Below are details of our programme of member events, and outings till the end of 2024. You can also download a PDF leaflet for reference (see the bottom of the page).
Non-members are warmly welcomed at our face-to-face events and on outings for a £3 fee each time, unless otherwise stated.
The venue for our meetings is Uplyme Village Hall, Lyme Road, Uplyme, Lyme Regis, DT7 3UY (unless otherwise specified).
Directions: the Village Hall is in Uplyme on the B3165 between Hunters Lodge and Lyme Regis. Driving from Hunters Lodge, the hall is on the right after the mini roundabout and the filling station. There is parking in front of or behind the hall.
Programme subject to alteration.
Image of fennel by kind permission of Mark Diacono
Talks and events at the Village Hall
Doors open at 7 for refreshments at our evening talks in the hall.
January 24th 2024 (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK. ‘Choosing the Right Veg for You’ by Joy Michaud, Sea Spring Seeds. Vegetable specialist Joy looks at how to select the best veg varieties for our individual needs. Seeds for sale.
February 24th (Saturday) 10am to 12 noon
COFFEE MORNING. Everyone welcome. The container and tuber for the summer show potato competition will be on sale for £3. Also an ideal time to renew your membership for 2024 if you haven’t done so already – please bring £6 cash per person.
February 28th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK. ‘The Hedgehog Predicament’ by Colin Varndell. Colin looks at the reasons for the hedgehog’s decline and what we can do as individuals to help them.
March 27th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
AGM followed by TALK. ‘Risk-taking in Landscape’ by Keith Wiley of Wildside Nursery. Keith looks at how to loosen the straitjacket of long-established horticultural practices and release our creative potential. See also our September trip to Wildside.
Free herb plug plants available to grow on for those wishing to enter the Summer Flower and Produce Show.
April 24th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK. ‘Hostas’ by Peter Savage of Bowdens Nursery. Hosta expert Peter tells us all we need to know to grow hostas successfully. Plants for sale. See also our June trip to Bowdens.
Competition for best spring flowering bulbs, corms or tubers (pot or vase).
May 11th (Saturday) 10am to 12 noon
PLANT SALE & COFFEE MORNING. Please donate plants, garden sundries or home produce (cakes, preserves, eggs, veg) to sell to raise funds to support our events. Entry £2, includes tea or coffee.
May 22nd (Wednesday) 7.30pm
DEMONSTRATION. ‘Spring into Summer’ by Angie Blackwell, Cottage Flowers. Award-winning florist Angie will show us 4 or 5 arrangements that make the most of our flowers as we move from spring into summer.
June 26th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK. ‘Gardening with Ornamental Grasses’ by Katherine Crouch. Katherine, a Chelsea Gold Medal winning designer, looks at how we can use these wonderful plants to enhance our gardens.
July 31st (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK AND DISPLAY. RNLI Week – ‘Birds of Prey’. Proceeds to RNLI. Get a close-up look at hunting raptors.
All tickets £4 from Lyme Regis Lifeboat Shop or ring Brian Cursley 07831 533580.
August 3rd (Saturday) 2 to 5pm
SUMMER FLOWER AND PRODUCE SHOW. A new date for a new look show. More details to follow. This year’s show theme is Herbs.
Admission £1 for all adults.
September 25th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK. ‘Plant Hunters’ by Ambra Edwards. Discover the intriguing origins of favourite garden plants, hear tales of derring-do, and learn how plants move across the world. Illustrations from the Kew Archives.
Ambra’s books for sale.
October 12th (Saturday) 10am to 12 noon
AUTUMN SHOW AND COFFEE MORNING. A fun, informal event with classes for produce, flowers, preserves and baking, all judged by public vote. Plant donations for Society stall welcomed. Raffle.
Show open to all, free of charge.
October 23rd (Wednesday) 7.30pm
TALK AND DEMONSTRATION. ‘Unexpected Fruits’ by Mark Diacono. Mark brings his trademark enthusiasm to introduce us to the finest forgotten flavours, fabulous lesser-known harvests, and the exotic foreign fruit that our changing climate now allows us to grow.
Mark’s books on sale.
November 27th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
DEMONSTRATION ‘The Answer Lies in the Soil’ by David Usher. This practical demonstration explores what soil is, and how to look after it to get the best results.
Handout with useful soil-related information provided.
December 18th (Wednesday) 7.30pm
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL at Uplyme Village Hall. Quiz, mince pies, mulled wine (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), raffle.
Doors open at 7 for refreshments at our evening talks in the hall.
Outings
For all coach trip bookings, contact Jenny Harding, text or call
07773 604137. Coach pickups from Axminster by prior arrangement.
All coach trip costs include a non-returnable deposit of £5.
February 13th (Tuesday) East Lambrook Manor ‘Snowdrops’
COACH TRIP departs 9.30am. Grade 1 listed cottage garden created by Margery Fish. Short talk from the owner followed by time to view the abundant borders of snowdrops, hellebores and hardy geraniums. Snowdrops for sale. Cafe and shop. Then travel on to Brimsmore Garden Centre nr Yeovil. Restaurant for lunch if required, farmshop and plants. Optional talk at 2.30pm – Spring in the Garden. Leave approx 3.30/3.45pm. £20.
March 6th (Wednesday) NT Tyntesfield, nr Bristol
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am. Ornate Victorian gothic revival house with spring flower filled terraces, kitchen gardens and parkland. Cafe, shop and second-hand book shop.
NT members £15 Non-NT £25.
April 14th (Sunday) Exbury Gardens
COACH TRIP departs 8.30am. Garden renowned for its magnificent spring colour in 200 acres of woodland beauty in the New Forest, with rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. Restaurant / café.
£25 includes steam train ride.
May 4th (Saturday) ‘Toby Buckland Garden Festival’ Powderham Castle
COACH TRIP departs 8.45am.More than 100 exhibitors, including award-winning nurseries, unique West Country craft, artisan food and drink, plus live music and talks in the fabulous grounds and interior of Powderham Castle.
£22.
May 19th (Sunday) Marwood Hill Gardens, Barnstaple
COACH TRIP departs 9.00am.A 20-acre haven with three lakes, champion trees and spectacular views. Massed blossom of camellias and rhododendrons, drifts of colour from primulas and iris. Tearoom and plant sales.
£22.
June 5th (Wednesday) Bowden Hostas, Chagford and Sutton Mead Garden
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am.
Bowdens Nursery hosts National Collections of hostas and agapanthus. Guided tour of three gardens of hostas, ferns, bamboos and other plantings plus time for coffee/cake and the plant nursery. Lunch and time to look round picturesque Chagford.
Sutton Mead Garden, Moretonhampstead was created by Edward and Miranda Allhusen – Devon County NGS organisers. Views of Dartmoor with mature orchards, trees, grasses, shrubs, vegetable garden, bog garden, woodland walk, ponds and plenty of unusual plants.
£22 includes Bowdens tour plus coffee/cake.
June 15th (Saturday) Cerne Abbas and Open Gardens
COACH TRIP departs 12 noon. Up to 30 large or small gardens, teas and flower stall, open from 2pm, within walking distance of coach park. Picnic area in Squibb Garden; lunches in local pubs and teashop. Maps provided. http://www.cerneabbasopengardens.org.uk/
£20.
July 9th (Tuesday) Wimborne and Edmondsham House and Gardens
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am.
Wimborne A morning visit to this riverside, pre-Roman market town. Plenty of cafes/restaurants for coffee/lunch before Edmondsham House in the afternoon.
Edmondsham House dates from 1589 and has a 6 acre garden featuring unusual trees and shrubs. Walled kitchen garden has been in use for a century and is totally organic.
£24 includes guided tour at Edmondsham.
July 24th (Wednesday) Evening visit to Blackbury Honey Farm and Garden
COACH TRIP departs 6.15pm. A social visit to this family-run honey farm with wildflower garden and meadow.
£7.50 includes refreshments. Please book by July 18th.
August 6th (Tuesday) Mystery Tour
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am. Give yourself an unexpected treat with our mystery tour.
£20.
August 17th (Saturday) RHS Rosemoor Flower Show
COACH TRIP departs 8.30am. Specialist growers, horticultural experts and artisans share their passion for plants and all things gardening. See this 40-acre garden at its best, from the dramatic Hot Garden and impressive Kitchen Garden, to cool woodland walks. Food outlets, restaurant, shop and plant sales. £20.
Sept 4th (Wednesday) Buckfast Abbey and Wildside, Yelverton
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am.
Buckfast Abbey on the edge of Dartmoor has a large restaurant for coffee/lunch, shops, exhibition centre and beautiful gardens plus the impressive living Abbey Church and Monastery.
Wildside Garden and Nursery nr Yelverton created by Keith Wiley, formerly head gardener at the Garden House. Keith takes inspiration from natural landscapes to create areas of planting in his garden from around the world.
£22.
October 2nd (Wednesday) NT Dunster Castle
COACH TRIP departs 9.15am. Ancient castle and country home with views to Exmoor and the Quantocks. Gardens and working watermill, tearoom and shop. Explore also the medieval village of Dunster.
NT members £15 Non-NT £25.
December 8th (Sunday) Salisbury at Christmas
COACH TRIP departs 9.00am. Enjoy festive shopping at the Christmas market, the Christmas light trail, St Thomas Church Christmas Tree Festival, and the many food and shopping outlets of Salisbury. Optional visit to NT Mompesson House in Salisbury which is decorated for Christmas.
£18. Entry to NT Mompesson not included (NT free Non-NT £8.55)
Find out more
Members should be receiving invitations to events by email and an occasional newsletter. If you are not receiving these (and have not unsubscribed from our emails) please contact Lois Wakeman (lois@lois.co.uk). If you change your email address please contact our membership secretary Allison Crabbe (allisoncrabbe@aol.com).
You should check this website for the latest information. Jo Benke-Smith is the chair of our trips and talks group and may be contacted on joanna.ulrhs@yahoo.com / 07504 442219.
Uplyme & Lyme Regis Horticultural Society 
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