Explore six world-renowned gardens in Kent and Sussex: West Dean Gardens, Sissinghurst Castle, Great Dixter, Great Comp, Borde Hill and Standen House.
Stay for three nights bed, breakfast and 3-course evening meal at King Charles Hotel, Kent. Executive coach travel, professional driver and tour manager from Crossways Travel.
This year, our theme is “pollinators”, so how better to kick off than with this lovely film about bees, being shown in Charmouth on 23rd January? You can find out more and book tickets here: https://www.thedorsetbee.co.uk/s-projects-side-by-side-1
All our 2026 events are now live on the events page. You can also download the printable events leaflet for reference, below (PDF file).
Just a small selection of Victoria Stickler’s lovely record of our show. Click on a photo to see it larger.
The Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society is celebrating the success of its recent Summer Flower and Produce Show, which saw an increase of over 35% in both the numbers of entrants and entries to the show. 126 entrants for adult and children’s classes submitted 665 entries to create a magnificent display in the show marquee. Thirty cups and prizes were awarded – a full list of which is below. These will be presented to winners at the Horticultural Society’s Autumn Show to be held on 11th October at Uplyme Village Hall.
Over 650 visitors came to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the show, which also included a wide range of stalls with plants, gardening related items, the natural world and local environment. A Gardening Advice stand with local horticultural experts Ben Clutton of Groves Nursery and Mary Benger of Burrow Farm Gardens proved a hit, as did the field activities of lawn bowls and croquet. And of course there were cream teas and cakes galore served in the village hall.
The Horticultural Society’s Chairperson Karen Hicklin said “It was extremely pleasing to see so many entries to our Summer Show this year. I’d like to thank all the entrants, volunteers, exhibitors and visitors who made the show such a success.”
2025 Summer Show winners
This year’s winners were:
| Award | Winner |
| RHS Banksian Medal | Jennifer Thomson |
| Worshipful Company of Gardeners Award | Karen Ball |
| Seamark Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Mrs J Thomas Cup | Sophia Smith |
| J & FJ Baker Cup | Norma Holden |
| Bullock Cup | Mrs Ethelston’s Gardening Club |
| McLeod Innes Cup | Jill Stapleforth |
| Tony Cook Tankard | Sara O’Toole |
| Dahlia Trophy | Nigel Ball |
| Thompson Tankard | Robert Harvey |
| Cakemaker’s Cup | Yvonne Munro-Hart |
| Diamond Jubilee Cup | Sue Wallace |
| Diana Bridges Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Junior Photo Cup | Sophia Smith |
| Leslie Bretherick Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Woodroffe Challenge Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Ian Stobo Memorial Trophy | Jennifer Thomson |
| Williams Challenge Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Dorothy & Fred Stevens Memorial Cup | Jo Kaye |
| Wine Cup | Robert Harvey |
| Mary Frings Challenge Cup | Yvonne Munro-Hart |
| Morrish Challenge Cup | Yvonne Munro-Hart |
| Cartwright Challenge Cup | Karen Hicklin |
| Mrs Rex Woodroffe Challenge Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Shilton Cup | Ashley Ball |
| Wilson Cup | Bertie Lucas and Albie Reeder-Pearson |
| Lindsey Jenkins-Carter Cup | Sophia Smith |
| Potato in a bucket – weight | Jonathan Hart |
| Potato in a bucket – quality | Rachel Sykes |
| Potato in a bucket – junior | William Crabbe |
It’s time again for our Summer Flower and Produce Show on Saturday 2nd August at Uplyme Village Hall and Playing Field from 2 to 5pm. This year the show theme is Meadows.
Entry to the show is only £1 for all adults (including members), free for those aged 16 and under. Please bring plenty of cash as wi-fi on the field can be patchy and some stalls only take cash.
Our show marquee will house 125 competition classes in horticulture, home produce, crafts and photography. These are open for anyone to enter free of charge and to members and non-members alike, wherever they live. Printed entry forms are available free from Uplyme Post Office and Ginger Beer in Lyme Regis if you can’t download them from here.
Entry forms must be received by 8pm on Wednesday 30th July and can be handed in at Uplyme Stores or emailed to ulrhs.entries@gmail.com. Anyone having difficulty in downloading the form can send an email with their list of entries to ulrhs.entries@gmail.com
The marquee is open for the receipt of competition entries from 8am to 10am on Saturday 2nd August, when it then closes for judging to take place. The marquee opens again at 2pm when the show opens and closes at 5pm, when exhibits may be removed.
The stalls on the field focus on gardening, horticulture, the natural world and the local environment. There will be hundreds of plants from diverse nurseries and growers plus garden art and plant supports, compost and mulches, vintage tools, bird ringing, bees and honey products, and several local environmental and conservation groups.
The Horticultural Society stalls include the ever-popular Potato in a Bucket competition and raffle plus plants, produce and books. Please bring donations of plants, produce, books on the morning of the show. Plants should be labelled and any cuttings well rooted.
Surplus fruit and vegetables from your garden, home-made cakes and biscuits plus reasonably modern paperbacks are very popular and most welcome.
There is also a Gardening Advice stall. Local experts Mary Benger from Burrow Farm Gardens and Ben Clutton from Groves Nursery will be on hand throughout the afternoon to answer gardening questions from visitors.
This year we have a Baboo ice cream stall on the field – a real bargain at only £2 per tub.
The Lym Valley Croquet Club and Lyme Regis Bowls Club will both be offering the chance for adults and children to have a go at the traditional sports of croquet and lawn bowls, which are great fun for all ages.
Visitors can take the weight off their feet in the village hall and enjoy the excellent cream teas and refreshments on offer. The Rousdon Spinners will be giving a demonstration of their craft in the hall. There will also be a table at which to buy raffle tickets – with a magnificent first prize of a £100 garden centre voucher.
Finally, Uplyme Church will be staging a flower festival at the same time, also celebrating meadows, on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd August from 10am to 4pm, with an informal viewing on Sunday 3rd August.
Visit the Events page to see the wide range of talks, social events and coach outings we have planned for you in 2025. Talks on wildlife and conservation gardening, using colour, Japanese gardens, looking after your houseplants, and much else besides. Outings to lots of inspirational gardens, including RHS Rosemoor, Cotehele, Lanhydrock, Kew Gardens and Stourhead.
Membership is only £6 per annum, and you’ll save that after two trips, as there’s a £3 non-member fee for most of our events. Why not come along to a meeting when you can join (or renew!) and meet other garden and plant enthusiasts?
Image by kind permission of Pictorial Meadows Super Pollinator Turf
A Horticultural Society talk and demonstration about the soil
The Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society will be hosting a talk and demonstration entitled ‘The Answer Lies in the Soil’ on Wednesday 27th November at Uplyme Village Hall. David Usher, former head gardener at Hestercombe, uses a practical demonstration to explore what soil is, and how to look after it to get the best results.
Complementing the interactive talk is a handout providing soil-related information.
Doors open at 7pm; talk starts at 7.30pm. Members free; guests £3.
On Wednesday 25th September the Horticultural Society will be hosting a talk entitled ‘Plant Hunters’ by award-winning writer Ambra Edwards at Uplyme Village Hall. The talk starts at 7.30pm and doors open for refreshments at 7pm. Members free; non-members £3.
Ambra is a garden writer with a special interest in garden history, and above all, in the people who make gardens. Her latest book, ‘The Plant Hunter’s Atlas’, tells extraordinary tales of plant introductions that have shaped empires, secured and destroyed economies, revolutionised medicine and advanced science. An incredible cast of characters lies behind these discoveries – dedicated researchers, reckless adventurers, physicians, prisoners, lovers and thieves. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction!
Ambra’s books will be on sale at the event.
You can download the schedule to plan your entries now.
Uplyme & Lyme Regis Horticultural Society 