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Hampshire

Since October 1962
Monthly meetings consist of a lecture / presentation, raffle, plant sale and display table. In April we hold our annual plant sale at one of our open garden events. Garden visits are arranged throughout the year. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be hosting a series of meetings at Chilworth Hall plus some Zoom lectures through the winter months for those who prefer not to attend in person.
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  • Welcome

    Welcome to the Hampshire Alpine Garden Society Webpage.

    Our friendly, active group has been established since October 1962 and one or two original members still turn up occasionally!

    We currently have a membership of 90+ and they range from those new to alpine gardening to experts with a wealth of experience.

    We have an excellent programme of lectures on a wide range of topics, always stimulating and interesting. There is plenty of opportunity to chat to other members of the group. We have a raffle, a plant sales table and a display table each month.

    April sees the Annual Plant Sale which we all look forward to with much excitement and takes place at one of our Open Garden events!  Several open garden events are organised in the spring and summer at which we hold further plant sales.

    Membership of our group is open to all – you don’t have to be an AGS member, although always recommended to enjoy the wider benefits of the Society. Do come along as a visitor and see if you’d like to join us regularly. You would be most welcome.

  • Contact Details and Subscription

    Contact Details

    Ben Parmee (Secretary): Tel: 02380 265672 or 07501 083504

    Email: Ben.Parmee@alpinegardensociety.org

    Subscriptions

    AGS members: £10. (Joint £14)

    Non-members: £11.00. (Joint £15)

    Visitors: £2.50 (per meeting)

    Students: Free

  • Events programme

    2024 – 2025 Programme of Meetings and Talks

    2024

    26 September 2024 – At Chilworth Hall

    Razvan Chisu – Horticulturalist, Tour Guide and AGS Digital Manager.

    ‘Walking on flowers, spring in the Peloponnese’

    24 October 2024 – At Chilworth Hall – Our Open Meeting

    Dr Timothy Walker – Former Director of Oxford Botanic Garden.

    ‘A Life in Plants’

    28 November 2024 – At Chilworth Hall

    Diane Clement – Former Director of AGS Seed Exchange, shows judge and exhibitor.

    ‘Japan – the narrow road to the distant north’

    12 December 2024 – Via Zoom – note this is the second Thursday

    Seasonal meeting including the quiz written by David Butcher, short presentations by Group members and members’ photographic display.

    2025

    23 January 2025 – via Zoom

    Bob Wallis – AGS shows judge and and with his wife Rannveig, one of the Society’s leading exhibitors and winners of many Farrar Medals, tour guide and lecturer.

    ‘Steppes in the Snowmelt’

    February – Snowdrop-time Open Garden Event – Date to be announced

    27 February 2025 – via Zoom

    Richard Hodson – Proprietor of Hawthorns Nursery, a specialist Clematis nursery based in Lancashire

    ‘Small Flowered Clematis for the Summer Garden’

    27 March 2025 – At Chilworth Hall

    Melvin Jope – Member of AGS Woking Group, plant hunter and Cyclamen specialist

    ‘Galanthus and Companion plants in Greece

    March/April – Annual plant sale and open garden events – Dates to be announced.

    24 April 2025 – At Chilworth Hall

    Annual General Meeting and …

    Julian Sutton – Nurseryman and plant hunter, runs Desirable Plants Nursery

    ‘Beneath the Trees’

    22 May 2025 – At Chilworth Hall

    David  Hazelgrove – Past President of the Alpine Garden Society, AGS Shows judge and tours extensively.

    ‘Plant Hunting in Tibet- from Lijiang to Lhasa’

     

     

     

  • Next Meeting

    Hampshire Alpine Garden Society

    Meeting at Chilworth Hall

    7.00 for 7.30pm Thursday,  28th November 2024

    Speaker: Diane Clement

    ‘Japan – the narrow road to the distant north’

    Diane has been central to the AGS Seed Exchange, for many years taking on the role as Director of the Seed Exchange and her involvement continues today. Diane has travelled widely, demonstrated by the title of her talk for this meeting. She is also an exhibitor at AGS shows and Shows judge.

    For more info: Email Ben.Parmee@alpinegardensociety.org / ring 07501 083504

    Directions / venue http://chilworthhants.org.uk/index.php/village-hall/

  • Open Garden Event and Plant Sale

    Next Hampshire Group Open Garden Event

    TBC 

    Paddy and Ben Parmee open their garden for spring alpines and the Group’s annual plant sale during the spring. There are expected to be several open garden events in 2025. Paddy and Ben’s alpine garden featured on Gardeners World, in 2022 and various magazine articles have been written/photographed in and about their garden.

    The garden is opened in February showing Paddy’s large collection of Snowdrops, March/April for early alpines and May/June for later spring flowers. Each opening also features a plant sale.

    AGS Members and friends are invited to join Paddy and Ben at their garden in Chandlers Ford to enjoy Alpines at their best.

    AGS Groups – if you would like to arrange a visit specifically for your Group, please contact Ben to arrange a date. (Details Below)

    Details:

    Venue: 179 Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 1JH

    Entry: Free entry – donations for refreshments to support the Hampshire AGS.

    Date and Time: TBC

    Parking: Please park in Cuckoo Bushes Lane 50 metres to the North or other nearby street parking.

    We look forward to seeing many of you on TBC

    Best wishes Paddy and Ben

    Please contact the Secretary on 07501 083504 or 02380 265672; Email Ben.Parmee@alpinegardensociety.org

     

  • Hampshire AGS AGM Papers

  • Newsletters

  • Useful Links

2023 Photographic Competition Winning Entries

Results followed by the Judge’s Comments

1st Steve Lobley – Meconopsis

I placed this image first for several reasons.  The exposure is spot on.  We can see details throughout.  The composition is presenting the flowers on a slight angle.  The crop although tight is understandable as it prevents the bright petals interfering with the image.  I like the simplicity of just the three colours.

2nd Paddy Parmee – Snowdrop and Crocus

I liked the simple composition but also the care to get a separation between the crocus and the snow drop. A well-deserved 2nd place

3rd Steve Lobley – Saxifraga cotyledon Arieta

It is the quality of the lighting that lifts the image to have 3rd place.  The flower pot is slightly distracting.  If it could have been placed in a more attractive container temporarily it would have scored higher.

Highly Commended

Ben Parmee – Fritallaria meleagris

I thought the crop into a square works well.  Although the background is a little bright it does mean the flower stands out well with a good separation.

Jo Whitfield – Erythronium Joanna and Hellibore seedling

Good area of focus a little more detail on the lower flowers would help the image.

Ben Parmee – Pulsatilla vulgaris

Nicely taken photo in natural habitat. Good control of the background although a little bright.

Further Judge’s Comments

Angela Lobley – Tulips

This one deserves a mention for it’s imaginative presentation in a letter box format.

Christine Hughes – Erythronium in the Garden

The flowering part of this plant has been kept carefully in focus. It is a guess that the flowers are quite small and we are observing a plant we would not necessarily see without the attention given to the detail.

Steve Lobley – Fritillaria camschatensis Aurea

Another image that has been simplified to just three colours.  The square crop suits the triangular shape.  The background is slightly distracting with the series of parallel lines adjacent to the stem.

Thank you to everyone who entered and to Steve Lobley who put together the delightful presentation of all the entries which was shown at the May meeting. Every entry was very worthy of its place in the competition and made for a lovely finale to our programme.

 

2023 Plant Competition winning entries

Results

Plants in Flower:

1st and overall winner Mike Powell – Cyclamen libanoticum

2nd Dot Sample – Narcissus Arctic Bells

3rd Paddy Parmee – Muscari Mountain Lady

Plants Grown for Foliage:

1st Ben Parmee – Tsuga sielboldii

2nd Angela Lobley – a collection of Sempervivum

3rd Ben Parmee – Prunus sylvestris Tarrango

 

Jim Archibald Award given to Group Members Robin and Sue White

The Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee meets regularly at plant shows around the UK. The committee is made up of members of the Royal Horticultural Society, Alpine Garden Society and Scottish Rock Garden Club.

The Jim Archibald Award

After running a nursery for some years, Jim Archibald travelled the world collecting specimens and seeds. His annual seed lists offered a range of unusual and rare plants, and their introductions were always erudite, well informed and witty. This award in his name is presented by the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee in recognition of significant personal achievement relating to rock garden and alpine plants.

We are absolutely delighted that the Jim Archibald Award has been awarded to our long-standing Group members and supporters Robin and Sue White of Blackthorn Nursery fame. This prestigious award by the RHS is in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the propagation and development of Alpine Plants.Well done Robin and Sue, very well deserved and thank you for your continued support.

See pictures below courtesy of David Hazelgrove

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Members' Articles

Photographic Contributions

Two wonderful pictures of Crocus sativus, at Sounion, Greece photographed by Elizabeth Wells

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Autumn colour and wildlife, Colclicum being enjoyed by Hoverflies and Salvia with Humming Bee Hawk Moth, photographed by Paddy September 2022.

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Paddy’s flower arrangements entered into AGS shows

Group Facebook Page

Topical debate, photographs and information

More Info