Upcoming events
Photo by Emma Pollard from Pexels
Tuesday 28th January – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Ben Candlin – UK Subtropical Gardening
In this talk Ben takes a look at the history of Exotic Garden Style, from its Victorian origins through to the present day, before exploring a variety of plants and practical planting ideas that can be used to create a subtropical or exotic effect in our own gardens.
Ben Candlin is a professional gardener, nursery owner and garden speaker based in Exmouth. He works in a number or private gardens in Devon and is particularly interested in plants from the Aroid (Arum family), growing many of theses at his nursery, Adventurous Plants. Other nursery specialities include dwarf bulbs, hardy exotics and herbaceous plants.
Tuesday 25th February – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Julia Tremlett from The National Garden Scheme
This talk is on the history of the NGS and the charities which we now support, and then slides and descriptions of some of the gardens in Devon which open for the Scheme. Julia’s gardens at Bickham have been open for 33 years, and she was Treasurer for Devon for 20 years, but is now on the committee, mostly giving talks.
Tuesday 25th March – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Steve and Dawn Morgan – Hardy(ish) Passion flowers
Learn about which passion flowers are hardy in the UK and how to grow them successfully in your own garden. Steve and Dawn will introduce you to beautiful big and colourful passion flowers that they grow in their own garden in Yelland, near Barnstaple, North Devon.
Tuesday 29th April – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Mark Rosling – Wildflowers on the South West Coastal Path
Wildflowers of the South West Coast Path
In the Spring of 2022, Mark and Lesley Rosling (who live in Newton Ferrers) walked the 630 mile South West Coast Path from Minehead to Poole. During the course of the walk, Mark developed a fascination with the beautiful wildflowers along the route and will share photos and interesting facts about a number of his favourites. Describing himself as an enthusiastic amateur rather than a horticultural specialist he will share his enjoyment of some of the natural beauty which abounds on the coast path as well as some of the attributes, lesser known details and folklore associated with them.
Saturday 10th May – Plant and Cake Sale 10am to 12pm
Yealm Cottage Newton Hill Newton Ferrers – opposite the Post Office.
Tuesday 30th September – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Ken Thompson – Don’t judge a plant by appearances; how DNA is changing the names of garden plants
Ken Thompson is a retired academic who spent most of his career at Sheffield University. He frequently speaks to gardening clubs and societies, and teaches garden ecology on the Kew Horticulture Diploma. For ten years he wrote a regular gardening column for the Daily Telegraph, but now writes chiefly for Gardens Illustrated and Which? Gardening. He has published several books on gardening and popular science. His latest book, on Britain’s commonest plants, was published by Profile Books in 2023.
He returns to speak to us on how classifying plants on the basis of their DNA, rather than their appearance, is changing a lot of familiar names. This talk takes a look at some of the changes we will have to get used to, and the reasons behind them.
Tuesday 28th October – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
AGM & Talk by Martin Haxton – The new planting at Mothecombe Garden
Martin is the Head Gardener for Mothecombe Garden and will tell us the history of the garden, about himself and the new planting scheme at Mothecombe Garden. They have become an RHS Partner Garden allowing RHS members to visit free on a Tuesday when open in 2025.
Tuesday 25th November – 7:30pm start WI Hall Newton Ferrers
Stella Exbury – Setting up a nursery
Learn how and why Stella Exley set up her own independent hardy plant nursery. Originally based in Yorkshire and now in the beautiful South Hams area of South Devon. She regularly exhibits in Floral Marquees at all the major shows and is the proud holder of three National Plant Collections – Camassia, Sidalcea and Uvularia.
Yealm Gardens Society 