Our programme for the year 2026
Winter/Spring events at the Grove Centre, Horsforth*
9 January – Zoom only AGM followed by a talk by Troy Scott Smith, Head Gardener at Sissinghurst and consultant for other significant gardens
Sissinghurst – Revitalising Vita: Undertaking a 7 year project to revitalise the garden, bringing about a more authentic Vita Sissinghurst – a celebration of beauty, romance, intimacy and emotion.
13 February – Cathy Kitchingman and Georgina Bordewich, Cathy owns and runs her own one acre country garden at Prospect House. Georgina is an RHS qualified professional gardener. As well as leading workshops for A Bright Prospect she operates Georgina B Gardens – her design, planting and gardening services company.
The Winter Garden: Winter Thrillers – bringing scent and light into the dark
13 March – Will Tomson, Director of Creative Cultivation based in Sheffield, a landscape and garden design company specialising in sustainably built wildlife gardens and natural swimming ponds
Wildlife Gardening- looking at up-to-date ideas and techniques
10 April – Prof Ann Mortimer: Owner of The Old Vicarage Garden open for the NGS
The making of my garden over 28 years: The Old Vicarage’s 1½ acre plantsman’s garden includes a rose, jungle and desert garden with glasshouses, classic and modern statues, unusual trees and shrubs and ponds.
8 May – Plant Auction
A plant auction open to all
No charge for non-members. Please bring plants to donate.
It will start at 7.30pm, with refreshments from 7pm
Summer Holiday & Garden visits
Home Farm Friday 22nd May 2pm
A self-drive visit to Home Farm, East Carlton
Details nearer the event
Day Trip – Thursday 11th June
A coach trip to Mount St. John and Shandy Hall
with lunch at the Carpenter’s Arms
Details nearer the event
Holiday to Kent and East Sussex – 27th June to 1st July
Itinerary and Booking form have been circulated to members. Some places are available for non-members – contact Sue Gray suegray39@btinternet.com
Member Garden Visits – Saturday 11th July
Three of our members, Frances King, Barbara Local and Maggie Sugden have invited us to visit their gardens. Details will be circulated nearer the event
Prospect House Garden – Friday 17th July, 2pm
A Self-drive visit to Prospect House Garden, Burton Leonard. Further details nearer to the event
Autumn events at the Grove Centre, Horsforth
18 September – Talk by Henrietta Huntley: Henrietta is Sarah Raven and Beth Chatto trained. She worked as the propagator for Newby Hall and does propagation for Cliff bank and last spring set up her own mail order nursery – Freckles & Flora.
All aspects of propagation: tips and tricks learnt in commercial nurseries and focussing on more unusual plants
9 October – Keynote Speaker – Derry Watkins
In 1996 she and her husband bought a derelict barn and fields near Bath and created theSpecial Plants Nursery, Garden and online seed shop. She is an author and plant collector and has introduced many unusual plants from all over the world. Her remarkable garden has featured in the Garden Design Journal, Gardens Illustrated and on the cover of RHS The Garden. She also teaches at The English Gardening School.
Late Summer Colour – the big, the bold and the beautiful
13 November – Talk by Ben Preston: WYHPS member Ben and his partner Laura took on a derelict nursery near Harrogate in
March 2021 and have been transforming Cliff Bank Nursery since then. Ben has a passion for people, plants and propagation and this talk will cover how all three have sculpted the ethos of the nursery.
People, Plants and Places
11 December – Christmas Social
An informal gathering for members – food, drink and a film of the year’s garden visits