NEWSLETTER -...
Transcript of NEWSLETTER -...
HOVE GARDENING CLUB
NEWSLETTER
DIARY
Meetings 2017:
July 18 - New, Rare & Unusual Plants at Hilliers - Kevin Hobbs
August 15 - at Portslade Town Hall - Garden-ing with Native Plants - Alan Edmondson
Sept 18 - Gardening for Economists - Guy Deakins
PLEASE NOTE: The date for the AGM is
wrongly shown in the Schedule. The correct date
is 21 November 2017.
ISSUE 34 SUMMER 2017
Newsletter Editors:
Jo Adams, Pat Winter, Marilyn High
Contact Jo at: 69 Wish Road, Hove BN3 4LN.
Tel: 01273 723695 [email protected]
EVENTS
28-29 July - Festival of the Garden at Charles-ton. Talks by well-known speakers, craft demon-strations, plant stall. www.charleston.org.uk/ festivalofthegarden/
The NGS Yellow Book listing Open Gardens in the South-East is avail-able at our meetings. Pick up a copy on a table near the entrance.
htttp://hovegardeningclub.co.uk
Our 15 August meeting will be the first at our
new venue, Portslade Town Hall in Victoria
Road. Opened in 1928, it was originally known as
Ronuk Hall and Welfare Institute, being built for
the Ronuk Polish factory and used as a canteen
during working hours and as a recreational facility
at other times. In 1959 it was purchased by
Portslade Urban District Council and is now
owned by Brighton & Hove Council. The hall is
larger and has good facilities, also an organ, not to
mention a disco ball, plus a mural on one wall, commissioned from local artist
Barrie Huntbach in 1971, for which he was paid the magnificent sum of £15! We
look forward to seeing you there.
THE PLANT SALE this year was, we
think, the best ever. We had many really
good quality plants to sell, some delicious
cakes and Audrey’s wonderful cheese and
potato pie - although not everybody got to
see or taste it, it disappeared so quickly We
made an astonishing £1,424.51.
Thanks to all who grew such wonderful
plants and vegetables and made the cakes
etc., also to those who generously gave up
their time on the Friday night to set up the tables and price the plants, and on the
Saturday when it really is hard work, but also very enjoyable, selling them.
Thanks also go to those who at the end
cleared up the mess and washed the floors.
And lastly, to Viv, for counting out all that
loose change. She must have spent the whole
afternoon making piles of coins and bundles
of notes while the rest of us were able to put
our feet up! As you know, the plant sale is
the main money raiser which enables us to
have such good speakers during the year.
WE’RE ON THE MOVE! GOODBYE GLEBE VILLAS,
HELLO PORTSLADE TOWN HALL
Our last meeting at Glebe Villas Hall will
be in July and, after nearly 60 years in the
same location, we will be sorry to say
goodbye to the old hall, formerly known as
St Leonard’s Hall. This is a copy of an
early photograph of the hall, which was
opened in October 1914, showing trees at
the front and a wooden fence. The land cost
£200 with a building cost of £1,350.
Page 2 ISSUE 34 - SUMMER 2017
Photo Competition for January 2018. Categories for next year are:
Patterns in nature 2. Frost 3. Moss and/or Lichens (Patterns in nature could be clouds, ripples in sand/water, flowers, leaves, trees,
insects, animals - in fact, anything that you think fits the bill.)
Photos are displayed at the January party and members choose the winners. So have your
camera ready and set your imagination free.
Rules: Photos should be no more than 5”x 7” in size and unframed. Please write your
name on the back. Members may each enter only one photo per category.
OUTINGS 2017:
OSBORNE HOUSE, I.o.W. - Tuesday 4th July - there are still some places left on the
coach if you would like to join us for what will be another interesting day out.
Cost members £34.00, members with English Heritage m/ship £22.00
Non-HGC members £36.00, non HGC members with English Heritage m/ship £24.00
This includes coach, ferry, entrance to Osborne House and driver's tip.
KEW GARDENS - Wednesday 13th September, leave Glebe Villas 9.30am
Cost HGC members £24.00. with Kew/Wakehurst membership £12.00.
Non-HGC members £26.00, non-HGC member with Kew/Wakehurst membership £14.00
Bookings taken at meetings with deposit, or contact Viv Shearer or Marion King - contact details on p.4.
THE FAVERSHAM AND BROGDALE TRIP was another enjoyable day.
After a late start, due to a wrong coach being supplied to Peter, our driver, we drove
up the M23/M25 and M20 and got to Faversham in time for coffee. The town itself
is fairly small but very interesting with lots of history and plenty of blue plaques
indicating various happenings in the town during the past. There was an intriguing
tree stump which on closer examination had a carving of the old entrance to the
Inner Abbey before being demolished in 1771. The street market was there, with
lots of stalls, including one selling old garden tools.
After lunch, we clambered back on the coach for a short
drive to Brogdale where we split into two groups for the
very bumpy tractor ride round the fruit collection.
Unfortunately some of the cherry and apple blossom had
finished but what we did see was wonderful including the
lovely quince blossom. Whilst one group was enjoying the
ride with Ted, the guide, the other group went in to see the
exhibition of Japanese Hanami - the celebration of cherry
blossom much revered by the people of Japan. We even
had the opportunity of trying on kimonos and tasting some
very strange nibbles and one or two tried their hand at calligraphy and origami.
Does Your Grass Need Cutting? As well as the tools kindly donated by Yvonne Lutley’s daughter,
she also gave us this Black & Decker Hovermaster, GX530C/12"
cut. Marion tried it out recently in her garden and it is in working
order. It was last serviced in 2014.
If you would like it, please make us an offer by 30 June. All offers
considered - Marion would really like her garage space back.
([email protected]./ 01273 452435).
htttp://hovegardeningclub.co.uk
Chrissie Hogarth
in kimono
Page 3 ISSUE 34 - SUMMER 2017
htttp://hovegardeningclub.co.uk
MY RETURN TO CHELSEA 2017 In May I enjoyed a return visit to Chelsea, the greatest
flower show on earth, on a blisteringly hot and jam-
packed opening day for the general public.
The M&G Garden, inspired by a Maltese quarry, was
Best Large Show Garden, but to me an installation, not a
garden. The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden was
picturesque, but more a landscape than a garden. Chris
Beardshaw’s Morgan Stanley Garden was my favourite;
a REAL garden, and the planting was amazing.
The Best garden in
the Fresh category
highlighted the
importance of
greening inner city
spaces. In the
Artisan section, the
‘No Wall, No War’
Japanese garden
was easily my
favourite, reviving
happy memories of my recent Japan trip.
Nigel Dunnett invited me to enter the RHS Greening
Grey Britain Garden. Promoting wildlife and
biodiversity was central to the garden’s design, with
good ideas to help us adapt to climate change.
Five interesting and accessible Feel-Good Gardens
celebrated fifty years of BBC Radio 2 and I particularly
liked the Anneka Rice/Sarah Raven Cutting Garden with
its profusion of colourful blooms. The Chris Evans/Mary
Berry Taste
Garden was an
inspiration to
vegetable
growers; with
the RHS Plant of
the Year – the
dwarf mulberry,
Charlotte Russe,
which fruits
from May till
September.
Our club has links to three Gold Medal winners.
Waterside Nursery (near Leicester) spoke to us a few
years ago on aquatic gardening. Also outstanding was
the stand of one of our most popular speakers, Rose
Hardy (Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants). It featured the
impressive bee-friendly Geum, Totally Tangerine. And
Kevin Hobbs of Hillier’s will talk to us about New, Rare
and Unusual Plants at our July meeting.
In a big change this year, some stands sold small plants
direct to the public: I bought two Abutilon and two
Astroemeria. Fingers crossed they’ll thrive in Hove!
Inspired by my day at Chelsea, I now settle back to
reality and try to get my little garden in order! Chris Redknap
FOUR GET LOST IN DEEPEST SUSSEX - WELL, RINGMER ACTUALLY
Four enthusiastic green and organic members of HGC, Sue and David, Sheila and I, decided to go to
Monday's outing at Ringmer Park Gardens by bus. Meeting at Churchill Square with our bus passes, we
boarded the 29b, saving fuel and money and also reducing global warming. Only 34 stops on the way....
We hopped off at, hopefully, the correct bus stop near Ringmer and had expected to walk a bit. We looked
out for a 'Ringmer Park' sign. Nothing. Undeterred, we saw a sign to the Cock Inn and decided to ask the
way there. A lovely pub, but the barmaid had never heard of 'Ringmer Gardens'. We were tempted to stay
and forget the garden, but a local customer offered to help and show us the way. He thought he knew
roughly where it was and kindly offered to drive us in his white van. We climbed into the back and knelt
uncomfortably on the floor, probably normally used to transport pigs.
He dropped us off close to where we had started! My smartphone's Google Maps
App didn't recognise Ringmer Park, then the phone went flat. We knocked on two
local cottages, asked the way and were shown a country lane and given good
directions. We had to travel through a farm, over a new barn hardcore base, across
a field, then over a metal gate. To our surprise and delight we were arrived just
on time and saw many Garden Club cars in the road outside Ringmer Park
Gardens.
We enjoyed tea , coffee and cakes in an open marquee in the garden. The owner
gave us an interesting talk about the gardens, then took us on a fascinating tour. A
lovely garden, well worth a visit.
We left and walked down the lane to the main road, soon flagged down a 28 bus
to its Lewes depot, transferred immediately to the 29 Brighton bus and were home
in no time at all, probably beating all the cars! However next time we will be driving!
HOVE
GARDENING
CLUB
PRESIDENT: CHRIS THORNTON-CLOUGH VICE-PRESIDENTS: ANN NORMAN, CAROL FITZGERALD
CHAIR: MARION KING TREASURER: VIVIENNE SHEARER
SECRETARY/NEWSLETTER: PAT WINTER
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: PAT MORRIS
VICE CHAIR/NEWSLETTER: JO ADAMS
RAFFLE: JOYCE GOBLE
REFRESHMENTS/NEWSLETTER: MARILYN HIGH
DEPUTY MEMBERSHIP SEC: JACKY HOLT
SPEAKERS/DEP.SEC./SWAP TABLE: TESSA LINDOP
CAROL FITZGERALD (CO-OPTED)
WEBSITE: hovegardeningclub.co.uk
MEETINGS
THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH
7.30 PM (DOORS OPEN FROM 6.45 PM) JULY 2017 - GLEBE VILLAS HALL
AUGUST ONWARDS: PORTSLADE TOWN HALL _________________________________________
COMPETITION ENTRIES MUST BE IN PLACE BY
7.00PM
ISSUE 34 - SUMMER 2017 Page 4
SPEAKERS’ CORNER Notes by Marilyn High
Irene Eltringham-Wilson (Through the
Garden Gate - March) says "The five
essentials to do before opening your garden to
the public are :
1) Mow lawn 2) Cut lawn edges 3) Sweep paths
4) Last minute speed-weeding 5) Clean the toilet.”
Open Garden owners can order Caution signs to
display in areas with Health & Safety hazards. For
example: Deep Water could mean Swimming Pool!
Ruth Urbanowicz ("Why be Organic - April) says
Organic plants are more robust and shrug off pests
and diseases.
Mulching suppresses weeds and nourishes soil
life and plants.
Stop using Growmore and instead try liquid
seaweed, seaweed meal, pelleted chicken
manure or Blood, Fish and Bone.
Dilute liquid seaweed can be used as a foliar
feed.
Encourage ladybirds and their larvae, lacewings
and hoverflies. Interplant cabbages with beans to
discourage cabbage white butterflies.
Don't forget, the 'ANY QUESTIONS' box will be
on the exhibit table each month and questions will
be read out after the talk, in the hope that somebody
will know the answer. If not, we will endeavour to
find out for the next meeting.
PLANT SUPPORT SYSTEM SEEN AT
RINGMER PARK
Simple but effective - bean type netting with large
square mesh stretched between sticks at the corners
of the bed. The plants grow up through the
netting, which provides unobtrusive support.
This is dark green netting.
THE RSPB BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH results are in! Marilyn High
Between 28-30th January, UK residents were asked to choose one hour on any one of
the three days in which to count the maximum number of each bird species seen at any
one time in their garden or local park. The Top Ten sightings were:
1. House Sparrow 2. Starling 3. Blackbird 4. Blue Tit 5. Woodpigeon
6.Goldfinch 7. Robin 8.Great Tit 9. Chaffinch 10. Long-tailed Tit
The biggest population increase in bird species was the Goldfinch, up 44% in the last 10 years. Greatest
decrease in population were Starlings, down 79% since 2007. The Starling is now a "red listed" bird,
though they still swoop in great numbers around the West Pier at sunset. (And around my bird feeder if I
put mealworms out! Jo)