Events
Programme for 2026
All events take place in Bembridge Village Hall, 14 High Street, Bembridge, PO35 5SN, except where otherwise stated. Details will be posted on the Village Hall noticeboard and on other social media.
Winter talks take place on the third Friday of each month and begin at 7.15 pm. All the talks are free for Members. Guests are welcome although we do charge an entrance fee of £1. There is a ‘Best Bloom Competition’ at each talk, so please bring a single bloom from your garden for everyone to enjoy!
This year our Summer Shows will be held on Saturday 13 June 2026 and Saturday 22 August 2026. Please support us by entering as many classes as you feel you able to, or by visiting on the day between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm to admire what is on display.
The AGM takes place in October of each year. This is when Members’ Annual Subscriptions fall due. The current Membership Fee is £5.
Summer Shows 2026
- June 13th – Members’ Show
- August 22nd – 105th Annual Open Show
Exhibits will need to be taken to the Village Hall between 8.00 am – 10.30 am on the day of the Show, and all entries must be staged by 10.40 am when judging will begin. The Shows open to the Public at 2.30 pm, and the Presentation of Awards takes place at 4.30 pm.
Show Schedules and Entry Forms will be available from the middle of April. They will distributed at the Society’s Events and can also be obtained from Bembridge Community Library, Church Road, Bembridge PO35 5NA, and Bembridge Parish Council Offices, 5 Foreland Road, Bembridge, PO35 5XN.
Non-Members are warmly invited to enter the Annual Open Show as directed in the Show Schedule.
Winter Talks 2026
- January 23rd – Steve Woods: Cacti and Succulents
Steve represents the IOW Branch of the British Cacti & Succulents Society and can sometimes be found selling plants on their behalf at various gardening events across the island.
- February 20th – Claire Margetts: The Gardens of Mottistone
Claire works for the National Trust and is currently the Head Gardener at Mottistone Gardens.
- March 20th – Darren Everest: My Gardening Year
Darren grows sweet peas and dahlias on the Isle of Wight and in 2024 won a prestigious Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
- April 24th – Fiona Boyle: Maintaining Interest in Your Borders
Fiona is a garden designer who has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2026 Society of Garden and Landscape Designers Awards.
- September 18th – Ben Wood: Emma Tennant, Artist & Gardener
Ben Wood is a photographer based in Bembridge. His documentary explores Emma Tennant’s early and ongoing influences and much of it is set within her own garden in Roxburghshire.
- October 16th – AGM – Chris Kidd: Ventnor Botanic Gardens
Chris is the Curator of Ventnor Botanic Gardens and has helped to shape its 27 acres and develop its unique collection of plants.
- November 27th – Mark Earp: Rivers of the Isle of Wight
Mark is an historian with wide-ranging interests and gives fascinating talks about many different aspects of the Isle of Wight.
There will be a Best Bloom competition at each meeting except the AGM and Quiz evenings.
Other Events for 2026
- April 10th – Quiz evening vs St Helens Horticultural Society
- May 16th – Coffee Morning & Plant Sale
- October 17th – Coffee Morning & Plant Sale
- December 4th – Members’ Christmas Social & Quiz Evening
If you have any spare seeds, cuttings, or plants you would like to contribute to our Plant Sales please bring them to the Village Hall between 8.30 am and 10 am on the day of the sale, or contact us in advance if you would like us to arrange collection.
