Where there is a report or photographs from an event, these are linked in the list.
Please see the current calendar at ‘Programme of Events’.
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
2025
Monday 20 January: Succession Planting for a Long Season.
Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener and Chief Executive of the internationally acclaimed Great Dixter Garden in Northiam, East Sussex since 1993 showed us how to keep our gardens looking spectacular all year round.
Monday 17 February: Annual General Meeting.
The Annual General Meeting was followed by a light-hearted quiz, testing members on their knowledge of plants and gardens.
Monday 17 March: The radical lives of Britain’s pioneering women gardeners.
Fiona Davidson, Head of Libraries and Exhibitions at the Royal Horticultural Society told us stories from her book on the group of women who became professional gardeners in the early twentieth century.
Monday 14 April: Spring Show 2025.
Our annual Spring Show was held in the Old Library, Charlton House. Details of Classes are here.
Sunday 18 May: Plant Sale.
With WI cakes and market, in the Peace Garden / Old Library at Charlton House.
Monday 19 May: The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution and its horticultural heroes and heroines.
Garden historian Francesca Murray talked about the association, the forerunner of Perennial, which supported gardeners in hard times in the 1800s.
Monday 16 June: Gardeners’ Q&A.
An experienced panel (Committee Member Pat K, President Nicolas Bevan and horticulturalist Joe Woodcock), with contributions from the audience, answered members’ gardening questions.
Monday 21 July: How to get the best garden displays from bulbs.
Tim Ingram of the beautiful Copton Ash garden and nursery shared his long experience of planting and tending bulbs.
Monday 18 August: Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Display 2025.
Our annual Show celebrated 75 years of Showing!
More details and list of classes.
Monday 22 September: Greenwich Park Rose Garden: Renovation and Redesign 2023-2025.
Clare Lanes, Manager of Greenwich Park shared details of the Rose Garden redesign project.
Sunday 19 October: Plant Sale at Horn Fair, Charlton House
Lots of fun, and lots of money raised from the plant sale.
Monday 20 October: Flowers in Art.
Ruth Cornett, Senior Director of Heritage & Taxation at Christie’s and owner of Eltham Gatehouse showed us how the glories of flowers and gardens have inspired artists.
Monday 17 November: The Great Geranium Robbery.
Dr. David Marsh, garden historian, talked about the huge influx of plants into the late 18th century United Kingdom, with reference to the theft of rare plants from a London Nursery in 1795.
2024
Monday 15 January: Flowers in Art
Ruth Cornett, Senior Director of Heritage & Taxation at Christie’s and owner of Eltham Gatehouse gave a talk about how flowers have inspired artists to produce some of the most exquisite artworks ever produced.
Monday 19 February: Annual General Meeting
Our Annual General Meeting was followed by a talk by Tom Stanier who is Horticultural Team Lead at Greenwich Park.
Monday 18 March: Panel of members shared tips and stories, including on growing fruit and vegetables.
Monday 15 April: Spring Flower Show was held in the Old Library at Charlton House.
Monday 20 May: Silent Earth
Dave Goulson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex gave a talk about how to help to avert the insect apocalypse.
Monday 17 June: The Secrets of Hever Castle Gardens
Neil Miller, Head Gardener at the magnificent Hever Castle talked about the gardens.
Monday 15 July: The Savill and Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park
John Anderson, Keeper of these famous gardens since 2016, told us about the joys and challenges of caring for these royal gardens.
Monday 19 August: Gardeners Question Time
This annual event gives us all a chance to get advice on garden problems.
Monday 16 September: Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show
An informal competition which gives members a chance to share their 2024 gardening successes. See results here.
Friday 27 September: Coach trip to RHS Hyde Hall (Chelmsford)
A coach trip to Hyde Hall with its range of gardens to explore, including the Sky Meadows, Global Growth vegetable garden, Winter garden and the rock/boulder garden below the terrace. Further details about the gardens online.
Sunday 20 October: Charlton House held its annual Horn Fair. CABAHS and the Garden Volunteers ran our usual plant sale and there was a spooky Gargoyle-themed children’s trail in the Haunted Old Pond Garden. There was Morris Dancers, the Rock Choir, a producers and craft market and a selection of the Archive on view and lots of fun was had by all.
Monday 21 October: Evolution of Copton Ash
Tim Ingram told us about the development of this beautiful garden near Faversham, Kent which he began with his mother in 1978. The nursery specialises in alpines and dry-loving plants.
Monday 18 November: Great Gardens of Great Britain
Andrew Babicz who has worked at Inverewe Gardens in the North of Scotland as well as RHS Wisley, Hampton Court and several London Boroughs, talked about his favourite gardens.
2023
Monday 16 January 2023: Anne Barnard from Rose Cottage Plants gave a talk about “Perennials in the garden” at St Thomas Church, Woodland Terrace, SE7 8EN
Monday 20 February 2023: Annual General Meeting followed by Talk by Ruth Cornett at St Thomas Church, Woodland Terrace, SE7 8EN
Monday 20 March 2023: Alison Marsden who runs social and therapeutic horticulture sessions, gave a talk about “Gardening and Wellbeing” at St Thomas Church, Woodland Terrace, SE7 8EN
Monday 17 April 2023: Spring Flower Show was held at St Thomas Church, Woodland Terrace, SE7 8EN
Monday 15 May 2023: John Hughes, a past favourite of CABAHS members, gave a talk about the gardens at Tresco Abbey in the Old Library at Charlton House
Monday 19 June 2023: Tim Ingram from Copton Ash Garden gave a talk about Success with Seeds in the Old Library at Charlton House
Monday 17 July 2023: Philip Oostenbrink, Head Gardener at Walmer Castle gave a talk on The Jungle Garden in the Old Library at Charlton House
Monday 21 August 2023: Gardener’s Question Time This annual event once again included on its panel the ever popular Joe Woodcock. And again it was made into a social occasion, offering assorted refreshments.
Monday 18 September 2023: Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Display Like our Spring Flower Show this is an opportunity for new members and old to enter an informal competition. See results here.
Monday 16 October 2023: Alexandra Campbell, a blogger, YouTuber, author and journalist, talked about The Middle Sized Garden.
Monday 20 November 2023: Timothy Walker, the presenter of the BBC4 series, Botany: A Blooming History, gave a talk on Sex, Lies and Putrefaction in the Old Library at Charlton House
2022
Meetings in 2022 were mostly held in person but were affected by illness, weather conditions and the timing of Easter and the Queen’s Funeral.
Monday 17 January 2022
‘Dahlias‘, a talk by Anne Barnard of Rose Cottage Plants.
Monday 21 February 2022
AGM followed by ‘The Rothschild Legacy in Horticulture‘, a talk by Melanie Aspey
Monday 11 April 2022 (please note: 2nd Monday of the month, due to Easter)
Members Spring Flower Show
Monday 16 May 2022
‘Butterflies in Gardens‘ a talk by Val Bourne
Monday 20 June 2022
‘The Salutation garden, Tenders and Tropicals’, a talk by Steve Edney
Monday 18 July 2022 – We are sorry this meeting was cancelled due to extreme weather. ‘Jungle Planting’, a talk by Philip Oostenbrink (from Perennial). This will be re-scheduled!
Monday 15 August 2022 – Amateur Gardeners Question Time, in the Charlton House gardens.
Monday 26 September 2022 – date change due to Queen’s funeral
Members Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Display
Monday 17 October 2022
‘Thorncroft Clematis” a talk by Peter Skeggs-Gooch
Monday 21 November 2022
Simon White from Peter Beales Roses gave a talk about growing roses.
2021
Meetings between March 2020 and August 2021 were affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and repeated lockdowns, which led to cancellations, changes of programme, and everyone getting used to virtual meetings on Zoom!
18 January
‘Exotic Plants‘, a talk by Graham Blunt (on Zoom)
15 February
‘Beth Chatto, a life with plants‘ with author Dr. Catherine Horwood (on Zoom)
15 March
‘Elephants in the Garden‘, a talk by Dr David Marsh (on Zoom)
19 April
‘Create a garden for all seasons‘, a talk by Adam Pasco (on Zoom)
17 May
‘Local Nature‘, a talk from naturalist Joe Beale (on Zoom) about the changing management of the local area
21 June
‘Greenwich Park and COVID-19‘, a talk from Graham Dear (on Zoom)
9 July
‘Roof Gardens‘, a talk by Dusty Gedge (on Zoom)
6 August
Members Evening: Question Time with Joe Woodcock in the Charlton House walled gardens
20 September
Members Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Display
18 October
‘Murder most Florid‘, a talk on forensic botany by Dr Mark Spencer
15 November
‘CABAHS in the past’, an entertaining trawl through some of the lesser-known moments of the history of the Society (including Chelsea medals!), from old newsletters. A social event with mince pies and wine/refreshments.
2020
Meetings between March 2020 and August 2021 were affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and repeated lockdowns, which led to cancellations, changes of programme, and everyone getting used to virtual meetings on Zoom!
20 January
‘Gales, Greenhouses and Global Warming’, a talk by Ian Currie
17 February
Our 70th Annual General Meeting + Bring and Buy sale
16 March
‘Dig for Victory‘ , a talk by Russell Bowes
20 April
Spring Flower Display: online photo competition (with JustGiving donations in aid of the Greenwich & Bexley Hospice)
18 May
Meeting cancelled. Members sent in photos of ‘Brave Plants‘
15 June
Meeting cancelled.
Video of OPG made for the virtual Hospice Open Gardens
20 July
Virtual Summer Show online
17 August
Our first Zoom meeting, a test and chat session
21 September
Autumn Show cancelled, but the Potato Competition took place online
19 October
‘Birds in the Garden’, a talk by Julia Larsson (on Zoom)
16 November
‘A history of women in the garden’, a talk by Dr Twigs Way (on Zoom)
2019
21 January
‘Gardens of early modern London’, a talk by Dr David Marsh
18 February
Annual General Meeting, also Bring and Buy sale
18 March
‘Greenwich Park’, a talk by Jim Buttress
15 April
Spring Flower Display
20 May
‘Container Gardening’, a talk by Iain Pentney
17 June
‘The Plant Hunters’, a talk by Stephen Harmer
15 July
Gardeners’ Question Time
19 August
‘Growing plants for Chelsea’, a talk by Simon Sutcliffe
16 September
Autumn Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Display
21 October
‘Planting Spring bulbs’, a talk by Anne Barnard of Rose Cottage Plants
18 November
‘365 days of Colour‘, a talk by Nick Bailey
2018
19 February
AGM and Bring & Buy
19 March
Flower Villages of Alsace & Lorraine, a talk by Chris Stewart
16 April
Spring Flower Display
21 May
The Roof Garden at Greenwich University, a talk by Dr Kotzen
18 June
‘The apiaries at Oxleas Wood & the bees who live there’, a talk by John Large
16 July
Gardeners Question Time
20 August
‘Cactus & succulents for beginners’, a talk by Dr John Hughes
17 September
Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Display
15 October
‘A visit to Monet’s garden’, a talk by Dr John Hughes
19 November
‘Ferns for your garden’, a talk by Jude Lawton
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 