LOCAL GROUPS PROGRAMME: JANUARY 2018 ONWARDS January 2018 2nd - East Surrey Group - Members' Talks - Bob Charman, Philip Duplock, Robert Skipper 3rd - Cotswold & Malvern - ​Out and About two more adventures of an Alpine Enthusiast - Jim Almond 4th - ​Dorset - ​Alpines of Slovenia - Graham and Jackie Poynter 8th - ​Sussex West - ​Patagonia Coast to Coast: from the Atlantic to the Pacific - Martin Sheader 8th - ​East Lancashire - ​Members Lecture Extravaganza Photo spectaculars by our members 9th - ​Cleveland - ​More Plants from the Shows - Don Peace 9th - ​Kent West ​- Looking for Narcissus triandrus in North-West Spain - Kit Strange 10th - ​Oxford - ​Members Evening 10th - ​Nottingham​ - Chairman's Evening - A talk from our Chairman 12th - ​Birmingham​ - Camping in the Himalayas - Iain Wright 12th - ​Chiltern - ​TBA - Chris Gardner 13th - ​Yorkshire West - ​It's not all sand: the Mountain Flora of Yemen - Frazer Henderson 13th - ​Lancashire South - ​Pole to Pole - Various 15th - ​Warwickshire - ​A Brighter shade of Winter - Vic Aspland 15th - ​East Cheshire - ​Alpines of the Kazakh Tien Shan - David Morris 18th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​A.E. Pratt - Plant Collector Extraordinary - Kevin Pratt 18th - ​North Lancs - Alan Furness - Celmisia and other bedfellows in a Northumberland garden 20th - ​North Wales - ​AGM at 2pm 25th - ​Hampshire - ​In the Footsteps of Blanchard: Narcissus in south-eastern Spain - Matthew Topsfield 25th - ​Essex ​- AGM & Mike Sullivan - Ashwoods February 2018 1st -​Dorset - ​The history of Rock Gardening - Janice Bennetts 5th - ​Bedfordshire - ​Wimpole through the Seasons - Philip Whaites 6th - ​East Surrey -​ Woodland Plants in a garden - John Humphries 7th - ​Cotswold & Malvern - ​The Cream of Alpines - Cliff Booker 9th - ​Birmingham​ - Springtime in New England - Jim Almond 9th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​An Alpine Triathlon - Jim Almond 9th - ​Chiltern - ​TBA - Harry Jans 9th - ​East Kent - ​The Kent Gardens Trust - Elizabeth Cairns and Tom La Dell 10th - ​Yorkshire West - ​Tromso Botanic Garden & The Lofoten Islands - Cliff Booker 10th - ​Lancashire South - ​Within Sight of Snowdonia - At Home with Alpines - Tim Lever (with plant sales table) 12th - ​Sussex West - ​Images of Newfoundland - Ron Payne 12th - ​East Lancashire - ​Digital Photography Competition Schedule available at AGM 13th - ​Cleveland - ​Armenia - Pat Craven 13th - ​Kent West​ - Secret Gardens of London - Colin Jones 14th - ​North Wales - ​Tales from a South Lakeland Garden - Dave Riley 14th - ​Oxford - ​Spring treasures at Kew - Jim Almond 14th - ​Nottingham​ - Bob Taylor - Singapore Botanical Gardens 15th - ​North Lancs ​- Drs Ian and Carol Bainbridge - The Bainbridges' World of bulbs 19th - ​Warwickshire - ​Camping in the Himalayas - Iain Wright 22nd - ​Hampshire - ​Alpines in the Wild and Cultivation ​- ​Diane Clement 22nd - ​Essex​ - Alex Summers - Vietnam 26th - ​East Cheshire - ​More special snowdrops - Jim Almond March 2018 1st - ​Dorset - ​AGM and short talks by members 3rd - ​Lancashire South - TBC 5th - ​Bedfordshire - ​The Spring Flowers of Crete - Richard Horswood 6th - ​East Surrey - ​Winter and Early Spring Flora of Andalucia - Kevin Hughes 7th - ​Cotswold & Malvern - TBA ​- Ian Christie 9th - ​Birmingham ​- Hardy Orchids in the Wild and in Cultivation - Colin Clay 9th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​Alluring Alpines - Paul Cumbleton 9th - ​East Kent - ​Bulb evening and practical demonstrations and bulb exchange 9th - ​Chiltern - ​The Chelsea Physic Gardens - Chris Bailes 10th - ​Yorkshire West - ​The Waterlily Tulip & its cousins: Growing species Tulips at Cambridge Botanic Garden - Simon Wallis 10th - ​Dorset ​ - Dorset Group flower show and Plant Sale held at Allendale Centre Wimborne BH21 1AS 11.30am to 3pm 12th - ​Sussex West​ - Behind the Scenes at Chelsea Flower Show - Steve Bradley 12th - ​East Lancashire - ​Digital Tips & Tricks - Diane Clement 13th - ​Cleveland - ​Members' Evening 13th - ​Kent West​ - Auriculas - Rachael Castle 14th - ​Oxford - ​China expedition with Kevock - Chris Parsons 14th - ​Nottingham ​- Rick Lambert - Dianthus 15th - ​North Lancs ​- Jon Evans - Blackthorn Nursery Part 1 16th - ​Bristol - ​Wildlife of the Avon Gorge & Downs - Many Levers 17th - ​Sussex West -​ Local show and Display - Manor Nursery, Runcton 19th ​- Warwickshire - ​Switzerland and the Upper Engadine - Jo and Brian Walker 19th - ​East Cheshire - ​A seedy business - Diane Clement 22nd - ​Hampshire - ​Plant photography in the Garden - Jon Evans 29th - ​Essex​ - Simon Tarantino - Hardy Orchids of Crete April 2018 3rd - ​East Surrey ​Flying High, Papua New Guinea - Anthony Hoare 4th - ​Cotswold & Malvern - ​Crevice Gardens - Paul Cumbleton 5th - ​Dorset - ​Hepaticas and Cyclamen. Jewels of the garden - Diane Clement 9th - ​Sussex West - ​AGM & Alpine Plants around Mt Blanc - Ian Baines 9th - ​Bedfordshire - ​I believe in the Western Cape - Julian Sutton 9th - ​East Lancashire - ​A Taste of Colorado - Frank Hoyle 10th - ​Cleveland - ​Minishow and AGM 10th - ​Kent West​ - Group Annual Show 11th - ​Oxford - ​Crevice gardening - Paul Cumbleton 11th -​ Nottingham​ - " Show and Tell "- Members plants followed by a buffet 13th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​Flowers of the Colorado Rockies - Frank Hoyle 13th - ​Chiltern - ​AGM and Group mini Show 13th - ​East Kent - ​Plant Auction and Plant Sale 13th - ​Birmingham & District Group​ - Social Evening & Local Group Show 7.30pm 14th - ​Yorkshire West ​- Spanish high points from the Sierra Nevada to the Picos de Europa - Richard Horswood 14th - ​Lancashire South - ​Holiday Slides - Local Members 16th - ​Warwickshire - ​Mini Show and AGM 19th - ​North Lancs​ - Alan Oatway - Western China: A Plant Paradise 20th - ​Bristol - TBC 21st - Birmingham & District Group ​- AGS Midland Show - Arden School, Station Rd, Knowle, Solihull,West Midlands, B93 0PT 23rd - ​East Cheshire - ​Member's talk, group AGM and alpines show 26th - ​Hampshire - ​Five Fritillaria - Ron Mudd 26th - ​Essex​ - Jon Eyans - Keith Wiley's Garden 28th -​ Essex​ - Annual Group Show May 2018 1st - ​East Surrey - ​Flowers from the land of the Monkey Puzzle Tree - Caroline Seymour 2nd - ​Cotswold & Malvern - ​Exploring the High Mountains of Peru - Martin & Anna Sheader 4th - ​Dorset - ​Alpines for the open garden - Vic Aspland 8th - ​Kent West​ - AGM and Auction 9th - ​Nottingham​ - Samantha Hopes - Hepaticas 11th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​Local Group Show & AGM 11th - ​Chiltern - ​A year in Turn End - Jacqui Hunt 11th - ​East Kent - ​Members meeting. Talks by Olivia Hall and Peter Jacob 12th - ​Yorkshire West - ​AGM, Group Show & talk 12th - ​Bedfordshire - ​Group Conference - Modern Day Plant Hunters 12th - ​Lancashire South - ​Mini Show and AGM 14th - ​East Lancashire - ​Group mini show and Society evening. 18th - ​Bristol - ​Plants of the season - what is looking good - Paul Green 21st - ​East Cheshire - ​All a gardener needs to know about bees - Alan Hulme 24th - ​Hampshire - ​AGM - Tulips and Kazakhstan - David Hughes 31st - ​Essex​ - TBA June 2018 5th - ​East Surrey -​Blackthorn Nursery - July to October Jon Evans 6th - ​Cotswold & Malvern - ​Members Mini Show & Social 9th - ​Sussex West - ​Garden Visit - Chandlers Ford, Hampshire 25th - ​Birmingham & District Group - Garden Open - Afternoon visit with Tea & Cake at Rob & Diane Cole's garden 28th - ​Essex​ - Simon Wallis - Species Tulips July 2018 2nd - ​Bedfordshire - ​A-V Listing of Favourite Alpines - Robert Rolfe 3rd - ​East Surrey ​- A Seedy Business - Diane Clement 26th - ​Essex​ - Arthur Nichols - Flowers of Kyrgyzstan August 2018 6th - ​Bedfordshire - ​Lewisia - Martin Rogerson 7th - ​East Surrey - ​Plants and Animals of the Western Cape - Part 2 - Hazel Taylor 16th to 19th - ​Southport ​- Annual Southport Flower Show 2018, Victoria Park, Southport. Group manned A.G.S Publicity Stand 30th - ​Essex​ - Paul Cumbleton - A miscellany of tips, tricks and technology September 2018 3rd - ​Bedfordshire - ​Alpines in the Wild and Cultivation - Diane Clement 4th - ​East Surrey - ​ Le Jardin d'Altitude and gardens in the Alsace - Tim Ingram 4th - ​Shropshire - ​A Plantaholic - Home and Away - Rannveig Wallis 5th - ​Cotswold & Malvern - Dave Mountfort talking about ' Plants of the Bernese Oberland ' 6th - ​Birmingham ​(Birmingham Botanical Gardens) - Lewisias - Martin Rogerson 6th - ​Dorset - ​Adventures of an Alpine Enthusiast - Jim Almond 6th - ​West Surrey​ - Chinese Lanterns and Tibetan Prayer Flags - Diane Clement 8th - ​Yorkshire West - ​A year in a woodland garden - Peter Williams 8th - ​Southport​ - Plants of the Mountains of Northern Spain - Gerry Stephen 10th - ​East Lancashire - ​Confessions of a Plantaholic - Razvan Chisu 11th - ​Cleveland​ - Japan (Hokkaido)- Robert Unwin 12th - ​Nottingham ​- Dr. Trish Kohn and Dr. Peter Kohn - " Kerrachar " : 12th -​ Oxford ​- Autumn Bulbs in The Peloponnese - Razvan Chisu 14th - ​Wirral & West Cheshire - ​The Italian Dolomites - Cliff Booker 14th - ​Chiltern - ​Cambridge Botanical Gardens - Stephen Wallis 17th - ​East Cheshire ​- Walking on Flowers - Razvan Chisu 17th - ​Warwickshire​ - Colin Clay - Hardy Orchids in the Wild and in Cultivation 27th - ​Essex​ - Kit Grey Wilson - Poppies 27th - ​Hampshire - John Massey (Ashwood Nursery) - Hepaticas at Ashwood. Annual bulb & seed sale. October 2018 1st - ​Bedforshire - ​AGM 2nd - ​Shropshire - ​Bulb Hunting in the Western Cape - Chris Birchall 2nd - ​East Surrey - ​ Benificial insects in the Garden - Andrew Halstead 3rd - Cotswold & Malvern - Kit Strange talking about