Good news on two historic landscapes

In a similar success story, Parlington will remain as a vital wildlife site in the Green Belt as the proposed development of hundreds of houses has been deleted from the Leeds CC Site Allocation Plan (SAP) after tireless campaigning from many supporters. Read more

Come to our spring GT events 

London lectures, spring garden trips & conference update

First, a reminder that there is a members' meet-up in Newcastle-on-Tyne tomorrow,  15 January, and in Lincolnshire on 13 February. The second in our London lecture series features Dr Anna Keay talking about the Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth. Dr Keay was involved in its restoration when she was Curatorial Director at English Heritage. This will be followed by Professor Simon Hiscock speaking on the Oxford Botanic Garden on 20 February.

Learn about Hagley Park in Worcestershire with a Birmingham lecture and visit on 17 April, and see below for more on a visit to West Wycombe Park in May. 

Exciting new details are now online to whet your appetite for the GT Annual Conference 2019 at The Queen's College Oxford form 6-8 September. The treats in store include an exclusive visit to William Mason’s iconic flower garden at Nuneham (in new ownership), and private guided tours of Oxford Botanic Garden, Christ Church, and the early C18 grade I Shotover Park House and its gardens, which contain two of William Kent’s garden buildings of c. 1730. The gala dinner is a must for all fans of the Saturday Financial Times gardening column, as Robin Lane Fox will be speaking over after-dinner coffee. Booking opens in February. Read the draft programme - and save the date!

Conserve

We're doing our bit for the planet! GT members will have seen we’ve changed the wrapping for our mailings, responding to member's concern about plastic.

After some experimentation for the first time in December, we were delighted to replace the plastic one with a potato starch outer. ‘Polycomp’ uses mainly waste potatoes which are processed to release the starch, manufactured into granules, and produce material which is fully compostable.

This means you can easily dispose of it in your household garden compost or in many green council recycling bins - although not all Councils will accept it yet, so do check with your local Council first.