Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group: Wednesday 3rd September 2025, 2pm at Bowden

[Margaret Thorne]

Please join us for the first Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group meeting of our 2025/26 programme. Our speaker will be Dave Millward, SRGC stalwart, who will present "Fire and ice: springtime in southern Chile" - some of the exciting alpines of the Andean volcanoes south of Santiago, including rosulate violas, oxalis and calceolarias and an incredible array of orchids. There are also insights into the 'primaeval' monkey puzzle forests and the rare Valdivian (temperate) rainforest. Lots of lovely alpines, but also much that we grow in our gardens, including Crinodendron, Embothrium, Tropaeolum, Gaultheria, Escallonia and Fuchsia.
The meeting will take place at 2pm at Bowden Village Hall, Bowden, Scottish Borders (3 miles south of Melrose, 2 miles west of Newtown St Boswells).
Admission is still only £2 which includes tea or coffee and home baking at the end of the meeting as well as a ticket for the raffle. There will also be plants for sale.
Everyone welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.

[Maggi Young]

Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group 
affiliated to the Scottish Rock Garden Club


Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group - Bowden Village Hall, Bowden, Melrose, TD6 0SN.
Meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm.

Admission only £2 which includes a ticket for our raffle as well as tea or coffee and home baking, courtesy of members’ donations and dispensed by Alice’s team from Gattonside. Group plant sales at every meeting, thanks to Jim and Margaret, and show plants on view too. Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you there.
David & Margaret Thorne, Joint Conveners

Wednesday 3rd September 2025
Fire & Ice: springtime in Southern Chile
David Millward

Wednesday 1st October 2025
Garden Tales from Bradley Brook Farm
Mike Dale

Wednesday 5th November 2025
A tour of the Borders with a focus on NTG gardens and wild flowers in the region.
Colin Wren, NTS 

Wednesday 3rd December 2025
Buried Treasures - Bulbs at RBGE
Scott Cook

Wednesday 7th January 2026
Speaker to be confirmed

Wednesday 4th February 2026
Addressing climate resilience through redesign.
Harry Watkins, St Andrews Botanic Garden 

Wednesday 4th March 2026
Sardinia
Michael Almond 

Wednesday 1st April 2026
European Alpines in Nature -A new Look
Jim Jermyn 

[Maggi Young]

The North Northumberland Rock Garden Group
(Affiliated to the Scottish Rock Garden Club
 and the Royal Horticultural Society)

Winter Programme 2025/26
 
All winter talks are held at:
Lowick Village Hall. TD15 2UA (unless otherwise stated)

Annual Membership is still £10pp and I will email about renewal separately.

Thursday 18th September 2025
Please note that we are holding our AGM in December this year
2.15pm   Crimes behind the Compost Heap – Life and Death in your Garden                              - Stan da Prato
4.00pm   Produce and Plant Sale-
Please bring along small amounts of garden produce, plants or preserves for sale. Please can members take home any unsold goods.

Thursday 16th October
2.15pm   My Kind of Gardening         - Tom Pattinson

Thursday 4th December
12.30pm   Pooled buffet lunch – please bring a small amount of food to share
2.00pm   AGM
2.30pm   Different Types of Alpine Gardens   - Mike Dale
Tea/coffee with mince pies and a Raffle

Thursday 15th January   -ZOOM Presentation
2.15pm   Prague Rock Garden Conference and Garden Tour, May 2023
      Arguably the best Rock Gardeners in the World   - Cliff Booker

Thursday 19th February   -ZOOM Presentation
2.15pm    Waves of Colour            - Ian Young

Thursday 19th March
2.15pm   The Andes                  - Helen Picton

Thursday 16th April
2.15pm   How Low Can You Grow? Gorgeous Ground Cover for Smaller Spaces                  - Brian and Kathy Pike
4.00pm   Plant and Produce Sale-
      

Non-members are welcome to join us for 2 meetings for free, before joining


 
Group Convenor:
(2025) Jen Croall
Southlaws House, Swinton, Duns, TD11 3HZ
Mob. 07971908471
jdcroall@btinternet.com

Secretary:
(2022) Gordon Cameron
Westhills House, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7YR
Mob. 07713019967
gordon@westhillshouse.co.uk

Treasurer:
(2025) Alan Briggs
Beechburn, Bowden, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 2TW
alan.atrb@gmail.com

Committee:
(2022) Alison McCormick
(2022) Gillian Wheeler
(2020) Mercy Collin
(2023) Christine McCreath
(2023) Jill Thomasson