Hardy Plant Group

Cracks and Crevices: The Art of Rock and Crevice Gardening

With Paul Spriggs

May 15th, 7pm
Couvelier Pavilion, HCP, 505 Quayle Road

In this talk, Paul will delve into all things about Rock and Crevice gardening including history, inspiration, design and construction and of course a mouth-watering palette of plants that are not only staggeringly beautiful but also rarely seen in gardens, despite many being easily grown in Victoria!

Bio: Paul Spriggs has been rock gardening for roughly 26 years and building crevice gardens for about 19 years. He is an avid plant explorer, photographer, mountaineer, owner of Spriggs Gardens Landscaping company, and past President of the Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society. He has a passion for all wild plants especially those of dwarf stature and collects and cultivates them at various gardens in his hometown of Victoria, BC, Canada. Paul has learned the craft of crevice garden building directly from one of it’s innovators, Zdenek Zvolanek, of the Czech republic, and in the past decade and a half, has built many gardens in public parks and private homes that range in size from small feature troughs, to large installations involving many tonnes of stone. Paul is passionate about spreading the word of this style, through speaking to garden clubs all over the world, and by giving workshops for those keen on learning the finer points of this developing art form. He has just finished his work on the first North American book on Crevice gardening With co-author Kenton Seth of Colorado, released in summer 2022.

All are welcome! A $5 drop-in fee for visitors includes a door prize ticket. We look forward to seeing you there!

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL HARDY PLANT GROUP MEETINGS ARE NOW HELD IN THE COUVELIER PAVILION AT THE HCP (Horticulture Centre of the Pacific) unless otherwise stated. Evening meetings in April, May and September will be held on the third Wednesday of the month. We will continue to meet on a Sunday afternoon in October, November, February and March, but please read the meeting announcements carefully, as some details may change. We’ll remind you of the dates, times and locations here, and in the Hardy Seedling newsletter (for members).

Upcoming events:

• Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 7:00 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP

Activities

The Hardys’ objectives are to Educate, Share, Support and Demonstrate Best Practices in ornamental horticulture focusing on perennials.

We are a group of knowledgeable, keen to learn, approachable, fun-loving plantaholics, and we’d love to have you join us.

Meetings feature interesting speakers, workshops or other activities, plant auctions and door prizes, Q&A and a plant “show and tell,” plus socializing and “getting to know you” at in-person meetings.

We developed and curate three herbaceous Hardy Borders at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP or the Gardens at HCP). We also organize bus trips, “pop-up” open gardens, conferences and other special events, including the annual Elizabeth England Memorial Lecture.

Hardy Plant Volunteers

Membership

We are a sub-group of the Victoria Horticultural Society (VHS). You must be a paid-up member of the VHS to join and remain a Hardy member.

• To register or renew your membership, see Membership Registration below.
• Guests are always welcome at our meetings ($5 drop-in fee).
• For more info on joining, drop us a line at hardyplantgroupvictoria@gmail.com.

Your Hardys membership renewal date is aligned with your renewal date for the Victoria Horticultural Society, at which time both fees are payable in full.

Meetings and Annual Picnic and Plant Auction

Beginning in October 2023, all in-person meetings will be held at the HCP. The schedule varies by season, with Wednesday evening meetings in spring and early fall, and Sunday afternoon meetings in mid-fall through winter. In the darkest months of November and February, we’ll meet via Zoom.

Specifically, we will meet at the HCP
– the second Sunday of the month at 1:30 pm in March,
– the third Wednesday of the month at 7 pm in April, May and September (the only evening we could get at the HCP), and
– the third Sunday at 1:30 pm in October (to allow for Thanksgiving weekend).
– In February and November, we’ll meet on the second Sunday at 1:30 pm via Zoom (in response to feedback in our survey re winter meetings).

See the 2023–2024 Meeting Dates below for the complete schedule, and watch for reminders on this page and in the Seedling newsletter before each meeting!

2024 Meeting Dates

• Sunday, February, 11, 2024, 1:30 pm, Members’ Picture Show, via Zoom (all members and registered guests will receive a link)
• Sunday, March 10, 2024, 1:30 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP
• Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7:00 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP
• Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 7:00 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP
• Sunday, June 2, 2024, time TBA, Annual Picnic and Plant Auction, at the courtyard, HCP
• Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 7:00 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP
• Sunday, October 20, 2024, 1:30 pm, at the Couvelier Pavilion, HCP
• Sunday, November 17, 2024, 1:30 pm, via Zoom (all members and registered guests will receive a link)

Group Contacts

• Chair – Kerry Seifried: thehardys@vichortsociety.org
• Membership – Gail Willson: hardysmembership@vichortsociety.org
• Treasurer – Louise Potvin
• Seedling Editor – Kerry Seifried
• Programs – Sandra Allin
• Hardy Borders – Rotating contact: thehardys@vichortsociety.org
• Plant Auction & Door Prizes – Kerry Seifried
• Member at Large – Jean Lawrence
• General Inquiries – thehardys@vichortsociety.org

Mission Statement

1. To provide for the education of our members in ornamental horticulture by focusing on perennials, including those that are rare and challenging to cultivate in our climate; providing speakers with specialized knowledge and experience; and providing opportunities where our membership can gather, garden and share information and plant material.

2. To support novice gardeners in the field of horticulture.

3. To support public gardens that demonstrate best practices in the use and care of ornamental plants.

Payment By eTransfer

Send an eTransfer for $15 to hardyplantgroupvictoria@gmail.com.

Payment By Cheque

Send a cheque for $15 to: Hardy Plant Group, 3930 St. Peters Rd., Victoria, BC V8P 2J8.

In Person Registration

Paper forms are available and payment is by cash, cheque or eTransfer.