Latest News

Adam Frost Talk 2020
New project in the Prairie Garden
See report on FOBS holiday in Scotland below
See report on FOBS visit to Sheffield-Tinsley Canal below
See report on FOBS visit to RHS Bridgewater below

Last working day for volunteers - Wednesday 18 December

Many thanks to all our wonderful volunteers. Treats and hot drinks served at 11.30

Volunteer Briefing Day - Wednesday 8 January 2020

Details of future plans for the Gardens and a review of health & safety will be followed by a tour of the Gardens.
First working day will be Wednesday 15 January - weather permitting.

Next meeting

Chilean Adventure - Tuesday 28 January 2020

Speaker: Sarah Thomas
Sarah was FOBS Chair (2013-16) during a difficult period of planning and construction of new Education Centre. She is currently a member of the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust. She has been a Trustee for the Sheffield Town Trust (owners of the Gardens) since 2003 and is also Chair of St Luke’s Nominations Committee.
Over the last three years she and her husband have planned and developed a garden, orchard and wildflower meadows around their new home. Since her own and her husband’s retirement, they have been keen travellers.
Her medical career began at Sheffield Medical School and she holds several postgraduate qualifications. Formerly she worked as Consultant Dermatologist at Barnsley District General Hospital and Regional Postgraduate Dean, Medical Education for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

An evening with Adam Frost - Monday 17 February 2020

Adam Frost (BBC Gardeners’ World presenter; multiple Chelsea Gold winner) is coming to talk to us on February 17th about redeveloping a garden without starting completely from scratch, based on his experiences with his own family garden in Lincolnshire. The evening will open with a book-signing by Adam at 6:30, with his talk starting at 7:15. There will be a break for questions before the conclusion at 9:00.

This will be a packed house and a ticket-only event. Members tickets are on now sale at the discounted price of £10 by post. Note: only one ticket per member. Please send your cheques (payable to Friends of the Botanical Gardens, Sheffield) to Irene May, our membership secretary (address is on the Programme), including a sae.

Tickets will also be available to non-members from December 16th on a first-come-first served basis at the full price of £15, with an admin fee, at https://adamfrostsheffieldbotanical.eventbrite.co.uk
Given the expected attendance, can I remind everyone that for that evening, parking in the Gardens will only be for those with Blue Badges. As usual for all evening talks, entrance is only from Thompson Road.

Progress on the Prairie Garden

Prairie Garden - 8 November 2019
Photo ©R. Egglestone

Prairie Garden - 30 November 2019
Photo ©R. Egglestone

New Project starts in the Prairie Garden - October 2019

The Prairie Garden (Area U) was first seeded in 2004 by a team led by Professor James Hitchmough of the Landscape Department at the University of Sheffield. He had been inspired by a visit to the Mid-West of America and wanted to trial seed mixes to see what happened in this country. In the following years his post-graduate students carried out research in the upper nursery area with South African plants too. Part of this research contributed to the wonderful displays in the Olympic Park in 2012.
The plants in the Prairie area established very rapidly, possibly because the area had previously been used for the National Collection of Weigelas and had been significantly enriched. Another factor may be that the area is a natural catchment for the drainage downslope for a large part of the Gardens and nutrients are washed down. In the wild prairie flora has adapted to thrive in conditions of poor soils. Over the years this has affected the development of the area and some 'thuggish' plants have tended to dominate. The annual burning in early spring is intended to clear weed seedlings, whilst not affecting the established root systems of the desired plants. In March 2012 a section next to the path skirting the woodland was cleared and reseeded. Also tried was a 'Chelsea Chop' of plants bordering the winding paths through the garden in an effort to stop the very tall ones flopping over.
This year it has to be admitted that the nettles, willow herb and silphium were taking over. Prof Hitchmough and his students have made a start on renovating the site - to ‘repair and improve’ what’s there. They will be gradually digging out the invasives to make room to add back more diverse species.

Prairie Garden - June 2005 Photo ©M. Jullien	Burning off Prairie Garden - March 2006 Photo ©S. Kohler	Reseeding part of Prairie Garden - March 2012 Photo ©A. Hunter
Prairie Garden - July 2013 Photo ©A. Hunter	Prairie Garden - September 2013 Photo ©A. Hunter	Prairie Garden - September 2014 Photo ©A. Hunter
The weeds are winning! Prairie Garden 14 October 2019 Photo ©R. Egglestone	University of Sheffield team at work 23 October 2019 Photo ©R. Egglestone	Prof Hitchmough and the team 23 October 2019 Photo ©R. Egglestone

New history book launched on 8 September 2019

Sheffield Botanical Gardens: a history. Volume 2 (1844-1858)
FOBS Historian, Alison Hunter, has just published a 270-page book continuing the story of the Gardens. This was a busy period as a new society took over the management following the financial collapse of the first company in 1844. An improving economic situation and successful business practices meant that all debts were paid off in the first decade. Funds were then available for further developments including a new house for the Curator, extensions to the conservatories and an elegant tea pavilion. This was a time of significant advances horticultural knowledge as shown by the inclusion of newly introduced species listed in the Curator's plant catalogue.
Price £15. Books available at FOBS meetings and at www.amazon.co.uk

Update on the 'Early Wins' Programme - 29 August 2019

New South African Bed, Osborn's Field
Photo ©R. Egglestone

New planting in the AGM Border - R. Egglestone

New planting in one of the
Award of Garden Merit (AGM) beds
Photo ©R. Egglestone

New planting near Victorian beds
next to Curator's House
Photo ©R. Egglestone

Update on the 'Early Wins' Programme - 6 July 2019

Rose Garden
Photo ©R. Egglestone

New planting in one of the
Award of Garden Merit (AGM) beds
Photo ©R. Egglestone

New planting near Victorian beds - R. Egglestone

New planting near Victorian beds
next to Curator's House
Photo ©R. Egglestone

FOBS visit to the Sheffield Tinsley Canal - Friday 16 June 2019

Members of FOBS accompanied Ken Balkow (one of our speakers in April) along the Canal to investigate the plant life. Starting in the pouring rain at Attercliffe, the group made leisurely progress to Meadowhall observing many kinds of flowers and plants. Fortunately the rain stopped at about the half-way mark. We also encountered a pair of Canada geese who were very protective of their goslings.

Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) and Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) Photo ©A. Hunter	Hop Trefoil (Trifolium campestre) Photo ©A. Hunter	Many-flowered Rose (Rosa multiflora) Photo ©A. Hunter
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) Photo ©A. Hunter	Wall Barley (Hordeum murinum) growing in a car park Photo ©J. Sinclair	Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and goslings Photo ©J. Sinclair

FOBS Scottish Holiday - 9 - 13 June

The FOBS Photo editor would like more pictures from the gardens members visited on the holiday - please go to Photos for format and contact details.

Gresgarth Photo ©B. Plant	Tyninghame Photo ©J. Dykes	Blackdyke Photo ©B. Plant
Broadwoodside Photo ©B. Plant	Irises, Inveresk Photo ©B. Plant	Green roofed potting shed, Inveresk Photo ©J. Dykes
Amorphophallus titanum Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Photo ©B. Plant	Arisaema ringens Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Photo ©B. Plant	Glasshouse Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Photo ©J. Dykes
Alpine Garden Kevock Garden Plants Photo ©J. Dykes	Meconopsis RHS Harlow Carr Photo ©B. Plant	Candelabra primulas RHS Harlow Carr Photo ©B. Plant

FOBS visit site of RHS Bridgewater - Monday 20 May 2019

FOBS visit RHS Bridgewater - J. Sinclair

Photo ©J. Sinclair

20 lucky FOBS members recently enjoyed a ‘sneak peek’ tour of RHS Bridgewater, the RHS garden being developed in Salford. The garden doesn’t open officially until summer 2020 but RHS Director-General Sue Biggs had suggested the visit when she gave a talk to FOBS last year.

Bridgewater is apparently the biggest garden project in Europe. Members were treated to a private tour of the vast grounds, once a stylish Victorian estate that has been derelict for many years. It is now being redeveloped in line with a masterplan by designer Tom Stuart-Smith (due to lecture for us later this year. It is still very much a building site, and we needed to don stout footwear and high-vis jackets for our tour. We saw progress on the first phase of works which include enormous walled gardens that will contain a paradise garden, and adjoining kitchen garden, orchards, a new lake and restored old lake, the site of the planned welcome centre, and old bothies and potting sheds that will become display areas.

The tour also included the wilder areas of the estate that will be tamed for future phases of work. We met the pigs who are helping clear the garden of invasive Rhododendron ponticum, saw where the Scouts had once created an open-air chapel, and glimpsed an island folly, a listed ice-house and the site of a lost fountain that had been brought to Salford from the Great Exhibition. It is a mammoth undertaking, being carried forward with great enthusiasm and expertise. We look forward to arranging another trip for members next year, to see the garden once it has officially opened.

Update on the 'Early Wins' Programme - 7 May 2019

South African Bed, Osborn's Field - R. Egglestone

Education at the Gardens

We’re embarking on a new initiative in partnership with Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust. We’ll be developing and piloting a programme of events and engagement activities at the Gardens, with a particular focus on currently hard-to-reach groups. The work will be undertaken by a new paid education officer, funded for 12 months by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Trust. More details and the full job advert are here:
sheffield.gov.uk/home/job-vacancies/Joblistings/project-officer
The closing date for applications was 15th May and we hope to have someone in post by the summer.

Update on the 'Early Wins' Programme - 2 March 2019

Snowdrop planting near Lucombe Oak - R. Egglestone

Work on the 'Early Wins' programme continues with the erection of a supporting wall in Osborn's Field for the new South African Bed and clumps of snowdrops planted around the Lucombe Oak near the edge of the West Lawn.

Time for a change - FOBS will be updating this year

FOBS Logo 1 (1984-1995)
FOBS Logo1

FOBS Logo 2 (1996-2003)
FOBS Logo2

FOBS Logo 3 (2004-2018)
FOBS Logo3

FOBS Logo 4 - a new look coming in 2019
FOBS Logo4

Volunteer Briefing - 9 January 2019

Curator Ian Turner welcomed the group and expressed gratitude for the work done by volunteers. In the past year total hours had exceeded 4000 and the number of volunteers was over 100. There had been no days completely lost to the weather. The highest number of attendees on any one day had been 42, the lowest 11. Volunteer hours now included those working at other times, not just the Wednesday morning team. Group members were asked to contact the FOBS Chair with ideas for increasing the number of volunteers, to improve training and to help plan for additional sessions of work on other days, including weekends.

Ian then went on to review health and safety issues, which are essentially risk assessment and common sense. Always select the correct tool for the job, if any task involves strain don't do it, keep your work area tidy, be aware of other people and don't leave tools lying around. Trips and slips can cause accidents. Ask for help if something is too heavy to lift. Please don't overfill the dumpy bags - think about the safety of the staff too.

It was a lovely bright day, occasionally sunny, but cold. After pausing to admire the Acacia baileyana in bud, near the gate on the way out from the Education Centre, Ian led a tour to inspect the projects currently in progress, many of them funded and supported by FOBS. The group eventually returned to the Centre in time for a very welcome hot drink.

AGM Bed - has been cleared after the plants had grown too large. Will be dug over again and replanted with perennials. It is likely that many of the beautiful allium bulbs will persist.	Newly planted scree bed in the Marnock Garden	A new project in Osborn's Field, this sheltered south-facing patch, backed by a stone wall, has a relatively warm micro-climate. A new South African Bed will be home to plants from both the Western and Eastern Cape.
Also in Osborn's Field is the current Plant of the Month. Sophora microphylla is a member of the pea family and provides a welcome splash of colour at this time of year.	New planting next to the Curator's House cafe includes a eucalyptus tree which will provide shade in summer.	Trees and overgrown shrubs along the wall will be replaced to provide a more pleasing background to the colourful bedding plants. The bedding is planted out twice a year and is very popular with visitors.
Outside the central pavilion Ian stopped to talk about the gardens in general. It was noted that the clock had stopped due to a power cut. Apparently there is quite a complicated procedure to restart it at the proper time!	A view across the East Lawn reveals the trees spaced out in the "Gardenesque" style, each having suffient space to develop without tangling with its neighbours. Our original curator, Robert Marnock, was an exponent of this design.	Now that the thicket of shrubs around its base has been removed, the semi-evergreen hybrid Lucombe Oak can be really appreciated.