Upcoming events
Photo by Emma Pollard from Pexels
Tuesday 26th January
David Carver – Buckland Cottage Gardens
Daphnes
David was raised on his parents’ wholesale nursery and has worked in the retail garden centre for over 15 years.
He set up a specialist bulb nursery in 2025, with the aims of conserving and keeping rare and unusual bulb species in cultivation along with breeding to introduce exciting new cultivars. He is currently a member of the RHS Alpine and Rock Garden expert group and trustee for Cyclamen Society. Along with volunteering with many other specialist plant groups.
This talk will be an in depth look at his journey in collecting and growing Daphnes, taking a look at the vast number of species and named cultivars which he has sourced over the years. And a few tips and tricks to growing these much-loved plants.
Tuesday 23rd February
Apple Taylor – Burgh Island – Where the Wild Things Grow
Apple Taylor is a ‘Craft gardener’ living and working in the South Hams.
Between 2018 and 2024 she was the sole gardener for the famous Burgh Island Hotel. While sensitively overhauling and caring for the cultivated gardens there, she also spent many hours on ‘the wild side’ studying and logging indigenous flowering species in their unique environment.
Her talk ‘Burgh Island – Where the Wild Things Grow’ takes us on a geographical botanical tour of the whole island, looking at the dynamic , robust and fascinating flora – and their strategies for survival – through her beautifully captured photographic images.
Tuesday 30th March
Philip Nieuwoudt – Trees
Nestled in South Devon’s sprawling 80 acres, New Wood Trees operates as a dedicated nursery for semi-mature trees, actively cultivating top-quality, field-grown multi-stem trees. Their strategic focus has always been to provide the British market with expertly sculpted trees, akin to those in Europe.
As a specialized field-grown tree nursery, they plant and nurture every tree in their fields for about five years. They sell exclusively what they cultivate, ensuring each tree meets their high standards before leaving the nursery.
He has appeared in October’s RHS magazine The Garden in a dedicated article.
Their trained staff diligently prunes and periodically transplants their trees. This essential process fosters a strong root system, stimulates growth, and guarantees the tree’s survival when it is ready for sale.
As a values-driven business, sustainability and biodiversity define them. Their trees, grown for at least five years in the UK, boast a lower carbon footprint than similar-sized imported trees. They prioritize native and climate-adapted species, contributing to the local environment and supporting wildlife.
The dedicated nursery team works tirelessly, especially in challenging weather conditions, demonstrating resilience while handling heavy root balls. A drying room ensures readiness for the next day, and rubber overalls are available during wet weather.
For a firsthand experience, Philip encourages visiting the tree nursery. Seeing and smelling the real thing is incomparable, and they’re delighted to show you around by appointment to view their semi-mature trees.
The talk will explain how the nursery grows, prunes and looks after the different types of trees ready to then sell them. Philip will pass on nuggets of information on what tree to buy, why, how to plant and how to keep them alive after! He will share his enthusiasm for trees.
Tuesday 27th April
Caroline Crocker – New Garden and Gardeners World
Caroline Crocker of Duck Garden Plants and Posies, Plymstock, is a former teacher who has become a self-taught plantswoman over the past 20 years. She now offers plant sales by appointment in the micro nursery at the top of her garden and local garden consultations. She will talk to Yealm Gardens Society about the transformation of her large, sloping lawn into a Wildside inspired series of mini mounds and the resulting visit from Sue Kent and a crew from BBC Gardener’s World. The presentation combines beautiful photography and horticultural knowledge with a humorous account of her moment of fame!
May
Plant sale 10am – 12pm Date to be confirmed
Tuesday 28th September
Jacquie Felix – Designing a Garden with Pots, Containers and Raised beds
An English and European Literature Graduate, Jacquie worked in PR and Communications for many years, before retraining as a Garden Designer. Her love of gardening stems back to her childhood in inner city Bristol.
Jacquie has lived in Devon for over thirty years. She describes her garden design style as architectural, meets cottage garden with strong tropical touches. Jacquie does garden design consultations for gardens large and small in Devon and beyond. She has written numerous articles, hosted on an award winning RHS Chelsea Show Garden, and been a BBC Gardeners’ Question Time Contributor. Jacquie is a regular Speaker at Tobyfest Garden Festival at Powderham. A Member of the Garden Media Guild, Jacquie runs garden workshops and gives virtual and in person talks and presentations to a variety of groups and organisations.
Jacquie’s talk on Designing with Pots, Containers and Raised Beds, offers tips and inspiration that can be used in your own outdoor space
Tuesday 26th October – AGM
Saul Walker – Question Time
Saul Walker fell in love with horticulture through his Grandparents passion for visiting historic houses and gardens, and after a brief spell as an Archaeologist, he went to train and work as a Gardener for the National Trust at Antony House in Cornwall.
After many years there he was accepted to study on the prestigious 3-year Kew Diploma of Botanical Horticulture at RBG, Kew and was exposed to the fantastic plant collections in the gardens and glasshouses, as well as travelling to Australia, Southern Spain and the French Riviera to study plants in their native habitats.
Following his time at Kew he spent a couple of years as part of the Show management teams for both the RHS Hampton Court Palace and RHS Chelsea Flower Show respectively, however he was unable to resist the call back to his native Devon, where he was the Head Gardener of Stonelands House- a privately owned 10-acre garden. He is now Partnerships and Events Manager for Plant Heritage.
Saul’s speciality interests include Woodland Gardens, Orchids, and Exotic plants. A member of the RHS Tender Plant Committee and Trustee of The Hardy Plant Society and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, he also co-hosts the Talking Heads Podcast with Lucy Chamberlain.
This will be a chance to ask Saul any garden related questions you may have.
Tuesday 30th November
TBC – big speaker to be confirmed shortly