Activities

The Saxifrage Society organise two meetings per year in Britain with talks and demonstrations, at which plants may be bought and sold, including new and unusual cultivars.

We visit gardens and collections of saxifrages, and also arrange field trips to see them in their native habitats.

Steve Furness shows members S. granulata, S. hypnoides, and S. tridactylites growing wild in Derbyshire

We plan to organise one field trip every year.  These alternate between British sites, and the European mountains.  In the last 3 years we have toured the Maritime Alps in Southern France and the mountains of Carinthia in Austria.  Society members have also visited sites in Derbyshire to view saxifrages in the wild.

We have visited the National Collection of silver saxifrages at the home of one of the Society's members, and also the National Collection of Porphyrion saxifrage cultivars at Waterperry Gardens

Occasionally we have been to RHS Gardens at Wisley and Harlow Car where Society members were shown round "behind the scenes" of the Alpine Department.

Open Gardens are regularly offered on a one-off or a regular basis by members for members.

Every 4 year we hold a 4 day International Seminar.  In 2004 this was held in the Czech Republic, after the previous event in the Netherlands.  Both occasions were wonderful events involving nearly 80 people attending from 12 countries from across Europe and North America, a wide range of lecture topics, and visits to gardens and nurseries.  Just as important was the opportunity to meet and form friendships with fellow saxifrage enthusiasts.   

A One-Day Conference was held in Sussex with members attending from both France and Germany for the day. It is hoped to produce further similar events in the future in other locations.

Society members from England visited fellow members on Holland over a long weekend during which gardens and nurseries were visited, and many discussions and talks took place.  Small groups have also visited the Saxifrage show in Prague.

The Saxifrage Society has been appointed the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Saxifraga Cultivars of all Sections.

DETAILS OF EVENTS ARE PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSLETTER - free to members 4 times a year.