West Yorkshire

Our meetings take place on the second Saturday of each month September to May inclusive.

We are a friendly group and you are welcome no matter what level of expertise you have. There are members who have a keen interest and a good knowledge about growing plants such as saxifrages, crocuses, cyclamen, gentians, hepaticas, snowdrops, narcissi, fritillaries, primulas, dianthus, trilliums, hellebores, campanulas, androsaces, sedums, dwarf pines and many others.

There is usually a guest speaker at the meetings who gives a talk for about an hour on a topic of interest to growers of alpine plants.

Before the main part of the meeting, normally the talk, there is a chance to chat, ask questions of the appropriate experts and to swap, buy and sell plants. Afterwards we have tea or coffee with biscuits. There is also a raffle.

We have a display table at each meeting (non-competitive) on which members display any plants for our interest.

At each meeting there are plant sales tables where volunteers sell spare plants on behalf of members with a contribution going to Group funds. Some of the plants sold are unusual and hard to obtain elsewhere. We sometimes have second hand gardening books for sale or for free and greeting cards produced by a talented artist member.

There are Local Group Shows in September/October and May. There is also the AGS Harlow Carr Show in October, organised by two of our members with the help of many other members.

Meetings are held at St Chad’s Parish Centre, Otley Road, Far Headingley, Leeds LS16 5JT (see map below). The Hall opens from 1.45 pm for a 2.30 pm start to the Meeting. There is ample parking and good disabled access. This is easily reached, lying just 1 mile south of the Leeds Outer Ring Road (A6120) at the junction with the A660. Beware speed cameras! Bradley’s (fish and chips) and Loaf (elaborate sandwiches etc) are two very close-by places to eat.

Click here for a Google map showing St. Chad’s Parish Centre (opens in a new tab): https://goo.gl/maps/85bNDDj5HyN2

Our Membership Secretaries, Bob and Di Dark, welcome everyone just inside the Main Hall.

Bob and Di can also be contacted by phone: 01430 626482 or email: diana.dark@homecall.co.uk.

Subscription: £15.00. Vistors £2.00. Annual membership runs from September.

Saxifraga oppositifolia ‘Theoden’

2024-2025 programme

14 September 2024 Frazer Henderson
‘Kyrgystan: In search of wild tulips’
Also: Group Autumn Show

12 October 2024 Harlow Carr Show (national show) at RHS Harlow Carr

19 October 2024 Keith Bankier
‘Cappadocia and Inner Anatolia (Central Turkey)’

9 November 2024 Ian Young
‘Bulbs from seed to the garden’ ZOOM TALK IN HALL

14 December 2024 Group members
‘Members photographs’

11 January 2025 Harry Jans
‘Growing alpines in the ‘hills’ of Holland’ POSTPONED
Replaced by Group member demonstrations. January meeting CANCELLED due to poor weather.

8 February 2025 Paul Cumbleton
‘Alpines & orchids’ ZOOM TALK IN HALL

8 March 2025 Tony Goode
‘Bulbs for all Seasons’

12 April 2025 Peter Williams
‘The Root Zone – the original dark web!’

10 May 2025 AGM, Group Spring Show & short talk by a Group member

13 September 2025 TBC

Previous programmes

2023-2024 Programme

9 September 2023 Diane Clement,
‘Cyclamen and Hepaticas’

14 October 2023 AGS Harlow Carr Show (national show)
At RHS Harlow Carr

21 October 2023 David Charlton
‘Flowers of the Picos de Europa’

11 November 2023 Cliff Booker
‘Patagonia – Part Two’

13 January 2024 Paul Cumbleton
‘Potting Composts & Other Conundrums’ ZOOM TALK IN HALL

10 February 2024 Tony Goode
‘Bulbs for all Seasons’ ZOOM TALK IN HALL

9 March 2024 Tim Ingram
‘Gardening on the Rocks’ ZOOM TALK IN HALL

13 April 2024 John Dowler
‘Troughs and Mini-gardens’

11 May 2024 AGM, Group Spring Show and short talk

14 September 2024 Frazer Henderson
‘Kyrgystan: in search of wild tulips’

2022-2023 Programme

10th September 2022 John Mitchell
Travels around the world
We welcome back John, Garden Supervisor, Alpine Section at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. John is widely travelled and knowlegeable about alpines in the wild and in cultivation. This talk takes us on a journey through China, Tibet, Afganistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Georgia and New Zealand among a few places!

8 October 2022 Michael Myers
Primula marginata – From the Maritime Alps to Yorkshire
Also: Group Autumn Show
Michael has long been associated with W. Yorks Group. He is a horticulturalist now teaching at Craven College, Skipton. He has an expert knowledge of and has held a National Plant Collection of Primula marginata.

12 November 2022 Cliff Booker
‘Patagonia – Part One’
Cliff, from the East Lancashire Group, will return to us to give a presentation about some of the finest flower locations in Chile and Argentina. Cliff is a superb photographer.

10 December 2022 Group members
Members’ photographs

14 January 2023 Jim Almond – ZOOM TALK IN HALL.
Primulaceae in pots

4 February (Note: not 2nd Sat) 2023 Paul Cumbleton & Colin Everett – ZOOM TALK IN HALL
‘Our Odyssey With Bulbs’

11 March 2023 Eric Rainford
‘Greencombe Gardens’

15 April 2023 (Note: not 2nd Sat) Jack Ogg
‘York Gate Garden’

13 May 2023 AGM, Group Spring Show and short talk

Androsace sempervivoides ‘Susan Joan’

AGS West Yorkshire Group Spring Show

The local West Yorkshire Group Spring Show takes place during the May meeting at St Chad’s. Entries are very welcome from any member. At this meeting we also have our AGM and a short talk by a Group member.

The Spring Show schedule does not change much from year to year. A pdf of the Spring show schedule for 2022 can be downloaded here: https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/spring-show-schedule-22-004.pdf

Exhibitors in our local shows must be members of the AGS West Yorkshire local group for some sections but members of any AGS local group can enter other sections.

Spring Show, photo Di Dark

AGS Harlow Carr Show

The AGS normally hold a national show at RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate (HG3 1QB) in October which the local AGS West Yorkshire Group help organise. See the main AGS website for details.

Show benches, AGS Harlow Carr Show, 2024

AGS West Yorkshire Group Autumn Show

The local West Yorkshire Group Autumn Show takes place during the September or October meeting at St Chad’s. Entries are very welcome from any member.

The Autumn Show schedule does not change much from year to year. A pdf of the Autumn show schedule for 2024 can be downloaded here:
https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Autumn-2024-Show-Schedule.pdf

Judging the Autumn Show, 2018 with Georgina, Ian, Eric & Trevor (photo Di Dark)

Exhibitors in our local shows must be members of the AGS West Yorshire local group for some sections but members of any AGS local group can enter other sections.

Photographs from the display table

Crocus thirkeanus (syn. C. herbertii) – Eric Rainford (photo Matthew Childs)

Petrocosmea cryptica – Ian Instone (photo Matthew Childs)

AGS Harlow Carr Show

Show benches, 2024

Cyclamen and Petrocosmea on the show bench, 2024

Galanthus, First prize for Anne Wright 2024 in Class 65

Melicytus alpina, Second Prize for Ian Instone 2024 in Class 23

AGS West Yorkshire Autumn Show

Best Plant in Show Gaultheria procumbens – Ian Instone, 2018 (photo Di Dark)

Plant stall with Fred Bundy, David Woolveridge & Michael Wilson, 2018 (photo Di Dark)

AGS West Yorkshire Spring Show

Primula sieboldii, 2017

Erigeron aureus ‘Canary Bird’ – Matthew Childs, 2017

Other photographs

Favratia zoysii, Ian Instone

Cypridium ‘Sunny’, Charlie Phillpots

Lewisia tweedii, Michael Wilson

Troughs in Bob and Di Dark’s garden

A cheery one flowering in the snow on January 10th 2025, Iris ‘North Star’. Matthew Childs

The Newsletter is published twice a year, in February and August. Copies can be downloaded in pdf format using the links below.

Newsletter No. 72, Aug 2024: https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AGS-WYG-Newsletter-August-2024.pdf

RHS Harlow Carr alpine house & troughs 12th Dec 2020

It was drizzly at times today at Harlow Carr and it was fairly quiet. Below are links to three videos I took in and around the outside of the alpine house.
Matthew Childs

Around the inside of the alpine house: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N4Kyj-nuBB8rhRWGQGyBn0fIE00tP8GS/view?usp=sharing

Around the outside of the alpine house: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J3xBTpkoUei2F54sr4u9505ET2VLJwcC/view?usp=sharing

A closer look at many of the troughs: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U9vCfiS8tTEKLEpckuop3m2lzAgo_Lk1/view?usp=sharing

Suppliers

Keith Singleton’s John Innes
This is a top quality John Innes that isn’t widely available. Stocked by Swincar Nurseries, Guisley, LS20 9DL. Tel. 01943 874614. http://swincarnurseries.co.uk.

Download this pdf for an article by Paul Cumbleton about choosing John Innes composts and some comments about Keith Singleton’s John Innes: Choosing a Potting Compost by Paul Cumbleton (2016) https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Choosing-a-Potting-Compost-Paul-Cumbleton-2016.pdf

Websites

Nurseries

Dryad Nursery (Anne Wright’s site): http://www.dryad-home.co.uk/

Slack Top: http://www.slacktopnurseries.co.uk/ The nursery has now closed.

The Alpine Plant Centre: http://www.alpineplantcentre.co.uk Closed down but in 2024 the nursery had a few special plant sales days plus several open days. Search for ‘The Alpine Plant Centre’ to get the latest information.

Aberconwy Nursery: (with latest Plant List available as a pdf): http://www.aberconwynursery.co.uk

Hartside Nursery Garden:http://www.plantswithaltitude.co.uk/

Other websites

York Gate Garden: https://perennial.org.uk/garden/york-gate-garden/

Parcevall Hall Gardens: http://www.parcevallhallgardens.co.uk/

Wakefield & North of England Tulip Society (holds an annual show in May at Horbury, Wakefield): http://www.tulipsociety.co.uk/

Committee officers 2024-2025

Contact Cath Burns for more information:
Cath.rochelle@icloud.com