What is happening in January 2026
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​Meeting on 27th January 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Milford Village Hall​
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Tonight's meeting will start with the opportunity for you to renew your annual subscription of £12. This is payable by cash, cheque (payable to Milford Horticultural Society) or card to our Membership Secretary and Treasurer Stewart Miskimmin.
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This is also a great opportunity for members and guests to catch up with one another whilst tea and coffee is served. Raffle tickets will also be on sale.
The January talk will follow at a slightly later time of 8pm and will be shorter than usual. The raffle will be drawn after the talk.
Tulips: Tulip Mania to Kaukenhof Gardens.
A talk by Eric Swidenbank our Chairman, looking at the history of the tulip from its introduction into a Dutch botanic garden in 1594, the rise of tulip mania when fortunes were lost over a single bulb, until the inception of the Kaukenhof Gardens, a popular destination for garden lovers today.
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Join us to start the year looking at Eric's colourful slides giving us an insight into the rise of one of our favourite bulbs.
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What is happening in February 2026
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Meeting on 24th February 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Milford Village Hall
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Making the Most of your Garden ​
Our speaker is Ben Pope, the Head Gardener of a private garden in West Sussex. He has worked in horticulture for over 22 years, lecturing, writing articles for Gardens Illustrated amongst other publications, and judging for the RHS plant trials. Whilst training at Wisley he attained awards for Best Practical Student and Best Overall Student.
His strap line on his website states "I love the fact that in gardening you never stop learning, there is always something new to discover and share with others!" We hope you will join us and make new discoveries with Ben.
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Tea and coffee are available together with a raffle.
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What is happening in March 2026
Meeting on 24th March 7.30 - 9.30 pm
Milford Village Hall
Mini Spring Show
Those members who took bulbs home in the autumn to show this evening will have their bulbs judged by Geoff Peach, who is a member of the Surrey Guild of Horticultural Judges and Lecturers. Geoff will follow this with one of his entertaining talks.
Tea & coffee will be available together with a raffle.
Please note that if took a bulb to grow but do not show it a fee of £1 per entry is charged.
Members, please consider planting a few seeds this month to sell on our stall at Milford Village Fete on June 13th where we raise funds to pay for speakers and social events for the Society. Every contribution is very welcome no matter how small.
What is happening in April 2026
Meeting on April 28th 7.30 - 9.30pm
Milford Village Hall
Beneficial Insect Pollinators
Andrew Hallstead a retired RHS Principal Entomologist will talk to us about beneficial insects in the garden, insects and other invertebrate animals that are useful as pollinators, predators or parasites, and their use as biological controls for some glasshouse and garden pests.
He is an author both of books and articles in consumer magazines, a lecturer and photographer.
Teas & coffee will be available and a raffle.
Help Needed!
What is happening in May 2026
Meeting on May 26th 7.15 - 9.30pm
Milford Village Hall - NOTE EARLIER START TIME
Social Evening
Our annual Social Evening is a buffet laid on for members and their guests. Please bring your own plates, glasses and cutlery and anything you would like to drink. Always a popular evening! Tickets must be purchased in advance by to allow the committee to arrange the catering details. Cost of tickets to be announced.
Quiz and a raffle.
Now is the time to pot up any spare plants you have to sell at our stall at Milford Village Fete on Saturday 13th June. Volunteers to help run the stall would also be appreciated. The funds raised on the stall help towards the cost of speakers and the Social Evening
What is happening in June 2026
Meeting on June 23rd 7.30 - 9.30pm
Milford Village Hall
40 Years of Speaking to Horticultural Societies: The Ups and Downs of Public Speaking.
Speaker Ray Broughton.
Ray Broughton was the Head of Horticulture at Sparsholt College for 12 years and has taught Horticulture for over 40. In 2000 the Chartered Institute of Horticulture awarded Ray the Fellowship of the Institute in recognition of his services to horticultural education. Over the years Ray has given us the benefit of his horticultural knowledge and has always proved to be a popular speaker. We look forward to welcoming him to the Society once again.
Teas & coffee will be available and a raffle.
Saturday 13th June 2026
PLANT SALE STALL AT MILFORD VILLAGE FETE 1pm
This event raises funds which helps pay for speakers, plants for competitions and social events like the AGM. Please bring along any spare plants or spare seedlings you might have for us to sell. If you can spare an hour to either set up or sell on the stall we would be very grateful! Thank you
Saturday 27th June Summer Show 2pm - 4pm
Please support your fellow members who share the results of their gardens and allotments with you. Tea/coffee and cake will be available, put it in your diary and have an enjoyable afternoon admiring flowers, vegetables and home produce!
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What is happening in July 2026
28th July 2026
Milford Village Hall 7.15 - 9.30 pm
Fuchsias - A talk by Carol Gubler
Carol Gubler of Little Brook Fuchsias will talk about growing fuchsias and have plants for sale at the meeting. Carol and her mother started a nursery in 1986 after her father's passion for these beautiful plants started a family passion. She now has over 500 varieties, many of which we have been introduced to in past years as cuttings to grow for our shows.
Tea, coffee available and a raffle will be held.
Fuchsia plants for sale
Thursday 7th July 2026
Visit to Loseley Gardens. A joint visit with Witley Gardening Association
Details to follow.
What is happening in September 2026
September 5th
Autumn Show 2pm Milford Village Hall
Anyone wishing to enter their exhibits in the show must have their entry form, to be found in the Society schedule, in by 7pm on the Thursday before the Show. Entry details and forms are to be found in the schedule.
Entry forms should be sent or delivered to
Maggie at 12, Merryacres, Witley GU8 5RG magswad661@gmail.com
or to Eric Swidenbank at 16 The Cedars, Milford GU8 5DH or email eric.swidenbank@tiscali.co.uk
Show opens at 1pm Tea/coffee and cakes available
September 22nd 7.30 - 9.30pm
Milford Village Hall
Sustainable and Wildlife Gardening in our Changing Climate - a talk by Beverley Exall
Beverley is a Horticultural Consultant whose particular passion is sustainable gardening practice and moving gardens towards coping better with the challenges of climate breakdown. She has worked in Horticulture for over 30 years in various different ways including as a Horticultural Advisor at RHS Wisley. As climate changes bring new problems to gardeners Beverley's talk will help us look at ways to meet the challenges that face us.
Tea/Coffee available and a raffle
