Lambeth Horticultural Society is for local people who are keen to give gardening and horticulture a go, and for everyone who’d like to learn more and meet other gardeners. You don’t need a garden or an allotment, and you don’t have to live in Lambeth! We are all volunteers and want to help as many people as possible to share our love of growing herbs, fruit, veg, flowers, shrubs and trees – from the allotment to the balcony. We are also keen to help people to grow, propagate and show every kind of houseplant, from ferns to cacti.
We take part in many community events and support novice as well as experienced gardeners. We run workshops, projects and talks on gardening and the natural world. We are affiliate members of the RHS and belong to several local gardening and environmental networks. We want to help everyone to get involved in horticulture, even if they only have a windowsill!
We believe gardening can improve
- Individual Wellbeing
- Social connection
- The environment
We are a registered charity.
If you’re gardening on a shoestring, come and say hello. We have lots of ideas for saving money and growing new plants for nothing or very little. Our spring and autumn Bring & Buy sales are great places to start.
If you are a school, local community group or charity and gardening is one of your activities, do contact us about affiliate membership.
Community Activities
We run flower shows in Spring and Summer each year, plus the Flower Show section of the Lambeth Country Show on behalf of Lambeth Council. Check out our 2021 Late Summer Show which made the BBC website!
Membership costs just £10 a year – why not join us?
What we do
- Our members’ shop – The Hut – has a huge range of quality garden supplies, including seasonal items, at discount prices
- Two flower shows (Spring and Late Summer) each year, plus the Flower Show at the Lambeth Country Show for Lambeth Council – open to everyone
- Talks about gardens and horticulture by Head Gardeners and garden designers – free and open to everyone
- Newsletter three times a year
- Regular emails on our activities (opt out at any time) plus Twitter & Facebook & Instagram
- We are registered charity number 1203470,
Roots
Lambeth Horticultural Society started life through a group of council allotment holders of West Norwood. In 1951 they formed a gardening association, calling themselves the Lambeth council tenants’ horticultural association. The aim was to provide members with facilities to trade, loan equipment, attend lectures, organise competitions and shows and ‘encourage good gardening in the borough’. They held fortnightly meetings and the first annual show took place in September 1952.
The Hut
In 1964 the Society became simply Lambeth Horticultural Society and focused on expanding operations. The first trading hut was a wooden shed on a council allotment. A hundredweight of Growmore at a trade price was sold off piecemeal to members. This provided the capital for further purchases, and trading at the hut took off. The Society moved into new premises in 1968 – the site still used today.
Lambeth Country Show
The first annual Brockwell Park Flower Show was organised by LHS, and the Lambeth Arts & Recreation Association (LARA) in July 1967. The Brockwell Park show continued to expand, welcoming other horticultural societies. The council took over the management and it developed into what became the Lambeth Country Show.
Chelsea
In 1997 LHS entered the RHS’s Chelsea Flower Show Courtyard Competition, and was awarded a bronze medal for ‘City Oasis’ and a silver gilt for ‘a Garden for an Urban Gardener’ the following year.
And GQT!
We have twice hosted Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time.
From Heather Miranda’s report in the Summer 2019 Newsletter, adapted from A history of Lambeth’s horticultural societies by Judy Harris