Welcome to the Somerset Group of the Hardy Plant Society

The UK Hardy Plant Society (HPS) was formed in 1957 to foster interest in hardy herbaceous plants on the widest possible scale. The aims of the society are to give its members information about the wealth of both well and little known plants, and to ensure that all worthy plants remain in cultivation and have the widest possible distribution. In the Somerset Local Group, we provide information and activities at a local level for Hardy Plant Society members to promote the aims of the society.

This is accomplished by organising a programme of meetings, visits and publishing a local newsletter. (Please see the Programme of Events page for full details of forthcoming events.)

Membership of the local group is open to anyone who is member of the Hardy Plant Society nationally. You can find details of how to join on the Membership page.

This website is maintained by Somerset HPS Group.

Our next event:

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Self-drive Garden Visits to East and Mid Lambrook Manors

Plant of the Month

Berberis valdiviana

Photo: Roy Stickland, 21 April 2012

Berberis valdiviana is a hardy evergreen shrub which will eventually reach 4 - 4.5 metres by 3 metres. I first saw it at about full mature size and in full flower, against a wall at The Garden House during our last Group visit there a few years ago. The display was amazing. The racemes of rich golden flowers are long and distributed over the whole area of the plant. It's only vice perhaps is the forbidding spines up to 3cm long, which are certainly worth avoiding! The shiny green foliage is a joy throughout the year, and it has survived temperatures below -12 for me. The plant is very tolerant of poor, dry soil - it has to be in the position I have it!

It is not as well known as it should be, and doesn't even get a mention in Graham Stuart-Thomas's book on Ornamental Shrubs, nor in the RHS Encyclopaedia of Plants & Flowers. References to it may be found on the internet, but although these references include well-known nurseries such as Burncoose and Duchy of Cornwall, neither currently has it in stock. Other references describe it as scarce but highly desirable, but also as difficult to propagate (no, I haven't tried yet!). I am therefore rather grateful to the Garden House that on that day there was just one plant available for purchase.

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