Summary
The annual survey ran throughout June 2025. Following poor take up of the print version in 2024, this year it was online only. We received 66 responses (63 in 2024).
We are very grateful to everyone who took part, and especially those who took the time to critique the organisation and its activities. Many comments and suggestions were extremely helpful. The vast majority of respondents (90%) were members. Most had access to a small or medium-sized garden and sometimes an allotment.
Respondents agreed that we help people learn more about gardening, to improve the environment, and to improve wellbeing. Our three most popular activities are again 1) the Hut, 2) flower shows 3) free talks and social evenings. (However, some recent talks have been very poorly attended.)
The demographics were broadly in line with 2024, except for the number who said English was an Additional Language (EAL), which was something of a surprise.
What gardening/horticultural space is available to you?
Most commonly this was a garden, either self-identified as ‘small’ (22 people) , or ‘medium-sized’ (11 people). Eleven people had an allotment. Last year, 25 people told us they had a medium-sized garden.
What do you think we do well?
Three quarters agreed that we help people learn more about gardening, help to improve the environment (41% – up from 35% in 2024) and help people improve their wellbeing (44% cf 48% in 2024).
Our three most popular activities are again 1) the Hut, 2) flower shows 3) free talks and social evenings. However, talks prompted the most criticism when asked, ‘How can we improve?’ – see below.
How can we improve? (We reminded people that LHS is run entirely by a team of volunteers.)
There were many extremely useful and thought-provoking contributions, illustrating that respondents are invested in the future of the Society.
“Having written the above [critique], what LHS does is great and I am enormously grateful to all the volunteers.”
Soul searching -why are we here?
- Think to the future of horticulture (while respecting the past and some of the traditional activities of horticultural associations). What should a modern Horticultural Society in an urban environment be?
- The Committee and volunteers do a great job but I wonder if it would help to be clearer as to how many volunteers are needed, when, and what for. Currently there is a constant appeal for more volunteers but often there are many volunteers there so you can give up a day to little purpose. Parkrun has a good system where you can see the volunteer rota online and fill any gaps knowing that you are actually needed. Also possibly the LHS could do less for a period until it can rebuild its volunteer and committee strength?
- By finding a way to appeal to younger people. Challenging I appreciate as most members and regular volunteers are older, but young people are the future, and many of them are keen gardeners and house plant growers. I appreciate that will be easier said than done. The society needs to find a way to modernise as well as continuing to do the things it already does well.
- The society needs to rethink its basic ‘raison d’etre’. Does it need its own premises, trading Hut etc to fulfil its mission purposes?
- Listen to one another
- Take action on ideas
- Be kind to one and all
Committee comments
A modern, urban-based horticultural society should, we feel, support community gardening, gardening in parks, biodiversity and people with small or no outdoor gardens. We support local organisations such as Incredible Edible Lambeth, different allotments, a charity supporting gardening with immigrants, and many local parks and community gardening initiatives. The Hut rated highest of our activities.
We deliver some of this work through activities such as talks, social media and attending local fairs. We are approaching a speaker to give a workshop on houseplants at the Late Summer Show. We are also members of different groups run by Lambeth Council, including its Environmental and Biodiversity Forums. We will be speaking at a social event run by Lambeth Parks & Open Spaces Forum this October.
The comments about volunteers are timely. We are reorganising the volunteering at the Hut. We are in the process of compiling 30-minute dedicated tasks for any ‘drop in’ volunteers. For those interested in working behind the counter, we will also run regular half hour training sessions on working the till and SumUp. It would be really helpful to have a team of people on standby for when our regular volunteers are on holiday, or at another event. The first training session will be 12.30 – 1 pm, Sunday 24 August.
We have also reorganised the Volunteer With Us page on the website which, we hope, makes it clearer how you can help and when.
Suggestions for improving activities
Talks
- Making talks hybrid so you can join online if unable to get to them in person
- Improve quality of talks
- Get better-known, better quality speakers! Talks are often amateurish and uninspiring.
- Raise the level of the talks, with more horticultural content and ‘how to’, less of the vaguely interesting local projects only tangentially connected to horticulture and gardening.
- How about a talk on Gardens and Climate Crisis, (truly) Sustainable Gardening/ Floristry, Rights to Grow/Community Gardens, Urban Greening or Guerilla Gardening.
- More interesting talks eg gardening techniques; a head gardener talking about their garden; wildlife and gardening.
- More talks and workshops
- Better speakers, & technology – focus on gardening not tourism
Committee comments
Talks were rated our second most popular activity but generated the most criticism!
In defence of our speakers this year: 2025 has focused on ‘how to’ following feedback from attendees at talks in 2024 and we believe that the quality of the 2025 talks has been very good. We have already covered some of the suggested topics.
Having said that, it is certainly true that there is much that needs to change, if we continue to hold talks. Many are not particularly well attended and the venue is not up to scratch.
We are considering holding fewer talks in 2026 with more ‘starry’ speakers – local (affordable) celebrity gardeners – suggestions and contacts most welcome. For this, we will need a bigger and better venue. If you can help in our researches, please let us know.
Meanwhile, we’ll pursue the useful suggestions for future talks. ( 2025 talks have included floristry and environmental concerns.)
Hut
- In a perfect world the hut would be open longer on Saturdays.
- Have a proper sign for the Hut
- Smarten up the Hut – esp lavatory
Committee comments
When the new lease is signed, (the gestation period is about the same as a cycad), we will be able to action points two and three. Extending opening hours would depend on volunteer availability.
Outings
- More garden visits
- Organise visits to less well visited gardens
- As I work, I like to attend your day trips – please do keep these going.
Committee comments
It would be wonderful if there was a small team to support our very hardworking Outings Officer, who has many other roles as well. One thought is that we could organise private visits to local gardens that are part of the National Garden Scheme – would this be of interest to people?
Publicity
- Advertise the society more.
- Better social media
- Maybe raise your profile, but I know that’s difficult with a small number of volunteers.
Committee comments
Can you help publicise our organisation and activities more widely? Can you help with any of the following
- expand our social media presence
- update our website structure
- network with local organisations (community groups etc)
At the moment, one volunteer manages the website, emails and Instagram. As well as sharing Secretary and Chair tasks, both posts currently vacant, with other members of the committee.
Suggestions for new activities:
- Have a new members welcome at events
- Giving advice on what to plant in someone’s garden
- Suggestions of type of plants to use in various areas e.g. shade, under trees, full sun etc. Also plants suitable to climate.
- Tips on improving the environment: e.g. no peat, making compost, gardening in small urban areas, saving water.
- More joining activities
- Have more interested people of all ages have the opportunity to join the society and participate in the life of it.
- Educate children and adults through physical experience and other means of learning to reconnect with the natural world of the planet.
- By somehow attracting more and younger members – very difficult
Committee comments
Great ideas which we will try to action in existing and potentially new activities – watch this space! (Work with children may require especially careful consideration because of statutory regulations.)
AND we’re now planning a “Lambeth Gardeners’ Question Time” after our 22 October prize giving. Keep an eye out for info on how to send in your questions – by email or drop them in at the Hut, a talk or a show.
You can always ask for advice any weekend at the Hut – the local experts are there to help! Similarly at shows and talks, we can be approached with questions about plants and gardens. We’ve tried to make this clearer on the website.
Joint Activities
- More joint activities with local groups around gardening, environment, wildlife etc
- Connect with other garden/plant projects to form a borough network, to promote greening the borough.
- As a fellow volunteer, my interactions with LHS remind me that we can still have civic organisations of the highest order. I wonder if there could be a closer alliance with Friends groups throughout the borough for example a lot of people garden in these locations as volunteers. I do think the majority of our parks and green spaces are different to a community or shared garden due to their size but also as the owner is Lambeth and technically managed by them. Any Friends group will tell you how important the volunteer gardening work is.
Committee comments
Very much agree. We do have contact with many local groups (see ‘soul searching’ above) and participate as capacity allows. If anyone is keen to help with this as a discrete project, do get in touch.
It Ain’t Broke
- Not sure you can. Why fix something that’s not broken. I’m really happy with what the society offers. Fall off in membership if a concern is probably more to do with the pressures of life today, than any shortcomings of the society.
- You do a great job
- You are doing very well as you are.
- You do enough
- It’s all great! I’ve recently joined and look forward to joining in.
- I live in the Lewisham Borough where as far as I am aware does not have a horticultural society. Appreciate that this is open to all. Many thanks to all the volunteers that make it possible.
Committee comments
Thank you!
Demographic Questions
We asked a series of questions which form part of our annual report to Lambeth. Although we asked people to complete these questions, there was always a Prefer Not To Say option.
The split between those living in Lambeth and elsewhere was 59:41 – in 2024 this was 77:23.
Age range: 82% of those answering were 61 + years (74% in 2024).
Disability: 20% of those answering considered that they had a disability (32% in 2024).
Economic Status: of those answering 5 people (8%) considered that were of low economic status (12% in 2024).
Ethnicity: of those answering, 73% identified as White British (75% in 2024).
Gender: of those answering, 70% were female (72% in 2024)
Sexual Identity: 3 people identified as LGBTQ+
EAL: 10 people (15%) told us they spoke English as an additional language. This was a big jump from 2024 (one person so self-identified).