Arts and Crafts gardens in Hertfordshire

Kate Harwood is a Planning and Conservation officer for Hertfordshire
Gardens Trust and a retired university lecturer on garden history.
The Arts and Crafts era of the late 19th, early 20 th century was known forits houses and gardens, notably those by Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll.
This talk will look at gardens in Hertfordshire and their place in history,
including the fashionable Japanese Garden.

This is a change to the advertised programme. The speaker will deliver her lecture to the hall via a live video link.

11th March 2025

Adrian de Baat and Nick Evans: The Woodland Garden and the Howardsgate Borders in WGC: the inside story

Adrian is a longstanding member of our Society and a keen advocate of the Piet Oudolf naturalistic style of gardening. He and his wife have been opening their beautiful garden, full of perennials and grasses, for the NGS for the past 18 years. He will be talking about the challenges and rewards of his volunteer work for the Council in helping to renovate and maintain the double herbaceous borders which run down the centre of Howardsgate.

Nick started his horticultural career in 1970 at Kew’s satellite gardens in West Sussex and worked for some 35 years at Capel Manor as their former Gardens Manager and Director of Estates. In 2019, Nick was approached by the WGC Centenary Foundation to create a Centenary legacy garden. This is now the Woodland Garden in the Campus. He will talk about the trials and tribulations involved, eventually bringing this vision to fruition in 2021.

This meeting will be preceded by the AGM which will start at 7.45pm

11th Feb 2025

Kerry Austen: All aspects of growing and caring for roses

Kerry is a horticulturist with a passion for roses. She previously worked at the Gardens of the Rose and Wisley. She is the current Team Leader and Head Gardener for the Rochfords International Rose Trials.

10th Dec 2024

Caroline Holmes: Impressionists in their garden – living light and colour

Caroline Holmes is a renowned garden historian, author and presenter, and a design consultant. She has written 12 books on garden history ‘with a twist’, and travelled and lectured extensively.

This talk explores gardens through the senses of the Impressionists from three
continents – Europe, North America and Australia – enjoying the essentially
similar pleasures of the garden, but engaging with the light from their skies in
order to create motifs to paint.

12th Nov 2024

Amber Hine: Garden Winter Wonder

Amber Hine is an RHS trained garden designer based in Bedfordshire. As well as being passionate about plants, she always aims at encouraging sustainability and wildlife.

Her talk focuses on the joy of the winter garden, where to look for seasonal treats and what plants make the best of what can otherwise be a barren time of year.

8th Oct 2024

Peter Oakenfull: Local apples and orchards + Plant Swap

Peter’s background is in ecology and environmental management. He is the warden of The Commons Nature Reserve in Welwyn Garden City and ran his own landscape and conservation management business since 1984.

He has a great interest in and wide knowledge of Hertfordshire apple varieties and other fruit trees and will be talking about his involvement with local orchards.

10th Sept 2024

Kate Stuart -Smith: Hertfordshire National Garden Scheme

Kate is one of the County Organisers for the Hertfordshire National Garden Scheme. She will share her experience of the work of the NGS in the county and what it takes to have a garden entered into the ‘little yellow book’.

14th May 2024

Sherrardspark Wood – Nikki Edwards

Founded in 1996, the Wood Wardens’ Society is an independent voluntary group helping to care for the woods in accordance with the management plan of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC), which has been agreed with Natural England and the Forestry Commission with a view to keeping this Site of Special Scientific Interest in favourable condition

This meeting will also feature a plant swap

9th April 2024

Pots of fun: Container gardening for seasonal interest – Tom Cole

Tom Cole was heard of Horticulture at Capel Manor from 1997 to 2009 and more recently specialised in teaching RHS courses. Tom’s presentation covers the use of containers in the home and the garden to display a range of plants for seasonal interest, including ornamentals, edibles and herbs. Maintenance will also be explored, especially feeding, pruning and plant health.

12th March 2024

Astound Adaptations: Survival of the Fittest – Anne Luder

Anne Luder has worked as a garden designer for over 25 years, designing both public and private gardens; specialising in allergy-free and challenging gardens, and mixing edibles and ornamentals. Plants have been around for far longer than man. This presentation looks at the wonderful ways some have adapted to ensure their continuation as well as things we take for granted.

This meeting will be preceded by the AGM at 7:45pm

13th Feb 2024

Extreme Allotmenteering – Alan Clark

Alan Clark trained in the 1960’s as a horticulturist and nurseryman. With 30 years of gardening, landscaping and exhibition growing experience under his belt, he started his own business in 1996, First Class Garden. He owns 9 allotments and 2 gardens and aims to provide humorous and informative talks on a wide range of topics.

12th Dec 2023

History of London Squares – David Marsh

David Marsh is a garden historian, lecturer and writer. He is a Trustee of the Gardens Trust for which he does a weekly blog. Squares are one of the
defining features of London. Like other European cities, London has its grand civic spaces – the likes of The Mall, and Trafalgar Square, but no other city
has developed the garden square in quite the same way. David looks at the rise of the square, and at the 3 threats and challenges they have faced over the past 400 years and at ideas for their future.

14th Nov 2023

RHS – A Nation in Bloom – Matthew Biggs

Matthew Biggs has been a professional gardener for over 25 years, studying at Pershore College of Horticulture and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is a radio and TV personality perhaps best known on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. His talk considers the history and work of the Royal Horticultural Society,
its changing roles, from being a charity for gardeners to serving a wider, diverse audience in new and exciting ways. We visit all of the RHS gardens, including the new garden at Bridgewater and go behind the scenes to discover the hidden work of what is now a ‘cutting edge’ society and leader in global horticulture.

10th Oct 2023

A Place for Your Fuchsias – Nick Dobson

Nick Dobson is a former National Fuchsia Champion. The fuchsia is one of the most versatile of our popular flowering plants. They can be used as garden shrubs, as pot specimens and in hanging baskets and window boxes. They can be trained into a wide range of forms from standards to bonsais and will tolerate different soil and light conditions. In this illustrated talk we will see how there is a fuchsia for just about every situation in the garden.

12th Sept 2023

I Saw 10 Pests come over the Garden Wall – Allison Terrel

Allison is our local plant health inspector and works for the Animal and Plant Health Agency, APHA, which is an executive branch of Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. “Biosecurity’ is a term which became an increasingly hot topic for debate during Brexit negotiations . What does it mean and how do the changes affect us and the horticultural world, especially the small, specialist Master growers? Allison will discuss the top 10 pests and diseases that are a threat to the U.K. at the moment and the successes they have had with them.

9th May 2023

Cottage Garden Style – Design Ideas for the Modern Garden – Andrew Sankey

Andrew changed from a teacher of technical drawing and graphic design to become a garden designer, landscaper and nurseryman. He became an advocate of the English Garden Style which is both informal and functional, with no strict rules but traditionally fragrant, floriferous and functional. He will bring copies of his recently published book to sign and sell.

11th April 2023

Garden in a Bottle – Marina North

Marina moved from Sydney to London in 2016 and her “Plentiful Terrariums” is based in Hitchin where examples of the range can be seen live at the Saturday market. She will explain what a terrarium is and will demonstrate how to create a garden in a large closed jar version using a variety of plants and how to maintain the health of this mini eco-system. She will bring a variety of containers to display and to demonstrate different options. These can be bought if wished.

14th March 2023

22 Ideas That Saved The English Countryside – Peter Waine

Peter will cover the 100 years of dispirit campaigns that saved our English countryside from the establishment of the National Parks, to the creation of the Green Belt, the right to roam, the founding of the CPRE (The Campaign to Protect Rural England of which he was the national chairman, now known as “The Countryside Campaign”) and of the National Trust etc.
He will bring some books which he co-wrote, whose title is the same as this presentation , for sale at cost price.
He will also touch on the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, established in 1345,  of which he has just finished being Master Gardener.
In addition to these exemplary credentials, Peter is a renowned orator. Mark your new diaries!

14th Feb 2023

Bordering on Insanity – Timothy Walker

No apologies for inviting back one of our most popular speakers. His first
presentation to us was in 2003 when he spoke about a year in the life of the Oxford Botanic Garden. This is where he had started his horticultural career as a post graduate having read Botany at University College, Oxford, and where in time he became Director of the Botanic Gardens.

This talk looks exclusively at the herbaceous border in his wife’s garden and
covers the principles and practicalities to be adopted when trying to create a
border that is interesting all-year-round. It concludes with a look at a
collection of must-have plants for such a border.

10th Jan 2023

The Evolving Landscape of the Garden City: The Next 100 years – Oliver Waring

Needing no introduction to most of our members and returning now as the Landscape and Ecology Manager for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, it is 8 years since we enjoyed his excellent presentation on Caring for Trees in WGC. We are delighted that Oliver will be joining us again for our Christmas meeting to update us on the many enhancing changes that are taking place in the town and to look ahead with ambitions for the next 100 years

~ This meeting was postponed from Dec13th 2022 due to bad weather conditions ~

8th Nov 2022

Italy- From Seed to Plate – Paolo Arrigo

Paolo represents the 7th generation of the oldest family-run seed company in the
world, “Franchi Seeds of Italy”, which was established in 1783. He heads up the UK
section of the company. He was “Slow Food UK Person of The Year 2020”; is a
cookbook author, BioDiversity campaigner; multiple RHS medal winner and is
passionate about responsible food. He will cover Veg from Roman times to present day, look at the seed industry and then will take us on a food journey around Italy in Veg. This promises to be an informative and entertaining talk.

11th Oct 2022

A Traditional Nursery in the Modern World – Luke Whiting

Luke is a D’Arcy and Everest partner and RHS Master Grower whose family run
Meadow Sweet Nursery in Huntingdon. They specialise in home grown alpines,
sempervivums and unusual perennial plants. His entertaining presentation will cover a day in the life of a busy nursery in a fun way on this our Centenary meeting

CANCELLED
13th Sept 2022

I saw 10 pests come over the garden wall – Allison Terrell CANCELLED

Allison is our local plant health inspector and works for the Animal and Plant
Health Agency, APHA, an executive agency of Defra, the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Recent legislation has been introduced to
improve plant health and biosecurity. Allison will discuss the top 10 pests and
diseases that are a threat to the UK at present and the successes APHA has had.

10th May 2022

The Danesbury Victorian Fernery – John Roper

John is the chairman of the Friends of Danesbury Fernery, described in 1881 in the R.H.S. Journal as ‘the best fernery to be found in the Home Counties’. Since September 2015 volunteers have been reclaiming and restoring the site. John will take us through its history with a special emphasis on the planting. He hopes to be accompanied by Sara Donatantonio, their specialist photographer, and Colin Adlam, their fern specialist.

12th April 2022

Fifty Greys of Shade – Colin Moat

Colin & his wife Cindy run Pineview Plants nursery in Sevenoaks, specialising in shady characters such as Epimediums, Sanguisorbas and Persicarias, among many others.
Colin will be bringing plants to the meeting that will be available for purchase.

8th March 2022

Courageous Gardening – Stephen Anderton ZOOM

“Here is a fresh approach to gardening as I investigate gardeners’ techniques, ideas and inspiration, in everything, from breeding and pruning to planting and design.  I will show remarkable gardens from all over the world and explain how their makers have single-mindedly planned and created exciting effects”

8th Feb 2022

News from the garden shelves or wherever members wish to lead me up the garden path! – Chris Thorne ZOOM

Chris has worked at Ayletts for about 20 years and is one of Radio Cambridgeshire’s gardening experts. He will discuss the good things to buy
and the items which are better left on the shelves! He is happy to answer questions.

14th December 2021

How to be a Climate Change Savvy Gardener – Kim Stoddart ZOOM

Kim Stoddart has been writing for the Guardian and gardening columns since 2013 as well as editing for Garden Organic. She has also authored her own book The Climate Change Garden. Kim runs climate change and polytunnel growing courses, therapeutic gardening projects for youngsters with learning disabilities & conducts workshops around the UK

Kim’s talk will incorporate her enthusiasm for wildlife friendly organic gardening, as well as advising gardeners on ways of creating a more robust garden to face & mitigate the effects of climate change – with an upbeat focus!

9th November 2021

Shady Characters – Annie Godfrey ZOOM

Our local star, owner of Daisy Roots and garden designer who is now a Chelsea Flower Show Gold medallist.

12th October 2021

‘No-Dig’ to save time and improve your soil – Charles Dowding ZOOM

Charles first came to speak to us about his ‘No-Dig’ method of growing vegetables in 2012 and he has since gone on to achieve international recognition and adoption of his methods.
He continues to grow vegetables but is increasingly devoting more time to teaching and writing books and articles in newspapers and gardening magazines, so who better to give us an update?

14th September 2021

Beth Chatto: A Life with Plants – Dr Catherine Horwood ZOOM

Catherine is the authorised biographer of the wonderful plants-woman and garden designer Beth Chatto. She won the European Garden Book of the Year 2020 award for this book which was published in 2019 along with a glowing reference from our friend Fergus Garrett.