News
Mediterranean plants at Eden
Catherine Cutler, head of biomes at the Eden Project, Cornwall, gave a talk on Tuesday on Mediterranean plants and their care. The live talk, open only to members, was followed by an opportunity for members’ questions. The talk was recorded and is now available to view here. The picture shows Catherine in the biome.
New website manager
The management committee has welcomed long-standing member Sharon Horder as the new manager of our website. Sharon, a qualified horticulturist who has been a member of MPG for four years, had previous experience using the software used by MPG. She is a member of the gardens team at Merton College, Oxford.
Winter lecture recording now available
MPG welcomed members connecting from France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Spain, Tenerife, Norway, Belgium, Scotland and England to its winter meeting and lecture on 15 January.
If you weren’t able to attend you can still enjoy a recording of Fergus Garrett’s ‘Experiments at Great Dixter and Nezahat Gökyiğit Garden’ here.
Merry Christmas!
This festive arrangement was created by Lindsay Blyth to wish everyone a merry Christmas. Lindsay is a long-standing member of MPG who lives in the mountains behind Málaga in southern Spain. Here she uses berries of Melia, Pyracantha ‘Soleil d’Or’, Salvia leucantha (to pick up the purple in the Strelitzia and Kniphofia rooperi); Mahonia, variegated myrtle, buds of dwarf pomegranate, ivy and evergreens, all from her garden.
Death of Roger Phillips
British botanist, TV presenter and writer Roger Phillips has died. His titles can be found on many a gardener’s bookshelf and his two volumes entitled Conservatory & Indoor Plants cover just about everything you can find in a Mediterranean garden. In 2017 MPG had a terrific walk and talk with Roger around Eccleston Square in London, where he lived and curated the National Collection of Ceanothus. The report of our visit may be seen here.
Special early entry to RHS Chelsea
One of the first MPG members to arrive was Nancy Ball, there on the dot of 6.30am, to enter the grounds in the peace and quiet of dawn, an hour and a half before the huge rush at the normal opening time for RHS members. Nancy is a professional gardener in Eastbourne. Apart from these privileged ticket-holders avoiding crowds, they had the added benefit of a Champagne breakfast in the restaurant. They were taken up by 20 members.