Welcome to the Club
I’d like to wish our old and new members of the Club a very warm welcome to our 2026–27 membership year. One that promises to be a memorable and exciting one as both the programme and membership expands.
As well as another fascinating series of talks over the winter, we will be having two subsidised events in 2027, making the membership fee even better value than before!
Of course, Adam Frost’s visit to the Club on 9th March will be a very special occasion and planning is already well underway.
In addition to this, and due to the very positive feedback from last year’s trip to RHS Wisley, we are in the process of deciding on a venue for another coach trip in the summer.
With continuing RHS affiliation and Plant Heritage membership, plus the generous 10% discount members enjoy from Field Compost there are many ways to both save money and enjoy your gardening through membership of the Club.
Another change this year is that our seed (and now plant) ordering will be from Thompson & Morgan. The process will be more automated than before, allowing you to get both generous discounts and have your purchases delivered to your door. More details about how to order will follow in the next few weeks.
The Committee are very much looking forward to enjoying the year ahead with you and sharing all our gardening tales at the many social opportunities we share.
Sally Collins
Chair
West Wickham & District Gardening Club
wwdgc@westwickham.org
Guest Speaker evenings
With talks ranging from how to look after individual plants species to informative talks from top ecologists there is something for everyone to come and enjoy.
Our Swap table is there for you to share seeds and plants.
Unless otherwise specified, all meetings are held in West Wickham Village Hall at 7:30pm on the third Monday of each month.
Further details from Indi Liepa 01223 291320 ifliepa@gmail.com
Summer garden visits
From June to September, we organise evening visits to local gardens who welcome gardening clubs for special tours. We also organise occasional trips further afield to RHS and other notable gardens.
Spring Plant Sale
Our most popular event of the year. Members generously donate plants and seedlings from their gardens as well as delicious cakes for visitors to enjoy on the day. There’s usually a bit of a queue at the entrance, so turn up early to get a bargain!
Summer Gardening Fair
Members kindly donate plants, preserves and cakes and enjoy meeting up over tea and homemade cakes. There’s also a raffle, quizzes and a photo competition, plus visiting local garden-related charities and companies.
Newsletter
Produced by one of our most knowledgeable members, the newsletter is a chance for members to share successes and other garden-related news.
RHS affliliated club
The Club is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society and benefits include:
- The Garden – the monthly RHS magazine
- RHS Discount Card – 50% discount for two at the five RHS gardens (Wisley, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor,
Harlow Carr and Bridgewater).
Plant Heritage membership
Our two Plant Heritage membership cards give free access to talks and events. There are also plant sales and exchanges plus copies of the Plant Heritage Journal and National Plant Collections Directory which members are welcome to borrow.
Field Compost Ltd discount
www.fieldcompost.co.uk tel: 01440 966966
Contact Field Compost directly for 10% on all products with code WestWickham10.
Annual Photo Competition
Our popular and friendly photo competition is open to all villagers and their families in West Wickham and the surrounding area. We welcome entries from everyone, young and old, using mobile phones and digital SLR cameras alike. Some of the best entries are often taken on phones – capturing that passing opportunity.
The categories for 2025-26 were:
Along the Path
First: Alex Taylor
Second: Alice Mitchell
Third: Ciarán McNally
Lovely Leaves
First: Sue Mahoney
Second: Athene Hunt
Third: Sue Boase
Sky’s the Limit
First: Helen Stanowska
Second: Sally Collins
Third: Caroline Mitchell
Overall winner and recipient of the Ralph Westwood-Bate Photography Trophy: Helen Stankowska
The categories for 2026-27 are:
Nature’s bounty
Round
All things orange
We hope you find the categories inspiring. Use your imagination to interpret them as you like and you don’t have to be limited to gardening. Keep the categories in mind when you’re out and about through the year ahead, as the seasons change, when you’re on holiday, and in your own or someone else’s garden. Get your family involved too.
Photos should have been taken after 1st October 2026, with all entries to be received one week before the Summer Gardening Fair in September 2027 (date to be confirmed). There will be a winner for each category and you can vote for the ‘People’s Choice’ award on the day when all entries will be on display.
Each competitor can enter up to two photos in each category at 50p per image.
Email your entries and queries to Alice and Andy Mitchell, Email: photo@westwickham.org
Join the Club!
Annual membership runs from 1st September and costs £10 per person for the year 2026–27. Members wishing to join during the year receive discounted membership of £6 from 31st May. Talks are free to all members as well as the RHS and local supplier discounts listed above.
If you would like to come along to a meeting and see whether you would like to join, visitors pay £2 at each talk. Of course, our Plant Sale and Summer Gardening Fair are open to all and we are always happy to chat to new faces.
We look forward to meeting you during the months to come.
For more information about the Club and activities email wwdgc@westwickham.org
Programme September 2026 – April 2027
Saturday 12th September. Plants, vegetables, preserves, photo competition plus so much more!
Monday 21st September. Soil science: the hidden world beneath our feet. Talk by David Hinkley
Monday 19th October. Annual General Meeting followed by Climate Change, Gardening, and us. Talk by Sue and Clive Boase
Monday 16th November. Good gardens don’t happen by accident: thoughtful planting for wildlife and beauty. Talk by ‘Ladies that Mulch’
Monday 21st December. Christmas Social Evening. Wine and light refreshments provided.
Monday 18th January. Yuccas. Talk by Colin Smith, Yucca national collection holder
Monday 15th February. Potatoes: history, cultivation and breeding. Talk by Huw Richards
Monday 15th March. The world of alpines. Talk by David Livermore
Monday 19th April. The National Garden Scheme. Talk by Jenny Marks, NGS organiser for Cambridgeshire