Programme 2026-27
LAST MEETING REPORT:
Over 40 members welcomed Jackie Batty, NGS County Organiser for Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire. The talk was fascinating, covering the foundation of the NGS in 1927 through to new gardens opening in the Centenary Year, next year. Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors the NGS has donated over £77.8 million to nursing and health charities and in 2025 made an annual donation of over £3.8 million. The core beneficiaries include Carer’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson’s UK and The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing. Jackie went on to showcase local gardens including hers, Treffgarne Hall, where she and her husband Martin are lucky to have a walled garden where the focus is on borderline-hardy and exotic specimens.
A very enjoyable evening finished with a vote of thanks from Michele James, the raffle and welcome refreshments. A donation was made to the NGS by the club, in lieu of a speaker's fee, which Jackie kindly waived.
NEXT MEETING:
Wednesday 14 October at 7.30pm
'Symphotrichums & Beyond - Late Season Flower Power' with Janine Thomson
Janine makes a welcome return to the club, with an illustrated talk on Symphotrichums (Asters or Michaelmas Daisies to you and me!) and other late flowering plants, to add colour to the autumn border. Janine is owner of Heartease Plants and has a regular stall at St Dogmaels on a Tuesday, as well as selling at Rare Plant Fairs throughout the season. She will be bringing plants for sale so there is no club plant sales table this month.
Teas: Howard Lillyman & Sharon Swift
Wednesday 11 November at 7.30pm
'Bee-keeping for Beginners' with Rob Wilson
Rob lives in Abercych and runs a commercial honey enterprise, Cych Valley Honey Farm. They produce local honey, queen bees, nucleus hives, beeswax and much more. A family business with three generations celebrating 60 years of beekeeping. A full guide and description of the art of setting up and running your own hives. Bee Products for sale.
Last club plant sales table of the year and our annual Seed Swap. Don't forget to bring your seeds and take some away! Deadline for handing in your Kings Seed Orders.
Teas: *** Plant Stall: ***
Saturday 12 December at 2.00pm
Christmas Social
Our annual social, details to follow
Wednesday 13 January 2027 at 7.30pm
Gardeners Question Time with Jenny, Richard, & Roger
Roger Spencer, from Trefedyn, will be joining club members, Richard Cain (formerly of Penlan Perennials) and Jenny Matthews (formerly of Moorland Cottage Plants), to answer all your questions. Compered by Roger Bushell.
Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 10 February at 7.30pm
'Designing a Garden' with Andy Cutter
Club and committee members, Andy and Lesley Cutter are in the process of creating a new garden at Lower Kings, Boncath. Having trained as a Garden Designer in 2017, Andy has designed over 50 gardens for private clients. His talk will give an overview of the design process from a professional perspective and will include useful tips on garden layouts that members will be able to incorporate into their own gardens. Examples of designs will be included in the presentation and be available to view on the evening. Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 10 March at 7.30pm
'The Adventures of a Seed Detective' with Adam Alexander
I have a passion for growing fruit and vegetables, which I have been doing since I was a little kid. I am a filmmaker, writer and seed saver. My interest in discovering rare, endangered but above all, delicious vegetables from around the world began as the result of meeting a remarkable lady in a vegetable market in Donetsk, Ukraine in the late eighties whilst making a documentary series there. I write about that life-changing encounter in my book The Seed Detective. So began a pursuit for deliciousness and a journey of discovery and learning about the social and cultural relationships we have with what we grow and eat that I have been on for the best part of 35 years. Today I have a library of over 500 varieties of vegetables I have been given and collected in my travels around the world which I love to sow, savour and share. Seeds to share and books at a 25% discount.
Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 14 April at 7.30pm
AGM and Social Evening
Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 12 May at 7.30pm
'Aberglasney: A Calendar Year' with Nigel McCall
Nigel writes: Photography has always been part of my life and became a real passion from 2003. Wildlife and Landscapes being my interest both at home and away. From 2014 I have photographed almost exclusively at Aberglasney Gardens and My book ‘Aberglasney Gardens – a calendar year’ was published in March 2022. The talk is 75 minutes long and it shows the garden from January through to December and includes sections in spring. summer and autumn which are set to music.
The show is designed to be both entertaining and inspirational.
Nigel won Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2013 and International Garden Photographer of the Year in 2017. He has won many awards since and we are in for a visual treat. Nigel will have books for sale. Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 9 June at 7.30pm
'Preserving the Harvest' with Peni Ediker
Peni runs Swn y Coed, a One Planet smallholding in West Carmarthenshire, where they grow food and community, selling seasonal vegetables, and flowers, whilst running practical courses on bio-fertilisers, biochar, compost making and self-sufficiency skills. They offer placements to excluded young people and training for teachers and university lecturers. In this talk Peni will take us through the many different methods available to preserve our harvests.
Teas: Plant Stall:
Wednesday 10 July at 7.30pm
'Veteran Trees of the Teifi Valley' with Doug Lloyd
Doug is an ecologist and Wildlife Trust officer for Ceredigion with the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. We will be looking at the location and benefits of ancient trees found along the course of the Teifi Valley, many of which are rare and are on private land.
Teas: Plant Stall:
August: Club Visits to NGS Gardens
We are proposing to visit three gardens during the month. Although organised by the club the visits, by arrangement require a minimum of 10 members and the use of shared transport. Normal entry fees are payable. More details to follow
Pentresite
The House on Stilts
Pont Trecynny