Roehampton Garden Society


Join our fantastic free trip to Wisley – Oct 11th

Wednesday October 11th 2023 leaving at 9.45 am.

A great day out to enjoy Wisley Garden and the RHS Festival of Flavours

The Roehampton Garden Society is affiliated with the Royal Horticultural Society, so we are able arrange a trip to beautiful Wisley for free for members of the RGS. This year we have decided to make the trip coincide with the annual Wisley Festival of Flavours. There will be an apple identification stand and tours around the World Food Garden as well as exhibitors selling food and drink.

Stalls from Surrey Bees, RHS Fruit Group, Apple ID and Plant Heritage as well as live talks and chef demonstrations. Read about it here

Garden Entry is Free for all RGS members on this trip. We hope to offer transport too. 

Although the trip is free of charge, we will need to obtain tickets in advance, so please let us know if you are able to come by the Friday 29 September and also if you will need a lift or can provide a lift for someone else.

Please reply now to Shan Karwatowska at karwatowski@gmail.com


Pictures at an Exhibition

The RGS Centenary Exhibition is in Putney Library from 28th May to 12th June 2022

Part of Wandsworth Heritage week, the exhibition looks at the roots of the RGS, set in local history of its times. There is quite a lot to read, and to see. There are also some lovely paintings of our allotments to see, and Andrew Wilson’s photos of wildlife on our allotments. You are warmly invited to visit. Please do sign the visitor’s book.


Jubilee Room Centenary Event

RGS members at the House of Commons

At our AGM last November when Fleur Anderson heard this year would be the RGS’s centenary year, she invited us to have an event at the House of Commons Jubilee Room as part of our centenary celebrations. Numbers had to be very restricted, so only members who have made a contribution to the running of RGS activities were invited. All costs were covered by those who attended the event.

It was a very special evening to remember in such an auspicious place. Fleur made it clear in her speech that she is very committed to preserving and supporting allotments and that environmental issues in general are very important to her. We are very fortunate to have Fleur as our President and MP who is so passionate about these important issues that are so in line with the values of RGS.

Fleur and her team made the evening run very smoothly and were very supportive in organising the event at our end too. The event was very enjoyable as a result – many thanks to Fleur and her team.

Helen Finch


What happened at the Plant Sale…

Notes from the Easter Sunday Plant Sale

On Site 2, Easter Sunday 17 April, we held a very successful Plant Sale in aid of Glass Door, a charity that partners with churches and community centres to give shelter and support for homeless people. Our local church, St Margaret’s actively supports this charity.

It was a lovely sunny day and the sale tables, filled with produce, looked very inviting under gazebos and bunting. Virtually everything was sold on the day, with the few remaining plants being sold on the following Sunday. We made just over £200, all of which goes to Glass Door.

Thanks go to Sue Hodgson, Carol Martinez, Gill Tamsett and Sylvie Willcox who helped on the Sunday, and to all those who donated plants without which the sale would not have been possible.

Vivien Fowler


Plants and Plant Lore at the Weed Walk and Talk

Who would have thought there were so many weeds on our Allotments?!!

Some of us were lucky enough to accompany Roy Vickery, Associate Scientific Officer to the Natural History Museum, on a walk along a path on plot 2. Roy worked as a botanist at the Natural History Museum for over 40 years and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of plant folklore. His eagle eyes swooped down and plucked specimens from the path and borders and he held his audience with tales of yesteryear. Knowledge he has collected by word of mouth, spanning back to the beginning of the last century. Some tales of country superstition, others of medical uses of common plants, but all fascinating and delivered with an obvious love of subject and dry sense of humour.
We felt privileged to have learnt so much from an hour in the company of a very knowledgeable and interesting man. Thank you, Roy.

Contributed by Shan Karwatowska


Pictures from the 2019 summer show

A sunny, special occasion with a festive feel, the summer show was a great success and enjoyed by all. With thanks to those who set up, served, baked, judged, helped, enjoy re-visiting the occasion – or see what you missed! Full results in the next bulletin.