Speakers-2019

Sempervivums

January 15, 2019: Howard Wills Fernwood Nursery

Howard Wills is a life-long gardening enthusiast (plantaholic!) and the owner of Fernwood Nursery in the UK specializing in  Sempervivums (Houseleeks) and related plants. 

At Fernwood, Howard holds N.C.C.P.G. (Plant Heritage) National Collections® of Sempervivum and Jovibarba species and cultivars (Alpine Houseleeks) and previously, National Collections® of Phormium species and cultivars (New Zealand Flax) and Rosularia species. 

Howard has exhibited these plants at all the major Royal Horticultural Society Flower Shows and the exhibits have been awarded RHS Gold Medals at Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Palace, Gardener’s World Live, Tatton Park, Malvern and RHS Wisley Flower Shows. 

The nursery is managed in an environmentally sensitive way and Howard is also very keen on watching, recording and studying native fauna and flora. 

Private English Gardens

October 15, 2019: Thomas Hobbs

NOTE:  $10 guest fee (may not be applied to membership)

A lifelong interest in plants led Tom first into floristry, then into the nursery business when he and partner Brent Beattie acquired Southlands Nursery in 1991.Together, they transformed Southlands into a ‘retail fantasy’ of curated plants and garden accessories. ‘Shocking Beauty’, Tom’s first book, was published in 1999, and his second book ‘The Jewel Box Garden’ followed in 2004. Together the publications have sold over 50,000 copies.

Tom’s home garden and much-published Mediterranean-style house was sold in 2008 when he and Brent bought a very modern condo overlooking Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver and a twenty-acre spread in Langley, B.C. According to Tom, ‘Bel’Occhio’ farm, whose namesake means ‘beautiful eye’ in Italian is the perfect moniker for the groomed bucolic setting. Tom still heads into work every day and can be described as both a workaholic and a plantaholic. Tom’s work, his previous home and current farm have all been featured in popular style magazines including Canadian House & Home, Martha Stewart Living, and Traditional Home, among others. 

Much admired for his plant knowledge and trendsetting garden design Thomas Hobbs also delights audiences with his humorous presentation style and gardening adventures. The former Kerrisdale florist and current co-owner of Vancouver’s Southlands Nursery is on a tear. He has recently returned from Britain where he led a private tour group through English gardens.

Hobbs and partner Brent Beattie have been serving Vancouver gardeners at Southlands for 28 years. Sourcing plants and garden antiques and accessories around Great Britain and the US has always been a part of their business. More recently, however, private tours have added a new twist to Hobbs’ travels. 

Hobbs will talk about his visit in 2018 to both private and public English gardens and discuss new style and plant trends relevant for Canadian gardeners.  Attendees will be interested to learn if he is planning another garden tour to Great Britain in the months ahead.