Arborfield Gardening Association

AT OUR March meeting we welcomed Jonathan Hogarth, who spoke to us about his Hogarth Hostas.

He holds a National Collection of Small and Miniature Hostas and in 2016 exhibited them at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where the RHS judges presented him with a Silver-Gilt Medal, and at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Jonathan was presented with a Gold Medal and the Best Plant Heritage Exhibit by the RHS judges.

Last year, the RHS judges at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show awarded him a Silver Medal for his beautiful display of miniature and small Hostas.

When Jonathan bought a house here in Melrose Gardens it came with a Hosta. From there, 10 years and two children later, he went to visit some friends and saw there were different Hostas there. Previously he had thought there was only a green Hosta! So he acquired a yellow one, then a blue one, and then he found the variegated ones, so he came away with 12 different Hostas. He knew how to grow Hostas by then, as for 10 years he’d successfully looked after his plant, he’d put a few slug pellets around and it almost looked after itself.

Then Jonathan found a specialist Hosta nursery, and joined the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society, of which he has recently been appointed as Chairman! In 2005, he went to the American Hosta Association’s convention and he’s never looked back and in fact goes there every year since. One can find the newest plants in America.

He will also give his talk on Hostas at the Wokingham Horticultural Association meeting on April 10 in the Methodist Church Hall on Rose Street at 7.45pm.

Our next meeting is will be a talk about the National Garden Scheme (NGS) by Angela O’Connell on Thursday, April 26. It takes place in the village hall on Eversley Road from 7.30pm.

For further information, call Catherine Breen on 0118 976 1848 or e-mail catherinebreen@ymail.com