Subscriptions
Members are reminded that the annual subscription of £15 (£25 per couple living at the same address) is due 1st October. Subscriptions can be paid at our winter meetings or by post to:
Carolyn Smith, Little Oaks, Ketwyns Drive,Horsham, RH13 6EU.
Subscriptions can also be paid by Bank Transfer, after 1st October – Please ask for details. Children of existing members may become members with no subscription charge.
Application forms for membership are available here. Visitors are welcome to any meeting a charge of £5.00 per meeting. Members are invited to bring surplus plants, etc. for sale to assist funds
Winter Meetings commence at 7.30pm at Brighton Road Baptist Church (venue has disabled access)
Raffle and refreshments available at each meeting.
Members – free entry*. Guests – £5.00
* Unless otherwise indicated for special speakers
The Jubilee Cup: This is an opportunity for members, including novices and newcomers, to bring along an exhibit of flowers, pot plants, vegetables, floral arrangements, preserves, cakes, craft items etc. to our winter meetings. Points will be awarded individually. The person gaining the highest number of points from four entries over the course of the winter meetings will be awarded the Jubilee Cup. The Cup will be awarded at the last evening meeting.
3rd October 2023
Welcome back and subs night, followed by a talk from the Friends of Horsham Park. They will tell us about the work they do in the Park, and the ‘Get Horsham Buzzing Project’ that they are involved with in mapping and creating ‘pollinator highways’ across the town.
17th October 2023: Jacqueline Aviolet – “I am a tulip. What are you?”
A light hearted and informative talk about flowers, fruits, shrubs, trees and vegetables with terms of endearment and people’s names. Jacqueline visited us many years ago and returns to us with lots more information and will be bringing some plants for sale.
31st October 2023: Ryan Greaves – Sussex Bat Group
The Sussex Bat Group was formed in 1984 to help conserve bats in the county. The group is a registered charity made up of volunteers who share a passion for bats. The aim of the group is to conserve bats and their habitat. We will hear from Ryan everything there is to know about all the different bats and their habitats.
14th November. 2023: Daniel Rodrigues – Southern Water
Southern Water will be visiting us to talk about everything waste water. Our engaging fun and educational talk is about how our sewer system works, the problems we face, and how as customers we can all help towards wastewater
pollution. The talk will be about what Southern Water will be doing to tackle these problems and improve the local environment.
It will also be a good chance for you all to ask any questions you may have. Everyone will go away with goodies they can take home to help protect the sewers and the environment.
28th November 2023: Richard Black – Wildlife
in Winter – Feathers, Fur and Frost
In the Summer, fine weather and plentiful food mean most animals are at the peak of their activity, and insects in particular are at their most abundant. However, as Autumn progresses to Winter, long cold nights give way to shivering sunless days with scarcely an insect to be found. The harsh weather and lack of food bring many challenges, but wild creatures have developed a myriad of different strategies for survival. This talk explores some of the many ways that wildlife cope with winter.
12th December 2023: Christmas Social
Join us for our annual Christmas Social and enjoy a buffet and hot and cold drinks. There will also be a Quiz and a Grand Christmas raffle.
2024
9th January 2024: AGM. Jimmy Lee – The Garden Challenge!
As usual our AGM will take a short time, followed by tea and cake. Our Committee member Jimmy Lee will then give us a talk and slide show on the
challenge he undertook to landscape and upgrade his garden – all on a steep slope!
23rd January 2024: Jeff Hayden – Badger Trust – Sussex
Badger Trust-Sussex exists to promote and enhance the welfare, conservation and protection of badgers, their setts and their habitats. Jeff will tell us about this fascinating animal and answer any questions you may have.
6th February 2024: Social Evening & Review of the Year
We will be presenting a slide show of our shows and outings from 2023, and will be testing your knowledge with a quiz or two!
20th February 2024: Jim Arbury – Fruit for a Small Garden
Jim is a RHS Fruit Specialist based at Wisley. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of top fruit (apples, pears, plums and cherries) and soft fruit (raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries and blueberries) and will share his knowledge of what would work well in a small (or larger) back garden or an allotment. He will explain all the things we need to consider before deciding what to grow (site aspect, soil type, micro climate), and how to maximise production in a small space.
5th March – Amanda Patton, ‘Designing with Water’
Please note that this meeting will start at the earlier time of 7pm. There will be an entrance fee of £3 for our special guest speaker.
Amanda is a multi-award-winning garden designer, based at Parham Park, who has been designing gardens for private individuals, developers and architects for over 20 years. Many of her designs have been featured in books and magazines (while during her previous career she produced the illustrations for most of Alan Titchmarsh’s books).
Amanda will talk to us about how to incorporate both formal and informal ponds and water features into our own gardens, illustrated with inspirational photographs taken over the course of more than two decades of garden visiting.
This will be followed by practical tips and a few tricks of the trade to achieve water clarity, the pros and cons of pre-formed ponds, built ponds and liners, along with mistakes to avoid, plus an overview of suitable plants for water management, attracting wildlife such as dragonflies, or simply for their aesthetic appeal.