Latest Society News & Events 2026
Take a look at what the society did in 2025
May 2026 News
On the 15th April. Rupert Phillips gave a fascinating talk about his journey in regenerative farming and the development of Agrimagic. Rupert is passionate about soil structure and health, his business is local and his product is available as a soil improver. Particularly interesting are changes at a microbiological level when you add compost or manure full of microorganisms (nematodes etc) increasing the availability of food to plants. The result of using live compost (not heat treated), whether that is home made compost, rotted manure, or Agrimagic is better soil health and stronger plants. Compost use along with nature friendly practices should then produce increased bio diversity.
The glorious weather over the Easter period has tempted us all to venture outside more frequently and the Horticultural Society is staging two events in May to make it even more worthwhile.
On Wednesday 6th May at 2 pm we will have our first trip of the year to Samphire Hoe. Join us for a tour led by Paul Holt (Site Manager) of this 30 hectare nature reserve which was created from the spoil from the Channel Tunnel construction. Paul will tell us about the history and management of the site and show us the wildflowers, including Early Spider orchids. This promise to be a fascinating afternoon and we are fortunate to have Paul's expert guidance. This visit is made using member's own transport and lifts can be arranged in other members' cars. All details, including how to book and pay, (£10 for members/ £12 for non-members) are available in the Annual Programme.
Our next event will be a talk on Wednesday 12th May at 7.30pm in Barham Village Hall. There has been a change of speaker and instead of Eleanor Read we now have Roland Brown coming to speak to us. Roland is chair of the Kent and SE London branch of Butterfly conservation.
The revised subject will be 'Butterflies Benefitting from Barham- and why it matters' Why Barham is special for butterflies and moths, and how we can support them through butterfly habitat creation in gardens - especially grassland features including mini meadows. This will be full of interest and it always good to be given new ways to support our threatened insect species.
So do consider coming along to these events and enjoy some time with our sociable and supportive Society in May and beyond.
May 2026 Gardening notes
I love May for its warming weather, lengthening days and so many flowers. The scent of the garden at mid-day, or as the evening cools is delicious.
The risk of frost should be over by the middle of the month, so tender plants may need protection until then. Keep an eye on the forecast.
Tender veg seeds such as courgette, french beans can be planted directly in the ground, or started off in pots. Peppers, tomatoes or other exotics requiring a long growing season should be bought as plants, growing from seed now takes too long before the summer is over.
Sowing carrots, radish or beetroot in short rows every week avoids a glut. Gardening in large containers can give a good crop if you water regularly and remember to feed. Salad leaves do well in containers. Cut what you need and they will re grow.
May and June should be peak times for flowers, if things are looking a little bare take a look in the garden centres. If you are prepared to wait, foxgloves seeds and others can be planted now for next year. Or if you have a gardening friend with a blooming plot, ask for cuttings or divisions of plants in the autumn.
Keep the flowers coming by deadheading regularly especially roses. Although if you have alliums leaving the flowers to fade will giving you architectural seedheads and self sown plants.
Once they have flowered, it's time to prune early flowering shrubs so that they have time to make the growth which will flower next year eg forsythia, Chaenomeles, Ribes.
The nesting season is underway, keep bird baths clean and topped up and be as organic as possible. Greenfly on the roses can be left for the bluetit babies or squished by hand which always leaves a few for the little ones tea!
Are you going for no mow May, it really does help the insect population in the garden which in turn helps other species. Even a small area left for the month or for the summer can make a difference. If you are going to make long grass a permanent feature, make it a defined shape and consider planting plugs of suitable flowers, primrose, scabious, knapweed, hardy geraniums, crocus, daffodils or tulips (choose ones suitable for naturalising).
May can be a busy month, as always take time to enjoy your patch. If you must always be busy, take snips with you for deadheading as you take a leisurely stroll.
April 2026 News
In February, local plantsman Tim Ingram gave a delightful talk about his garden at Copton Ash, Faversham, which is open under the NGS scheme. With illustrations he talked about how the 1 ½ acre garden has changed over more than 40 years from a field with a few dwarf apple trees planted by his father, to a woodland garden with wide variety of trees and woodland plants with clearings and open areas. He explained how the garden has evolved over time and is a consequence of his fascination with plants rather than an attempt to establish a perfectly designed garden.
Spring starts with the snowdrops, followed by a variety of woodland plants that take advantage of the early light and moisture and in summer there are beds with plants from the Mediterranean and southern hemisphere that are able to adapt to our changing climate. More recently, grass areas are being established with naturalist meadow type planting and a no mow regime, which has developed a greater bio diversity and a bigger mix of plants, insects and wildlife in the garden. Tim described the many plants they grow with a list of helpful books and brought along a selection of his plants for members to buy.
In March popular speaker Jo Arnell entertained and inspired us with her talk on Extra Productive Vegetables. Starting with spring she talked through the year on getting the most from your plot, maximising yield, achieving more out of your space, what to grown when, companion planting and pest control. Jo emphasised how important soil structure is and gave tips on making our own compost, which leads on to our next talk on April 15th, by local farmer Rupert Phillips, who comes to talk to us about the soil improver/compost he makes called Agrimagic. As well as bringing some samples, his talk will also include soil health, compost, microbial, fungal impact, recycling organic waste and the benefits of using wool in the garden. Needless to say, we will be expecting to see some wonderful vegetables at the Autumn Show this year!
We are already gearing up for our annual Plant Sale to be held in Barham Village Hall on Saturday April 25th at 10.00 am. As always we welcome any surplus plants, rooted cuttings and seedlings that you may have and can bring to the hall from 8.30 am. We look forward to seeing you there.
April 2026 Gardening notes
So far this year we have had a lot of rain. A positive side is all that cloud cover means the ground is not as cold as usual and spring has a head start. I heard rumours of bluebells out in mid March!
An early spring comes with some challenges, any early blossom or fresh growth of borderline hardy plants may need the protection of fleece if a frost is forecast. It also means the weeds have been growing well for a while. Once you have cleared an area re visit it often to remove new weeds before they get established. A hoe is a great time saver in more open areas.
On the veg patch, seed potatoes of later varieties should be planted. Hardy veg such as carrots, beetroot and radish can be sown directly into the soil. More tender things like beans or courgettes can be sown under cover and planted out after the last frosts (usually May).
Most likely you have given your lawn its first cut and can start to reduce the blade height as the month progresses. Remember a slightly longer lawn is more resilient to drought. If the lawn is important to you now is the time for a spring feed. Personally I like some daisies and clover in a lawn so avoid weedkillers, and I find feeding a lawn makes it grow faster! As a result lawn feeding is far from an annual activity for me.
There are lots of pots of perennials available in the garden centres now, things such as Michaelmas daisies, Pulmonaria, Dicentia, Lupin, Campanula, Bugle, Achillea, Aquilegia, Lysimachia, Rudbeckia, Scabious and Phlox are reliable coming back every year and attractive to pollinators. Aim for a long flowering season and clumps rather than too many individual plants. Take time to check growing conditions as well as height and spread to maximise the chance of success. Before planting ensure the pot is soaked well. If the root ball is dry, it's very difficult to get it properly wet once planted. Plant at the same depth as in the pot. Too shallow and the root ball may dry out, too deep may affect growth and flowering.
Now is the time to plan summer pots- its too early to plant out tender bedding, but summer flowering bulbs can be planted as can hardy plants such as pinks, violas, sempervivums (house leeks), rosemary or thyme.
It's a beautiful fresh time of year, great to get outside and enjoy the season.
March 2026 News
We are looking forward to our next talk which will be held at Barham Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 10th March. Jo Arnell, our speaker, gave an excellent talk for us about 5 years ago and this time we welcome her back to talk about 'Extra Productive Vegetables'. It will be a chance to pick up some tips to get the most from your plot, (big or small) and what to grow when. It will also cover companion planting which enhances productivity as well as helping with pest control. Other methods of pest control will also be covered. Members are free, but Non-members are also very welcome at a cost of £2, so please come along and join us.
Hopefully the weather will start to warm up and you are thinking about dividing your plants or sowing seeds ready for planting out. Whilst doing this, please consider saving a few of these plants or sowing those extra seeds to donate to our Plant Sale. You may also be downsizing your potted plants; these sell very well at the sale.
If you have time, it is worth potting up the plants you'd like to donate a good few weeks before the event so that they can settle into the pots and look nice and healthy for the day.
Vegetable seedlings, herbs and shrubs are always in demand, but any healthy plants would be most welcome. Please label them if you can. The sale will be held at Barham Village Hall, on Saturday 25th April. Doors open at 10am but don't be late as it a very popular event and plants sell very quickly!!
March 2026 Gardening notes
Recent experience reminded me that gardens are not just for people. Pets love our gardens too. Many of us know lilies are extremely toxic to cats, even in very small quantities, this includes day lilies (Hemerocallis). Ingesting Lilium and Hemerocallis families causes cats irreversible kidney damage or death if not treated very quickly. Best to know what's toxic to your pet and avoid all lilies if you have cats in your garden.
Preparations in the spring garden are well underway. Herbaceous perennials can be moved/divided now or in autumn. A lovely way to spread a favourite through the garden, give away to friends or pot up and bring to the plant sale!
If they have got out of hand, deciduous shrubs can be pruned now. Some can cope with being cut down to the ground, others it's better to take a third of the old stems each time over three years. Look up specifics for your shrub. This may mean less flowers for summer flowering shrubs. For spring flowering shrubs pruning now removes this years flowers.
March is full speed ahead for seed sowing. The packet gives useful information, ie whether to cover the seeds or not, or chilling to get good germination. If the seed needs warmth, you have options, wait for the weather to warm up, put them in a sunny spot (be aware the temperature at night might be too low), or buy a propagator. I have a basic one and get good results for routine things like tomatoes. Root veg is best sown straight into the ground as transplanting can cause damage. You can always enter any wonky veg in the show, they have their own class!
If you are planning to grow veg, prepare the site now. This could be a veg patch, pots (the larger the better), or raised beds. With good drainage these can be sited on hard surfaces. Raised beds have the advantage of warming up earlier, accessibility and control over the soil. The down side is they need more watering than veg in a normal bed. If you are planning to grow hungry crops like tomatoes and courgettes think about feeding, maybe add well-rotted manure now. It's also time to plant early potatoes, and onion/shallot sets.
Ponds, now is the time to remove fallen leaves to prevent them rotting in the water and thin pond plants.
Whatever you do enjoy the sight and sound of the spring garden and all the promise of the year to come.
February 2026 News
Barham & District Horticultural Society held their Annual General Meeting on 14th January 2026. The formalities included a review of the year, the appointment of three new committee members and an outline of the programme for 2026. After the meeting there were light refreshments available, an opportunity to socialise with fellow gardeners, a raffle, and a horticultural quiz. It was a very enjoyable start to the gardening year. It was also an opportunity to renew membership or join and collect the 2026 programme and membership card.
We look forward to our first talk on Wednesday 18 February and hearing how the garden at Copton Ash has developed over the past 40 years.
If you are not currently a member, do consider joining us. You don't have to be an expert gardener or even have a garden to enjoy the talks, trips and member benefits. Membership is £10 per adult for the year. There is no entry charge for members for most of the talks. Visitors are welcome to attend for a small fee of £2 payable at the door. Why not come and try us out before joining.
February 2026 Gardening notes
February is a bit of a gloomy month, but at least it's short. It also has the bonus of spring bulbs bursting into life. I hope you have plenty of daffs, crocus, scilla etc to bring you joy and the early insects nectar.
This is the month when taking advantage of dry days allows you to get ahead of weeding and clearing ready for the spring rush. I usually gently clear old perennial stems so that as the new stems emerge they are not constrained by the old. Don't rush, aim to have it all done by mid March, that way old stems provide shelter for the maximum time.
Its not too late to add bare rooted trees, hedges and roses. Its also time for bare root perennials, you will find them online, in garden centre and also in bargain stores. These can either be planted straight out or started off in a pot.
Get your winter pruning finished by the end of the month as the sap starts to rise. This includes roses, gooseberries, currants, wisteria and hydrangeas, RHS website gives excellent clear advice and also videos. Don't forget, anything which flowers early should be pruned after flowering (forsythia is one such shrub to be left alone for now).
We live immersed in beautiful countryside and it doesn't take much to increase the numbers of birds and other wildlife visiting your patch. A few things which could help. Nesting sites for birds, bird boxes (north east facing ideally, definitely not south), a large shrub, trees, hedging all increase the chances of birds nesting in your garden.
Include water, bird bath, dish of water on the ground, or pond with shallow area for drinking and bathing (ideally no fish they eat tadpoles and dragonfly larvae).
Include plants which have seeds or berries, teasels, ornamental grasses, phlomis, hawthorn, rowan. The RSPB has a list online.
Grow a wide range of flower shapes (daisy types, tubular like foxgloves, flat umbels like achillea) choose different plants to flower over a long season, choose single flowers for easy access nectar. Visit a garden centre now and you will find shrubs in flower- many of which are sweetly scented.
Leave old tiles in sunny spots for basking reptiles. Areas of long grass, log piles, leaf piles or bug hotels for shelter for small creatures.
Your reward will be sharing your patch with wildlife from the smallest woodlouse up.
Whatever you do it's an investment for you and your patch. Happy gardening.
January 2026 News
Hope you all had an amazing Christmas and all the committee would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, prosperous new year, may all your blooms and vegetables be big ones!
With the new year comes responsibilities, the first of which, for you is to attend your societies AGM which is scheduled to take place on 14 January, as you are already aware, at Barham Village hall. 7.00pm kick off, formalities out the way, the committee would like to share with you, a welcome in the new year glass of wine or soft drink and some nibbles.
In addition for your entertainment there will be an optional fun quiz at the AGM and 2 competitions, one for best posy, the other for best vase of flowers and foliage, both displays from your own garden.
There will also be the usual raffle, any prize donations on the night extremely welcome.
The committee value and welcome your input and you as members can shape the way the society evolves, we welcome ideas, thoughts and suggestions. The AGM is a way of putting your wishes forward, therefore it would be wonderful if you could attend.
We are actively seeking new members for 2026, so tell family, friends and associates all about us. Membership is just £10 per person for the year, with the added benefits and to include, talks and trips (some at extra cost), as well as discounts for Suttons and Thompson and Morgan seeds and plants and Friendly Farmer soil conditioner/manure.
Best of all membership also gives discounts at some local garden centres, which for 2026 will be Ripley's, Wingham Market and The Fifth Trust.
January 2026 Gardening notes
Happy new year. I hope you got out in your garden at some point over the festive season. There should be signs of spring, snowdrops, crocus and daffs amongst others peeping through the soil. Won't be long before the first flowers appear and our spirits are lifted towards the coming year. How fortunate we are not to have to wait long before each season gently transitions into the next one.
It's a good time to start gently preparing for spring. Now herbaceous plants have died back weeds are easier to see. Time spent weeding now will make a big difference to the borders later in summer. If the ground is very wet, avoid walking on it if you can. Sort through the shed and greenhouse, throw out rubbish, clean windows and get seed trays or pots ready for sowing.
There are some seeds to be planted now- especially if you have a propagator. Tomatoes come to mind as they benefit from an early start. However be cautious, they are tender and need to be kept frost free. As always look at the seed packet for sowing times, be mindful of the temperature listed, if its too cold for that seed type to germinate it will just sit there, so you may as well wait and plant it later (or invest in a propagator).
By the end of Feb wisteria side stems should be cut back to two buds. Clematis which flower in the summer can be cut back late this month or Feb, leave the spring flowering ones until after flowering or you will cut off this years flowers. Free standing apples and pears are pruned during winter as are grapevines and roses, see the RHS website for details.
If you are lucky enough to have a pond scoop out any leaves which have fallen in. When they rot they use oxygen and provide nutrients for algae to grow.
How are your patio pots looking, have they turned soggy. If so there should be pots of bulbs at the garden centres. You may also find discounted plants from Christmas. Perhaps some rosemary plants added for structure and some small daffs.
Don't forget wildlife. Clean out bird feeders and ensure fresh water is available. The black birds would love those apples which have gone wrinkly or left over dry fruit cake. Be careful not to put too much out at once to avoid it going bad or attracting rats.
Spring will be here soon, enjoy the anticipation.
Wednesday 6th
Guided Tour of Samphire Hoe details and booking form