Included in the Gardener's Diary are dates for the Alpine Garden Society Bedfordshire Group, the Alpine Garden Society, the Biggleswade Gardening Club and the Cyclamen Society. If you have something you wish to be included in the Diary, or if you would like more information about any of the events below, please get in touch!
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Monday 6th February |
Group Meeting |
Alan Outen, another member of our Group, is an expert of the flora of Bedfordshire, having recently co-authored a book on the subject. For our first meeting of 2012 Alan will be presenting his new talk, 'Botanising in the Steps of Dracula'. |
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Wednesday 15th February |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Nigel Eaton will be talking about "This Year's Garden Trends". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 18th February |
AGS South Wales Show |
11:00 to 16:00, Caerleon Community College, Cold Bath Road, Caerleon, Nr. Newport, NP18 1NF. |
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Wednesday 22nd February |
Group Committee Meeting |
If you have anything you would like the committee to discuss please inform one of the committee members by the Monday before the meeting. |
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Saturday 3rd March |
AGS Early Spring Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Mark Hall School, First Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9LR. |
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Saturday 3rd March |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Peter Sheasby will be talking about "Switzerland and Its Mountain Flowers". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Monday 5th March |
Group Meeting |
Rod Leeds is well known in the AGS for growing bulbs and has written two very popular books on early and autumn bulbs. He is also an ex-President of the AGS and currently chairman of the Joint Rock Committee. Rod's talk will be the well-recommended 'Bulbs throughout the Year'. |
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Saturday 10th March |
AGS Loughborough Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Burleigh Community College, Thorpe Hill, Loughborough, LE11 4SQ. |
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Saturday 17th March |
AGS/SRGC Blackpool Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Collegiate High School, Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, FY3 7LS. |
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Saturday 17th March |
AGS Kent Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Rainham School for Girls, Highfield Road, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 0BX. |
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Wednesday 21st March |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Colin Ward will be talking about what is "Looking Good at the Moment". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 24th March |
AGS Bedfordshire Group Annual Show |
Come along and see a wide range of alpine plants, artwork, photos, embroidery and floral art. Sweet and savoury refreshments will be on offer all day, along with a tombola, members' plant sales and a professional nurseryman. Wilstead Village Hall, Cotton End Road, Wilstead, MK45 3BX. 12:00 to 16:00. Entrance is £1 for adults and free for children. For more information see the Annual Show page or send us an email. |
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Saturday 24th March |
AGS East Lancashire Show |
12:00 to 16:00, The Riverside, Whitworth Civic Hall, Market Street, Whitworth, Lancs, OL12 8DP. |
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Saturday 31st March |
AGS/SRGC Northumberland Show |
12:00 to 16:00, The Wentworth Leisure Centre, Hexham, NE46 3PN. |
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Saturday 31st March |
AGS South West Show |
12:00 to 16:00, St. Luke's Science and Sport College, Harts Lane, Exeter, EX1 3RD. |
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Saturday 31st March |
AGS Ulster Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Greenmount Agricultural and Horticultural College, Muckamore, Co. Antrim, BT41 4PU. |
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Monday 1st April |
Biggleswade Gardening Club Spring Show |
14:15 to 16:30, Biggleswade Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB. The AGS Bedfordshire Group will have a display at this Show. |
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Monday 2nd April |
Group Meeting |
Trevor Wiltshire used to be Head of the Alpine Section at RHS Wisley before moving to Cornwall. Recently he has returned from Turkey where he helped to build a WWF garden, which will be the subject of his talk. |
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Saturday 7th April |
AGS Cleveland Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Ian Ramsey Church of England School, Green's Lane, Fairfield Road, Fairfield, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 5AJ. |
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Saturday 7th April |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Bob Brown's talk will be "My Thirty Best Plants". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Tuesday 10th to Wednesday 11th April |
AGS London Show |
11:00 to 19:00 on Tuesday, 10:00 to 17:00 on Wednesday, RHS Lindley Hall, Vincent Square, London, SW1 2PE. This Show is part of the larger RHS show taking place over these two days. |
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Saturday 14th April |
AGS North Midland Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Brookfield School, Chatworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 3NS. |
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Wednesday 18th April |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Kevin Hughes' topic is "New and Less Usual Shrubs and Trees for the British Garden". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 21st April |
AGS Midland Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Arden School, Station Road, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands. |
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Saturday 28th April |
AGS Dublin Show |
13:30 to 16:00, Cabinteely Community School, Cabinteely, Co. Dublin. |
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Saturday 5th May |
AGS East Anglia Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Wymondham High School, Folly Road, Wymondham, South Norfolk, NR18 0QT. |
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Monday 7th May |
Group Meeting |
Vic Aspland is one of the Group's favourite speakers. He is regular contributor to the 'Alpine Gardener' and was also responsible for the popular 'Easy Leaflets. Vic's talk is called, 'With Great Pleasure'. |
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Saturday 12th May |
AGS Malvern Show |
9:00 to 18:00, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire. This Show is part of the Malvern Spring Gardening Show. |
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Sunday 13th May |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Annual Plant Sale. Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 10:00. |
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Wednesday 16th May |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
John Negus will be presenting his talk, "Twelve Months of Colour". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 19th May |
AGS Southport Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Stanley High School, Fleetwood Road, Southport, PR9 9TF. |
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Saturday 26th May |
AGS Summer Show - South |
12:00 to 16:00, Queen Elizabeth Road, Pamphill, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 4DT. |
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Monday 4th June |
Group Meeting |
Details to be confirmed. |
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Saturday 16th June |
AGS Summer Show - North |
12:00 to 16:00, The Chesneys Centre, Regent Street, Featherstone, Pontefract, WF7 5EW. |
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Wednesday 20th June |
Biggleswade Gardening Club
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Stuart Phillips' talk is called "The Gardener's Almanac". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Monday 2nd July |
Group Meeting |
Ray Drew, a past judge of our Show and now the Society's Director of Shows, is known for his extensive knowledge of alpines and growing prowess. The subject of Ray's talk will be Gothenburg Botanical Garden. |
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Saturday 14th July |
AGS Summer Show - Mid West |
12:00 to 16:00, Tewkesbury School, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8DF. |
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Wednesday 18th July |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Andrew Mikolajski will be presenting his talk, "Plants I Love, Plants I Loathe". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Monday 6th August |
Group Meeting |
Graham Nicholls is both a successful grower and exhibiter of alpines and if often seen at shows behind his nursery stall. He has also written a book on campanulas. Graham's talk is entitled, 'North American Alpines - From the Rockies to Alaska'. |
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Saturday 1st September |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Anne Godfrey will be presenting her talk, "Good in a Bed". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Monday 3rd September |
Group Meeting |
Christine McGregor is currently the Society's Director and her husband Jim, having recently stepped down as Director of Shows, is the secretary of the Joint Rock Committee and is also the Society's Webmaster. Jim and Christine will be talking about plants from their garden. |
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Wednesday 19th September |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Simon White will be talking about "Climbing and Rambling Roses for Every Garden". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 29th September |
AGS Autumn Show - South |
12:00 to 16:00, Rainham School for Girls, Highfield Road, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 0BX. |
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Monday 1st October |
Group Meeting |
Annual General Meeting. Details to be announced nearer the time. |
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Saturday 6th October |
AGS Loughborough Autumn Show |
12:00 to 16:00, Burleigh Community College, Thorpe Hill, Loughborough, LE11 4SQ. |
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Saturday 6th October |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Tim Walker's talk will be, "A Blaze of Glory". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Saturday 13th October |
AGS/SRGC Newcastle Show |
12:00 to 16:00, The Memorial Hall, Darras Road, Ponteland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE20 9NX. |
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Wednesday 17th October |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Philippa Pearson's talk is called, "Behind the Scenes at Chelsea". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 3rd November |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
AGM and Jean Venning will be presenting "Members' Open Gardens". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Monday 5th November |
Group Meeting |
Jim Almond, a popular speaker at the Group, will be returning to us with his talk, 'Alpines through the Post'. |
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Saturday 10th November |
AGS Annual General Meeting |
Details to be announced nearer the time. |
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Wednesday 21st November |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Graham Pavey's title is, "Creative Gardening for Busy People". Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |
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Saturday 1st December |
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society |
Tim Fuller will be talking about, "Good Companions: A Selection of Hardy Geraniums, Ornamental Grasses and Herbaceous Perennials". Biggleswade Weatherly Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 14:00. |
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Monday 3rd December |
Group Meeting |
Melvyn Jope, an active member of the Cyclamen Society, will be talking about 'Ipiros, Macedonia and Thrace'. |
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Wednesday 19th December |
Biggleswade Gardening Club |
Annual General Meeting. Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JB, from 19:30. |