Devon & Cornwall Group AGM

10.00 am         Tea and coffee & biscuits will be available on arrival along with sales tables of plants, books, garden miscellanea with a raffle.

10.30 am         Annual General Meeting of Plant Heritage, Devon & Cornwall Group

11.30 am        “The University of Oxford Botanic Garden– 400 years of gardening and botany” by Timothy Walker

The Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest in Britain.  Since 1621 it has stood on the banks of the River Cherwell in the centre of Oxford.  It has evolved from a collection of medicinal herbs for seventeenth century physicians into the most compact, diverse collection of plants in the world.  In 4½ acres 4,500 species can be seen.  This talk details where the Garden came from and what it was up to for four centuries. 

I joined the staff of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden 1980 as a trainee gardener and in 1988 I became the Horti Praefectus (director), a post that I held for 26 years until July 2014.   I am now a lecturer in Plant Sciences at Somerville College Oxford.  In May 2011 I presented a BBC4 TV series on the history of botany.

 I have visited North Yorkshire, Ireland, Sweden, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Australia, Seychelles, South Africa, Canada and America in search of plants.  In addition to gardening in my own garden, my particular interests are euphorbias, plant conservation, and explaining why plants are fascinating and important.

1.00pm    Lunch     Farmhouse Chicken Pie with a selection of vegetables, or a vegetarian option of Farmhouse Vegetable Pie, please state, which you require when booking. Followed by a pair of desserts

2.00 pm           Short Talks by Collection Holders

Cost                Subsidised cost of £24 (members), £26 (non-members)

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 Booking is essential by November 8^th 2024, unless attending AGM only

Tickets are not sent out for the AGM; if you would like confirmation of your booking, please ensure you provide an email address.

Please pay via BACS (online banking) to-

Plant Heritage Devon Group- HSBC Sort Code 40-34-31 A/c No. 21279521 Ref:- AGM and Surname

Please email or phone Paul Hardy with your choice of main course. Also, in the event of a query T: 07973618495 E: paullouisehardy@gmail.com  

 (With the increase in bank charges, every cheque costs the group 40p)

If paying by cheque make payable to Plant Heritage Devon Group and send to-

Paul Hardy, 17 Yealm Road, Newton Ferrers, Devon, PL8 1AH