HPS Sussex

Hardy Plant Society Sussex

Making gardens with hardy perennials

Welcome to the Sussex Branch of the Hardy Plant Society

Thankyou for visiting - we hope you'll come along to a meeting and join our community!

We meet monthly at 2pm (doors open at 1.30) at Henfield Hall BN5 9EQ from September to April - there are stalls with plants and seeds for sale, a raffle, gardening goods and clothing, an information point and often a good selection of second-hand books. There's always a speaker - perhaps a nursery owner, a specialist grower or an author. Our November meeting is a shared lunch and quiz - the prizes are great.

There's a great deal of sharing and learning from each other and a collective enthusiasm for gardening. And cake! The meetings end with tea and cakes, made by our members - and you can buy any left-over slices at the end of the meeting to enjoy at home.

From April to August there are visits to members' gardens and other gardens not usually open to the public, which are great opportunities to see ideas put into practice and to take away inspiration (and sometimes plants for sale). There's always coffee and cake and conversation, of course!

What's a hardy herbaceous perennial?

It's a plant which lives for more than two years - most herbaceous perennials grow and bloom over the spring and summer then die back every winter. They grow back again each spring from their root-stock, rather than seeding themselves as an annual plant does.

Henfield Hall meetings

Sunday 21 April: Doors open 1.30pm; Seedling Swap then at 2pm 'Cow Parsleys and their Relatives (Umbel...ievable Umbels!) with Marina Christopher

Sunday 22 September Our 30th Birthday Celebration:

**10.30am Coffee

**11.00am Nigel Hopes (Ashwood Nurseries) 'A Year in John's Garden'

**12.00 Lunch

**2pm Samantha Hopes 'Roscoea The Hardiest Ginger' followed by Tea.

Sunday 20 October: Doors open 1.30pm; at 2pm: The Three Growbags 'How to grow Happy Plants'

Sunday 24 November 10.30am Coffee; 11am; 'Creating Movement whilst Frozen Still' with Ben Pope, followed by a Bring and Share lunch

Talking Plants

Thursday 23 May - Horsham

Wednesday 5 June - Amberley

Tuesday 23 July - Turners Hill

Monday 18 August - East Grinstead

Thursday 12 September - Hurstpierpoint

Outings

Thursday 27 June - The Long House, Westdean

Tuesday 30 July - Pitfield Farm Flower Barn, Hurstpierpoint