2023
28th January 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: ‘Spices, a super spicy story’ – Jacqueline Aviolet
Jacqueline is a popular speaker and horticulturalist from ‘Rosie’s Garden Plants’ in Kent with its wealth of plants from perennials to shrubs and roses.
25th February 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: ‘Miss Ellen Willmott, her life and gardens.’ – Sandra Lawrence
Ellen Ann Willmott FLS VMH of Warley Place in Essex was an influential member of the Royal Horticultural Society. Sandra Lawrence is a journalist and has written a biography of Miss Willmott entitled “Miss Willmott’s Ghosts; the extraordinary life and gardens of a forgotten genius”.
25th March 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: ‘Plants in art and culture – how plants created society.’ – Dr Mark Spencer
Mark is a Forensic Botanist and the author of “Murder Most Florid”. He started life as a botanist and rather fell into forensics when asked by the Police to assist in the investigation of ‘Cold’ cases.
22nd April 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: ‘Learning from brownfields’: Bringing chaos and complexity back into new landscapes.’ – John Little of the Grass Roots Company
“We now understand that the wildlife around us all today evolved and is adapted to the disturbance and chaos of landscapes carved out by large mammals. Most of our flora and fauna it seems are not happy in the closed canopy woodland we assumed dominated the UK. A lot of our most important sites for wildlife are in places we have trashed and then left alone. Why then don’t we design back the structural complexity, topography and substrate mosaic of the mineral extraction and brownfield sites when designing our new landscapes?”
7th May: 1.00pm – 5.00pm
East Bergholt Place, East Bergholt, CO7 6UP
Open day: to visit the National Plant Collection of Euonymus (deciduous), Rhus and Toxicodendron during the Plant Heritage 45th Sapphire anniversary year.
NGS open day. Home-made teas available. Pay on the day or book in advance. Book here
Adults £8, children free. Contact: Rupert Eley, sales@placeforplants.co.uk
20th May: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Hullwood Barn, Shelley, IP7 5RE
Open day: to see three National Plant Collections of Iris – Sir Cedric Morris, Sir Michael Foster & Suffolk Irises pre-1985.
In celebration of the Plant Heritage 45th anniversary all three Suffolk Iris National Collections will be on display at a single location. Meet collection holders Sarah Cook (Sir Cedric Morris), Lucy Skellorn (Sir Michael Foster) & Steve Baker (Suffolk irises pre-1985). Car parking in field opposite. Plants for sale.
PH members free, non members £5. Contact: Sarah Cook, sarahmalmaisons@gmail.com
18th June: from 3:30pm
2 Holmwood Cottages, Bower House Tye, Polstead, CO6 5BZ
Summer garden Party: to celebrate 45 years of Plant Heritage
There will be wine and strawberries.
PH members £5, non members £7. Contact: Maggie Thorpe.
23rd September 2023: 2.30pm, Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: ‘The Gardens of Windsor Great Park and the Savill Garden’ – John Anderson
John Anderson is Keeper of the Gardens at Windsor Great Park in June 2016 and has responsibility for 120 hectares across the Windsor Estate, including The Savill Garden and The Valley Gardens as well as the private garden at Frogmore House. In addition to his work at Windsor Great Park John is also Vice-Chairman of the RHS Plant Comittee and an RHS Judge.
21st October 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk: A Passion for Climbers – Jane Lyndsay and Toni O’Connor
Jane and Toni are familiar speakers at Suffolk Plant Heritage and will need no further introduction.
25th November 2023: 2.30pm,
Stowupland Village Hall, IP14 4BQ
Talk and AGM: ‘Chrysanthemums’ – Twigs Way.
Twigs Way runs a small business delivering consultancy and research projects on historic gardens and designed landscapes of all periods and sizes. This includes production of Parkland Management Plans (PMP), Conservation Plans (CP) and Heritage Statements as well as undertaking specific research targeted projects for public and private clients. She is currently also working with a volunteer group in Essex to document historic parks and gardens in the area of Thurrock and the associated ‘Land of the Fanns’.
Everyone is welcome to our talks. Unless indicated otherwise, lectures are free to members, with £5 entrance fee for non-members. Online talks may need to be booked in advance – see individual talks for details.
Details of past programmes for 2017-2019 can be found on the Events page.