The HPS Monmouthshire Group is for people who love plants and gardening and enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with other like-minded gardeners in the county and beyond.

Both HPS members and non-members are very welcome to most events - it’s an opportunity to meet people with similar interests in a friendly atmosphere, listen and perhaps ask some questions, take time to chat while enjoying refreshments, and to buy some plants grown by members.

The group, covering postcodes NP4 to NP44 and bordering areas, is part of a network of 45 local groups throughout the UK registered with the national Hardy Plants Society (HPS) and is also an Affiliated Society of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The group meets monthly in Little Mill Village Hall from September through to May and also organises garden visits, gardening discussion dinners and a plant sale. September and October have been busy and enjoyable months with two talks in the hall (‘The Living Jigsaw’ by Val Bourne and ‘Epimediums’ by Sally Gregson), a Zoom talk (‘Westonbirt and its role with Endangered Trees’ by Andrew Smith, Director of the National Arboretum at Westonbirt), and our final garden visit of 2022 (to the wonderful Veddw Garden, near Devauden). The group would like to thank all those who have been able to attend, whether in person or online, as well as our speakers and hosts of course. Coming up next:

•Saturday,November 12 at 2.30pm in the hall, ‘The Well Gardened Mind’ by Sue Stuart-Smith, the well-known Psychiatrist, psychotherapist and author. Sue will bring science, insight and anecdote together as she investigates the magic that many gardeners have known about for years – that working with nature can radically transform our health, wellbeing and confidence.

•Thursday,November 24 at the Greyhound Inn near Usk, a Members-only ‘Gardening Discussion over Lunch’.

• Saturday, December 10 at 2.30pm in the hall, ‘Folk Tales from Long Ago’ by the renowned story-teller, Daniel Morden.

• Saturday,January 14 at 2.30pm online by Zoom, ‘Gardening in South Africa’ by Michael Hogan, Designer and artist, live from Skeerpoort, South Africa.

If any of these events are of interest, the group would love to hear from you.

For more details and to book your places, please see www.ticketsource.co.uk/The-HPS-Monmouthshire-Group To keep in touch with the latest group news and receive early notice of future events, please send an email request to [email protected]