We are revisiting our Winter Walk at the beautiful Anglesey Abbey slightly later than in previous years, in the hope that more snowdrops, hellebores, and winter shrubs will be at their peak. We will assemble in the foyer at 11am. The gardens are free for National Trust and RHS Members, so do remember to bring your membership cards with you. Non members will pay individually at the desk £18.00 pp. Historically this has been a fairly unstructured visit, with members meeting up to enjoy coffee or lunch afterwards, so there is no need to book, and this notice is for your information only. We will look forward to meeting you on the day!

Caroline Holmes - Author, lecturer and garden historian identifies lethal plants laced with evil including some seemingly harmless garden flowers, and traces them in history and literature from the Bible and Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling. She’ll bring some of her 14 books to buy.

Irelands Meadow is tucked away down a small lane and has the most beautiful natural garden and woodland with lakes. It is the home of Stan and Jennie Jordan, and Stan has spent years making the landscape that surrounds their home. The woodland is a carpet of many, many thousands of snowdrops, which flourish in every conceivable place, stretching down to the lakes, beneath the willows, and wandering on to the lane and the field beyond. Paths will lead us over the stream, round the lake, and on a small island within the lake Stan has planted an early variety of daffodil, which was flowering at the same time as the snowdrops, when we visited in 2025. Coffee and cake will be provided.

Irelands Meadow is situated off the B1115 just on the approach to Little Waldingfield. Look out for the SRL sign at the side of the road, and turn off the road towards the laboratory, it is a fairly narrow lane. Just over a small bridge you will see a turning and gateway on your right, turn in and park by the barn.

PRICE IS £8

Juliet Sargeant

RHS gold medallist and Gardeners’ Question Time panellist, challenges you to take your soil seriously. She introduces no-dig gardening, Hugelkultur and rain gardens, and growing mediums such as hydroponics and sand gardens. Her book 'Start with Soil' will be for sale.

FREE FOR MEMBERS

NON-MEMBERS - £6 payable on the door

Gardener, presenter, panellist, writer and ‘the nicest man in horticulture’ (Gardens Illustrated), Matthew describes gardens which impacted his life. His choices are different and provocative. Prepare to be surprised!

EAGG will make our annual charity donation to Matthew's special project 'The Mount Vernon Hospital Garden'.

Greg Venesse of The Front Gardeners Nursery is dotty about delphiniums, and will explain the difference between the old Elatum varieties and newer examples, how to sow them from seed and take cuttings, and choosing the right delphiniums to suit your garden. Wildlife-friendly plants for sale.

Departing from The Cock Horse Car Park in Lavenham at 10am prompt.

We will be arriving at the stunning gardens of  Stody Lodge at about midday, where we will explore the gardens and have the opportunity for refreshments, leaving there at 2pm to go on into Holt to explore the town, with its many galleries, cafes, gift and antique shops, before departing at 4pm for home.

In late May, Stody Lodge Gardens is typically in full bloom with a spectacular display of rhododendrons and azaleas, which are the main highlights of the season, with a collection of over 200 varieties. The beautiful four acre Azalea Water Garden featuring thousands of Azalea mollis plants is usually a dramatic blaze of colour at this time.

Other plants you may see include lilies, peonies, lupins, delphiniums and roses. Notable trees include a magnificent Davidia involucrata, a Norway Maple planted in 1985 for a WW11 reunion as well as collections of Magnolia, Camellia and various ornamental species like Liquidambar Styraciflua, Eucryphia Nymansay, Cercis and Arbutus Unendo.

As we are arriving two hours before they officially open for the day, we should hopefully have plenty of quiet space to wander. No refreshments are included, but the tea room will be open for us.

We have a 53 seater luxury coach from Kings, and the cost of the coach ticket alone will be £18.50, entrance to the garden will be £10, but free to RHS Members as it is a partner garden, so book either the £18.50 or the £28.50 ticket. Once we have sold a total of 53 of combined tickets the coach will be full. 

We are offering the tickets to Boxford Garden Society and Lavenham Garden Club as well, in order to fill the coach, and tickets for everyone will be purchased through the EAGG website. Please book early to ensure your place as this is going to be a marvellous day out.

NON-RHS MEMBERS PRICE: £28.50
RHS MEMBERS PRICE: £18.50

Kim O’Brien is a gardener, grower and floral designer at a top Cambridge studio. She hosts floristry workshops for BBC Gardeners' World and is a regular columnist for Amateur Gardening magazine. She grows over 200 varieties of Dahlias and takes the novice and experienced dahlia grower on a journey from tuber to vase, explaining how to achieve the best blooms you will ever grow.

Michael Holland, formerly of the Chelsea Physic Garden and a RHS committee member, discloses weird and wonderful facts about important plants that have benefitted mankind and used in everything from toothpaste to car tyres. He highlights weird and wonderful facts about them and tells you everything you never knew about plants. His book 'I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast' will be on sale.