Wednesday, 25 Nov 2026, 6:00 pm
Philippe de Spoelberch will discuss seven main species of Stewartia in cultivation in temperate gardens, along with selected subspecies and varieties.
The collection of Stewartia at Arboretum Wespelaar started with a shipment of cutting material from the Polly Hill Arboretum in Martha's Vineyard during the 1990s. This was highly successful and these cuttings, with seedlings from the Arnold Arboretum, constitute the base of the collection. Of 320 accessions introduced over the last 40 years, some 200 are alive. Floral displays may be discrete but bark and autumn colours are truly spectacular.
Stewartia sinensis at Trewithen, Cornwall (2008)
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IDS Webinar series:
This is one of a series of webinars to be run fortnightly, on Wednesday evenings at 18:00 hrs UK over Autumn/Winter months 2026- 2027. Members and Guests are invited to join the presentations live.
A recording will be available on our open website for a short period following. Our library of lectures is available to all Members of the Society.
Whilst no charge is made to view, we ask you to make a small donation to the IDS Education Fund, which supports our bursary (enabling young dendrologists to join our tours) as well as our expanding educational plans.
Wednesday, 9 Dec 2026, 6:00 pm
Lawrence Weston, Director of Clent Hills Orchards, will share his discoveries about wild populations of apple, plum and walnut in Central Asia. He will highlight the history of fruit domestication along the Silk Road, the importance of genetic diversity in these species, and the ongoing conservation challenges.
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IDS Webinar series:
This is one of a series of webinars to be run fortnightly, on Wednesday evenings at 18:00 hrs UK over Autumn/Winter months 2026- 2027. Members and Guests are invited to join the presentations live.
A recording will be available on our open website for a short period following. Our library of lectures is available to all Members of the Society.
Whilst no charge is made to view, we ask you to make a small donation to the IDS Education Fund, which supports our bursary (enabling young dendrologists to join our tours) as well as our expanding educational plans.
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2027, 6:00 pm
Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK
Guest Speaker - Dr. Henrik Sjöman
"To address the challenges posed by climate change and increasing global urbanisation, a city’s green infrastructure has proven to be crucial, with trees playing a vital role in delivering a wide variety of ecosystem services. This means that the trees we plant today must not only be able to withstand sometimes very challenging growing conditions, but also provide this very diversity of ecosystem services. We therefore need to change our perspective on trees and their use and instead develop a deeper understanding of the biological strategies trees have developed in their natural environments, their unique characteristics for competing for resources and space, and how they have adapted to specific climates."
This presentation will showcase Dr Henrik Sjöman's 20 years' experience of research into trees and their use in a future climate. Drawing on field studies conducted in China, the Caucasus, Serbia, the United States, Azerbaijan, and other locations, Dr Sjöman will discuss the several different tree species and genetic types that have been identified as having a high potential to beautify our parks and gardens for many years to come.
Dr Henrik Sjöman is an Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanic Garden, and Honoree Research Associate at Royal Botanic Garden Kew. His work focuses on developing knowledge of plant use for urban environments. This involves evaluations on plants in their natural habitats, botanic collections, and within the cityscape, which helps develop evidence and guidance on plant use within the urban environment.
In addition to numerous academic papers, Dr Sjöman has co-authored Träd i Urbana Landskap (Trees in the Urban Landscape, Sjöman and Slagstedt, 2015); the professional guidance Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure (Hirons and Sjöman, 2019); and The Essential Tree Selection Guide (Sjöman and Anderson, 2023).
He is also a trained landscape architect and has been involved in several major projects in the development of public green spaces, including the City of Stockholm's largest park project in over 100 years - Kristineberg Urban Park - and the award-winning development of Eslöv City Square in southern Sweden.
23 Mar 2027
Tangier, Morocco
23 March to 31 March 2027
Organised by Greentours
Coordinated by Marie Christine de Laubarède
Applications to Marie Christine de Laubarède
Email: mail@mclgardendesign.com
Four places remaining
Tour details HERE
22 Apr 2027
Downpatrick, UK
22 April to 25 April 2027
Organised by Suzie Scott
Applications to Suzie Scott
Email: suzie@woburnlodge.com
Tour details HERE
25 Apr 2027
Inveraray PA32, UK
25 April to 30 April 2027
Organised by Robert Bland
Assisted by Tom Christian
Applications to Robert Bland
Tour details HERE
3 May 2027
Jersey
3 May to 7 May 2027
Organised by Anna Bradstock
Coordinated by Anthony Dessain
Applications to Anna Bradstock
Tour details HERE
10 May 2027
Dorchester DT2, UK
10 May to 15 May 2027
Organised by Monique Gudgeon
Applications to Monique Gudgeon
Email: mo@sculpturebythelakes.co.uk
The tour is now full, with a waiting list
Tour details HERE
19 May 2027
The Savill Garden, Wick Ln, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0UJ, UK
23 May 2027
Berlin, Germany
23 May to 30 May 2027
Organised by Charles Aldington
Applications to Charles Aldington
Email: ca@aldingtonlow.com
Tour details HERE
21 Jun 2027
Arusha, Tanzania
21 June to 4 July 2027
Organised by Dr John Grimshaw
Coordinated by Marie-Christine de Laubarède
Applications to Marie-Christine de Laubarède
Email: mail@mclgardendesign.com
The tour is now full, with a waiting list
Tour details HERE
14 Sep 2027
Victoria, Australia
14 September to 4 October 2027
Post-tour: 28 September to 4 October, optional
Organised by Greentours
Assisted by Simon Grant, IDS VP for Australia
Coordinated by Marie-Christine de Laubarède
Applications to Marie-Christine de Laubarède
Email: mail@mclgardendesign.com
Tour details HERE
23 Sep 2027
Melrose TD6, UK
23 September to 26 September 2027
Organised by Jenny Litherland
Applications to Jenny Litherland
Email: litherland@laidlawstiel.com
Tour details HERE
14 Oct 2027
Farnham, UK
14 October to 17 October 2027
Organised by Sarah Webster
Applications to Sarah Webster
Tour details HERE
Members only event
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