The Cottage Garden Society: A history of glorious planting ideas!
Image: The Cottage Garden Society
The Cottage Garden Society was established in 1982 at a time when cottage garden plants were falling out of favour. The founders of the Society were concerned about the disappearance of this traditional planting style with the increasing focus on low-maintenance gardens and heavy use of hard landscaping.
Consisting of approximately 3,000 members, the CGS aims to bring together gardening enthusiasts, whether they are amateurs or professionals, who share a passion for this particular style of gardening. Since its inception, the Society has experienced continuous growth. What started with the founders located in North Wales and Cheshire has now expanded to include over 30 regional groups across the United Kingdom.
Membership in The Cottage Garden Society offers a wide range of benefits, including access to talks, garden visits, seed swaps, plant sales, and a quarterly magazine called ‘The Cottage Gardener’. For those who prefer an audio format, there is a recorded version of the magazine available, created by volunteers and distributed to members upon request.
A member says this about the seed swaps...
"My packet of seeds arrived today – so exciting! And all desirable." She continues "I do encourage members to apply for seeds from the random seed distribution; it’s fascinating to grow plants you might never have considered before and you may find some real gems!"
Speaking of the magazine members say...
"It’s always a real treat when the Cottage Gardener comes through the letterbox and I found the 40th anniversary edition most interesting" - Mary
"I just wanted to say how happy I am with the new-look magazine, i.e., colour illustrations, new layout and what I think is a new printing font. The magazine is great. Also, your new website is vibrant and eye-catchingly modern - keep up the excellent work" - Steve
The Society also participates in up to four flower shows each year, providing opportunities for members interested in garden design to contribute to captivating displays. The Society has recently achieved some success, receiving a bronze award at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival and a silver award at BBC Gardeners' World Live.
UK Memberships per annum start from £15 for a single or £18 for a joint membership and signing up on the website is easy.
If you would like more information regarding the Cottage Garden Society, you can look on their website here at thecgs.org.uk