Frittenden Gardening Society News

2026 Annual General Meeting - 26th February 2026

At the recent Frittenden Gardening Society Annual General Meeting, members took the opportunity to thank Sian Hunter for her service as Chairman. Appreciation was also given to Bernard Millard for kindly checking the Society’s accounts and to everyone who welcomed members into their gardens last year. A reminder was shared that the Society is always looking for new gardens to visit—large or small, tidy or wild. These informal meetups are a great way to socialise, exchange gardening ideas, and discuss garden plans. Anyone interested in opening their garden should get in touch with Patricia Palmer or another committee member. Members were also reminded that the Spring Show is fast approaching, and to check the village notices for details.  

Following the AGM, attendees were treated to an engaging talk by Martyn Denney titled 'Alpines by the Roadside'

Martyn is secretary of the Cyclamen Society and editor of its Journal. He was the previous chairman and programme secretary of AGS Woking-West Surrey Group. He has led a number of Cyclamen Society field studies in Europe and the Levant, and has travelled widely in the Eastern Himalaya, central Asia, China, Japan and south-east Asia, initially as an antidote to cyclamen. He is the author of ‘Cyclamen – A Concise Guide’ published by the Cyclamen Society.

The talk illustrates that It isn’t necessary to walk miles to see exquisite alpines. This talk looked at places in Europe where alpines can be seen within about 10 metres or so of the car, finishing with some roadside gems in Yunnan. It includes the French and Italian Alps, the Alpi Maritimi and Gran Sasso of Italy, and the roads to Tianchi Hai and the Hong Shan in Yunnan, China.