Meeting and Events

Throughout the year Purbrook Horticultural Society lay on a series of informative meetings about gardening, conservation, plants, nature, flower shows and lots more besides. On this page you can see our list of forthcoming meetings for the year ahead.

2025 Programme and Meetings

Something for everyone

Updated: 20th January 2025
We are very excited for the 2025 year ahead. Our range of speakers for 2025 will provide something for everyone, and we look forward to sharing their expertise we our members. If you have any questions about the speakers, just contact Lynda.

Start Times & More Details

All talks are held at Deverell Hall, London Road with doors open at 7PM for a 7.30PM start. Meetings are free to members and there is ample free parking behind the hall. An interval is normally held mid talk in order to have a free cup of Tea or Coffee and Biscuits; purchase from the Sales Table; announce the winner of the £5 Store voucher for best exhibit on the Show table [as judged by the speaker]; book your seat on the trip; draw the raffle, renew membership and take a comfort break!

Thursday 3rd April 2025 - Speaker Deryn Hawkins

South American Adventures
Deryn Hawkins is a wildlife photographer who has visited us before with stunning pictures. She is a member of the Hants & IoW Wildlife trust but we will travel further afield with 'South American Adventures'.

Thursday 1st May 2025 - Speaker Margaret Williams

What do judges look for in show entries
Margaret Williams trained as a teacher and was Head of Department in a college for 20 years teaching A level Home Economics. After retiring she trained as a national judge in cooking and preserves with the WI and tutored at Denman College. She was a guest judge on Celebrity Master Chef for 2 years. Margaret, with all her experience, will talk to us about what judges look for in show entries. She will also answer any of your questions on that subject.

Thursday 5th June 2025 - Speaker Graham Bowyer

The Gardens of Japan
Graham Bowyer who is a regular speaker to Hampshire garden clubs and others will give us a talk on ‘The Gardens of Japan’ which promises to be very interesting and colourful.

Thursday 3rd July 2025 - Speaker Dave Allport

Awaiting Details
Awaiting further information. Please contact Lynda for details.

Thursday 7th August 2025 - Speaker Amanda Gomersall

Her Own Prize Winning Garden
Amanda Gomersall was a fashion buyer for 25 years then went into teaching fashion management. After retiring in 2024 Amanda helped to turn a 5acre site into a garden which was accepted onto the National Garden Scheme, whereby the public can visit and donations are made to charities. This talk will be about her own garden for which she won the B&Q prize for best use of space. Her garden measures 5 X 11 metres.

Thursday 4th September 2025 - Speaker Nick Bailey

Nick Bailey - Photo courtesy of Holly Cook Headshots

From Gardener’s World
Nick Bailey is a freelance horticulturalist, best-selling author, award-winning TV presenter, garden designer and speaker.

After studying horticulture at Hadlow College and achieving a 1st class honours degree in Landscape Design from Greenwich University, Nick has worked across many sectors of horticulture over the last 30 years, including nursery stock production, garden management, garden design, teaching, public speaking writing and broadcasting.

Nick is currently a regular presenter on BBC Two’s Gardeners’ World to over 2.5million viewers. His film on plants associated with Shakespeare for Gardeners’ World won best TV programme at the Garden Media Guild Awards 2016.

He began his broadcasting career presenting Gardens Wild and Wonderful in South Africa (’95-’96) and spent four years as a panellist on BBC Radio Norfolk’s Garden Party. Nick has since appeared on BBC 2’s Great British Garden Revival and Big Dreams Small Spaces, as well as ITV News and BBC 1’s The One Show, BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme, and BBC Radio 2.

Nick’s horticultural media career spans some 15 years, during which time he worked as an editor for Garden Answers and Garden News, moving on to write freelance for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, RHS The Garden, The Mail, The Times and The Telegraph. He currently has regular columns in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and Garden News.

Nick’s first book ‘Chelsea Physic Garden – A Companion Guide’ was published in 2014. His second book ‘365 Days of Colour in your Garden’ was published by Kyle Books in 2015 and has been a best seller ever since. His third book ‘Revive Your Garden’ was published in April 2018.

As a dynamic and entertaining public speaker, Nick has taught and lectured for Greenwich University, Chichester College, The English Garden School, The Mediterranean Garden Society, The Hardy Plant Society, and numerous garden groups and associations in the UK and overseas. He is a regular speaker at Gardeners’ World Live.

His work has taken him all over the world including designing and managing gardens in the UK, Spain, South Africa and Australia. Nick created his first Main Avenue Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower show in 2016 for which he received extensive plaudits from the press and judges along with a Silver Gilt Medal.

Nick was also Head Gardener for London’s famous Chelsea Physic Garden, where he spent seven years redesigning the gardens and diversifying the plant collection.

Thursday 2nd October 2025 - Speaker Jane and Steve Page

Beauty and the Beast - Our wildlife garden story
‘Beauty and the Beast – our wildlife garden story’. Jane and Steve Page are volunteers for the Wildlife Trust and their aim is to introduce more nature into the garden. We will find out the joys and challenges as they show us 10 years of their ‘discoveries, delights and dilemmas’ on the way.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GARDENING?

The society is open to ALL who are interested in gardening. Meetings and talks are held at DEVERELL HALL, LONDON ROAD, PURBROOK and start at 7.30pm.
For just £5.00 PER YEAR for a household, you can access these meetings and our Trading Store which offers discounted gardening items.