Our annual journal, The Review, is full of interesting stories and information for Friends. It will be posted out this week, along with the events programme for 2023 and, for those who have renewed their subscription, new membership cards.

There has been some confusion about the date of this year’s special Christmas social event for the Friends. It will take place on Tuesday 13th December from 11am, NOT 6th December as previous advertised.

Join us on Tuesday (November 29th) for a splendid pair of themed events for National Tree Week. From 10.30am in the Dorothy Fox Education Centre we have a talk by Catherine Nuttgens of the Woodland Trust, on the challenges of managing and protecting Sheffield’s trees and woodlands, particularly in the face of the changing climate.

On Saturday (26 November) two Friends of the Gardens, Gill Rogers and Teija Douglas, are opening a Pop Up Shop selling their range of handmade jewellery made from silver, ribbon, wire and semi precious stones, plus paintings and wooden bowls by friends and family, alongside some of our Botanical Gardens merchandise. Some great gift ideas at very affordable prices.

Check our Events Calendar for news of the lectures and public tours we have lined up for the first quarter of 2023! All sorts of splendid things to enjoy, including beekeeping, garden restoration, sustainable houseplants, perfumes and potions in the Gardens and tales of an award-winning journalist who became a professional horticulturalist in her 60s.

Thanks to all the Friends who attended our Annual General Meeting today (15th November). It was good to share news of our activities and plans for the future, to elect new members of our executive committee and to make awards to some of our volunteers.

This Saturday (12 November) we’ll be selling our Christmas card ‘The First Snowfall’ from a pop-up barrow at the Moor Market in Sheffield city centre. A pack of 5 cards with a single design, from a watercolour painting by Isabel Blincow MBE of the Hallam Art Group costs just £3.

As November sets in, the Friends are busy planning our programme of events for 2023. We have lots of fabulous new lectures lined up, both on Zoom and live in the Education Centre, as well as a great array of themed public tours of the Gardens.

Join us tomorrow (Tuesday 25th October) for a double treat - a practical demonstration on growing South African bulbs and then a Halloween-themed tour of the Gardens!

We’ve just published the latest version of our regular newsletter. It contains news and views of the Gardens, our plant of the month for October, updates on events and activities, a report on the education project and much else.

For the organised among you, our 2022 Christmas card is now available! A pack of 5 cards with a single design, from a watercolour painting by Isabel Blincow MBE from the Hallam Art Group, called ‘The First Snowfall.’ The scene shows the statue of Pan in the Rose Garden with the pavilions in the distance.

Join Leif Bersweden in the Education Centre on Monday evening (10 Oct) for what promises to be a fascinating evening. Leif will tell us about his bike journey across the British Isles, as he botanised his way through an entire calendar year, meeting our plants, telling their stories and exploring people’s connection to their local flora.

Laura, the education co-ordinator for the Gardens, is looking to fund sessions and resources to supplement our existing educational programme. She’s inviting education providers, creatives & other professionals to submit proposals for two streams of work.

It was lovely to see so many of our volunteers at a picnic in their honour earlier this week. The Council gardeners, the Education Officer and the Friends Chair spent Wednesday lunchtime enjoying the sunshine with around 30 people who volunteer in the Gardens, for the Friends or as part of the Education programme.

Thanks to the two dozen people - and Teddy the dog - who came along on our monthly public tour earlier this week. Tour guide Jude took us through the medical heritage of a selection of plants in our collections.