The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon

 

Interest Groups

The Hardy Plant Society has grown from a few dozen members who met in each others homes in 1985 to more than 1,500 members today.

Although the lectures, annual meeting, plant sales and other activities of general membership are well-attended and eagerly anticipated, many members want to get together with other local gardeners more frequently and in a more intimate way. To meet this need, members of the HPSO have formed several smaller study or interest groups.

These groups typically have 20 to 40 members, all of whom must be HPSO members, who are either interested in a particular gardening subject or who live in proximity of one another, facilitating getting together.

Several regional and special interest groups are currently active:

  • Clark County Interest Group, meets on the second Wednesdays in the evening.


  • Gresham Interest Group, also meets on the second Wednesday in members homes, but during the day.


  • Oregon City Study Group, holds their meetings on the third Thursday in the evening. They also have two plant exchanges annually, nursery trips and a winter potluck.


  • Columbia County Study Group meets in members homes also. Meetings vary, and are frequently held on weekend afternoons.


  • Two Rivers Study Group meets in members homes on the second Thursday of each month in the afternoons. They take many field trips to nurseries and other points of interest.


  • Eastside Study Group(aka The Dirty Girls), Westside Group, and Southwest Group are all regional groups active in the self-named areas.

    Our Special Interest Groups include

  • Bloomin' Purls, a group that combines gardeners and needlework. They meet on the first Tuesday of the month in the early evening at member's homes or needlework-related stores.


  • Roots and Shoots is a plant propagation interest group. They meet on an unspecified schedule, usually in the afternoon, at members homes or points of interest to propagators.


  • The Kitchen Gardening Group is focused on edible landscaping, and sharing food and recipes from their bountiful gardens. They meet on the 4th Tuesday at 7pm at members homes, typically rotating from Eastside to Westside.


  • HPSO Walkers meet on the fourth Thursday in the morning for a four mile hike. Dogs are welcome. The walks alternate monthly between hilly and flat terrain.

  • Healing and Therapy Group meets during the day, mainly in the winter months. Their garden visits, group discussions and speakers focus on healing, memorial and therapy gardens.

  • Gardening in the Golden Years Group focuses on garden visits, adaptive techniques and tools, and design for the over sixty active gardener.

  • The Modern and Contemporary Group seeks to study the leading edge of garden design. They are currently on hiatus.

    All groups are open to new members.

    If you would like to join an existing group, or would like to start a new group, please contact the office. We'd be glad to help you get connected.

    Copyright © 1998-2008 The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon.
    All rights reserved
    Last modified: December 7, 2009