Welcome to Our Website

Welcome to the website of the Houghall Horticultural Society.

Our society is based in the historic cathedral city of Durham in the North East of England.

We have over 160 friendly and enthusiastic members and welcome anyone else interested in joining us.

Our Aim is to pursue knowledge and enjoyment of horticulture in its widest sense.

The society was formed in 1990 by a group of people who had studied horticulture at Houghall College and wished to develop their knowledge further in an informal setting.

We meet monthly on the second Tuesday of each month from October through to April. Each month a guest speaker gives a talk, usually with slides. The speakers are all knowledgeable horticulturalists or gardeners or other professionals in the plant field.

Subjects have been as diverse as

Howick Gardens and Arboretum
Poisonous Plants
Harewood - Past, Present and Future
The most ancient plants on the planet: Mosses, Liverworts, Ferns, Horsetails and Club-mosses
The Winter Garden
Agapanthus and Tulbaghia
Alpines from the Eastern Alps and their cultivation

In the summer months we visit gardens and shows of particular note and organize a weekend garden tour.

Gardens visited recently include:

The Gardens of Mindrum and Monteviot Houses

Posted on September 18th, 2011

Our June 2011 outing was to the gardens of Mindrum and Monteviot Houses in Northumberland and the Scottish border region.

Gardens of Dumfries and Galloway

Posted on December 12th, 2010

The first garden visited produced very mixed reactions. The naturalistic planting style seen at the entrance to the garden contrasted with closely mown undulating landforms, curvaceous pools, geometric constructions and scientific references.

Lake District Outing

Posted on November 16th, 2010

On Saturday May 8 the Society had it's first garden outing for 2010. We visited 2 gardens in the Lake District near Windermere. […]

Gardens Of Oxfordshire And Buckinghamshire

Posted on October 7, 2008

Our eagerly anticipated first port of call was Felley Priory in Nottinghamshire. We arrived in time for lunch and a warm welcome from owner The Hon. Mrs. Charworth Musters. The house, a wonderful brick and dark red sandstone building, dating back to 1150, was enhanced by its charming and stylish gardens […]

Gardens of Dublin and Co. Wicklow

Posted on October 7, 2008

The rain was on cue; it began as the last person boarded the coach at Houghall to travel to the airport so we left knowing that our parched gardens would be revived to rival the lush, green of The Emerald Isle! […]