Our next lecture will be by Dr Camilla Allen, this Monday evening (11th April). She will talk to us about three forms of commemoration with trees: Britain's three tree cathedrals, the role of sacred groves in saving California's coast redwoods and Sheffield's commemorative WW1 street trees.

Laura Alston, our new Education Co-ordinator, is putting together a team of Education Volunteers for the Gardens. These volunteers will help with setting up and delivering a programme of curriculum-based activities. This will include working with classes and groups of school pupils and teachers and leading activities for school groups at the Gardens. The activities will all be pre-prepared and instructions and an induction will be provided to the volunteers.

We had a beautiful sunny day for our second public tour of the year, and were delighted to be joined by the international families from Broomhill Library’s Tea, Talk & Tots group. Together we explored Spring bulbs throughout the Gardens.

Many thanks to veg expert David Thornton who this morning (22 March) provided us with a fascinating insight into growing vegetables both for the table and for the exhibition circuit. His talk included lots of very useful tips, though I’m not sure how many Friends will be trialling 6ft high raised beds or a crowbar!

Thanks to everyone who came along to our first-ever stall at the Pollen Market yesterday! We had a great time chatting about the Gardens, and encouraging people to become Friends or garden volunteers, or both!

The lease on the Curator’s Café in the Botanical Gardens is currently being advertised by the Parks Service. As the advert says, this is a fantastic opportunity to grow a high-quality business at an established café location in one of the premier parks in the region.

The recording of Timothy’s excellent lecture ‘What have plants ever done for us?’ will be available to view in the password-protected Friends Area of the website until Monday 14th March. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking session on the essential role of plants throughout human history, and the threats to their future.

Join us on Monday evening (7 March) for a Zoom talk by Oxford botanist Dr Timothy Walker, exploring our dependence on plants for everything from food to film and from painkillers to paint, and examining the ways in which our exploitation of plants could keep up with demand from an increasing global population.

Thanks to Don Witton for a fascinating talk yesterday (22 Feb) on euphorbias and other Spring-flowering perennials - and a big hello to new Friends who joined us for the first time. The talk was followed by our first public tour of the year, when a dozen people joined us to explore winter scents and (stinking) hellebores.

We’re delighted to be welcoming Laura Alston to the new role of Education & Engagement Co-ordinator for the Gardens. Laura has a strong background in delivering education programmes in the heritage sector, and is currently working in a similar role at Sheffield General Cemetery.

The Friends are looking to expand the group of volunteers who sow and grow on plants for the regular plant sales in aid of the Gardens. So, what does it involve?

On Tuesday (22 February) we have our first lecture and public tour combo. The lecture is by Don Witton on Euphorbias and other Spring-flowering perennials, and will take place at 10.30 in the Education Centre in the Gardens. It’s free for Friends, £5 on the door for members of the public.

Save the date! We’re arranging a trip for Friends to the excellent Morton Nursery in Nottinghamshire in the afternoon of Wednesday 13th July. The nursery specialises in home-grown, hard-to-find shrubs and perennials.

The latest edition of our regular newsletter News Shoots is now available to view in the password-protected Friends Area of the website. Among lots of features, it has information on our new Education and Engagement Co-ordinator, the planned Volunteer Centre in the Gardens, our Plant of the Month, and the latest version of our Programme of Talks and Tours.

Thanks to Kevin Hughes for a fascinating Zoom talk on encouraging rare flora and fauna at Cally Gardens in Southwest Scotland. Kevin gave us lots to think about - his views on the relative environmental impact of coir production and peat harvesting for instance, and the overwhelming benefits for him of stopping pesticide and weedkiller use at Cally.