Affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society
Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7.45pm Upper Clatford Village Hall
Newsletter No 52April 2012
Dear Member
I hope you agree that recent speakers have been excellent and you will be delighted to hear that we have already booked Andy McIndoe for another talk on a different subject for next year.
The visit to Andy's garden on 7th June should be a real treat and the cost of £7.00 includes a glass of wine or a soft drink and nibbles. He can only take 40 of us and so we have to book it on a first come first served basis. Booking form is attached to this newsletter.
Please can everyone meet at the village hall, even those with full cars, so that we are not left wondering if people have forgotten which delayed us last time. We can then car share, as before. We shall leave the hall at 6.00 to arrive at 6.45 at the garden. For those using satnav, the full address is: Sandhill Farm, Newtown Road, Sherfield English, Romsey, SO51 6JY.
I do hope you are all thinking about plants to bring for our stall at the May Fayre - it is a really important money-raiser for the village and so do, please give it your usual support with lots of plants for us to sell. Also, we need more volunteers to help out on the day and hope you will put your names down at the next meeting.
We shall also have a smaller stand at the Jubilee celebration on 4th June and, a month later, we hope you may have some different plants for us to sell, such as squash, cucumbers, aubergine, chilli peppers, etc. We shall confirm delivery time for plants later.
The outing on 9th May is sold out and we have a waiting list. Kevin gives all the details for the day below. If, by any chance, you find that, having booked, you cannot come, do let us know asap so that someone can take your place.
It seems miles away,but the Barbecue is on 15th July at Malt Barn and booking form is enclosed. We have been able to keep the cost to the same as last year - £8.00 for members and £10.00 for guests. Usual time - 12.30 for 1.00.
As I mentioned at the last meeting, we feel that the Newsletter needs up-dating and will be looking at it soon. We shall discontinue 'My Garden in...... ' but really would appreciate your ideas and so do, please, call me or Annie Curtis with your thoughts.'
Best wishes, Lynda
Outing to Greys Court: May 9th 2012
The coach is now fully booked, but if you would like to go on a waiting list please let Mavis Niblett know. The coach will leave the Upper Clatford village hall promptly at 9.30 am, and we expect to arrive at Greys Court by 11.00 am. Time then to have a coffee and a first look at the garden. Entrance to the house is on a timed ticket, and we have been allocated tickets at 1.30 pm for half of our party and 1.45 pm for the other half. You will probably want to have your lunch (which has been pre-ordered for those who have ordered lunch, but no reserved seating) before your house tour, which will take about one and a half hours. You should have time then for another walk in the garden and a cup of tea before the coach leaves at 4.00 pm.
If you are a National Trust member please remember to have your membership card with you.
So we look forward to a delightful day out. Fingers crossed for the weather.
Barbeque
We will be holding our annual barbeque on Sunday15th July(12.30 for 1pm)
If you would like to attend please complete the booking form attached to this newsletter and bring it, with your cheque made payable to Clatford Valley Gardening Club, to the April meeting. If you are unable to attend the April meeting you can give your booking form and payment toMavis Niblett (357668)
We will be passing around a list of salads etc at the April meeting so that everyone can make a contribution to the day.
If you are paying for both the barbeque and outing to Andy McIndoe’s by cheque please could you use a separate cheque for each – thank you.
Tea Rota / Chair RotaApril / 1. Judy Marr
2. Helen Freeman
3. Sheila Hudson
4. Mary Mussert / Frank Bardsley
May / 1. Sylvia Kennedy
2. Cynthia Williams
3.Betty Armstrong / Lesley Heslop
June / 1. Deborah Milles
2. Val Combes
John Tradescant the elder.
John Tradescant the elder was born in the 1570’s and became a great gardener, traveller and collector. During his career he was gardener at Hatfield House, Salisbury House in London, New Hall Essex, and at OatlandsPalace in Surrey. In this latter position he was employed by Charles I to be keeper of his Majesty’s gardens, vines and silkworms.
He first started his travels when he was sent by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury to the Low Countries for fruit trees in 1610. On all his trips he collected seeds and bulbs everywhere and also strange objects which he housed in a large house in Lambeth called ‘The Ark”. It became the first museum to open to the public in Britain when it changed its name to the Musaeum Tradescantianum. His son followed in his footsteps as a gardener and collector, and together they introduced many plants into English gardens which are still used to-day, such as the Magnolias, phlox and asters. Tradescantia is of course named after him. Both he and his son were buried in the churchyard of St-Mary-at-Lambeth, and the churchyard, which has been converted into a seventeenth century knot garden is now part of the GardenMuseum (originally the Museum of Garden History). The museum is on Lambeth Palace Road (just over LambethBridge) and is open daily 10.30 am to 5 pm. Have a look at their website
Tradescant built up a considerable library and this, together with his museum he bequeathed to Elias Ashmole and it can still be seen largely intact in the AshmoleanMuseum in Oxford.
Jenny
The Show
Sowing and planting time is upon us once again and we should now be turning our thoughts to" Growing for the Show" The semi professionals amongst you will already be "at it", but for those of you who are slow to wake up to the urges of spring planting and have limited resources and space, help is at hand. The garden centres are stocked to the gunnels with Tubs, Pots, Bags, troughs and all manner of things to help you grow plants on your patio. Cloches, frames and fleece abound to protect your young plants and the plants themselves will soon be stacked high.
Potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to be grown in containers and they should be planted immediately. Hopefully, by now you will have picked up some tubers at the March meeting, so find yourself a large pot ( no more than 14ins in diameter), and plant one up for " The Big Potato Weigh In " at the Show. I'm looking for a record entry this year.
A wide range of plants will be on sale at our plant stall at the May Fayre a s usual and we will also be having a plants stall featuring more tender plants at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on the June bank holiday Monday. We will be pleased to accept any of your surplus plants to sell at these events- just bring them along on the day.
The Schedule for the Show is enclosed with this newsletter so take a good look at it and see what you could grow for the show this year. Entry forms will follow in the July newsletter.
I think that this will be make or break year for the children’s entries. Our main supporting family has moved away from the area, but we are doing all we can to make contact with the children and young parents in the villages and encourage them to enter. Could you all do the same and if you have grandchildren locally, please encourage them to enter. I think there is something for all ages in the Schedule and we should be encouraging them to get off their X Boxes and into the garden to give them a useful skill and a HOBBY THAT WILL LAST THEM A LIFETIME.
The Show this year is on August 18th, so come on - give it a go- get planting NOW.
Happy Gardening, Brian Stuart
SNOWDROPS – A DIARY DATE FOR NEXT YEAR
If you haven’t been this year, do try and go next February to see the fantastic display of snowdrops at WelfordPark near Newbury. There are literally thousands of snowdrops throughout the seven acres of beech wood in what is probably the biggest mass of snowdrops anywhere in Britain. The River Lambourn wends its way through the garden past the beautiful Queen Anne house (not open to the public) which is the home of the Puxley family who open the grounds every February. WelfordPark was originally the site of a Norman Benedictine Monastery and many of the snowdrops are thought to have been planted in the Middle Ages by the monks who used them to decorate the nearby church of St Gregory for the Feast of Candlemas and also for medicinal purposes – snowdrop essence is good for headaches. For information see the website welfordpark.co.uk.
Carolyn Hallinger
My Garden in Spring
We moved to Hampshire in 1988. We bought a new house with a big "Garden " which had been farmland - no trees, no lawns just bare earth and a goodly selection of thistles, dandelions and chickweed. But , time, relative youth and the love of gardening have made a big difference and the garden has given Ray and I much pleasure over the years - we even won a prize for shrubs in the Abbotts Ann gardening competition one year.
Spring in my garden happens pretty well on its own, due to my age and lack of agility and energy!! You will gather that I belong to the retired elderly group and tasks like weeding pruning digging etc do not come easily to me. The spirit is very willing, but the flesh is weak. I have no horticultural training, but have years of experience in making mistakes and learning from them and of course picking up tips from the excellent speakers at the gardening club.
I love the spring season when the garden wakes up and begins to show encouraging signs of new growth and the promise of lovely colours to come. There are the cheerful yellow daffodils and the forsythia, the white and gold narcissi, the delicate primroses, the early blossoms on the spirea, apricots and peaches- and so many other species to delight the eye.
It's a real treat to see what’s happening on my daily exploration round the garden- in fine weather of course!- to see the fattening buds on the clematis and the sturdy stems of the tulips. You may find the plants that you put in the previous autumn have survived and are pushing through despite the frost and snow of the winter- tender shoots so far untouched by slugs and snails, but judging by the number of empty snail shells about, the thrushes and blackbirds have been busy.
The lawns have some moss in them- more work to be done-but the grass is growing and looking good and will need a cut soon. Best of all though is the fact that the sun is shining and there is warmth in air already and we will be able take our books and a glass of something refreshing into the garden and watch things burst into new life- wonderful!
Mary Whittle
Web Site
Remember the Gardening Club has a website – the address is :-
You will find reminders of meetings, the latest as well as all the past newletters, lots of tips and ideas etc. There is also a section of members photographs – if you have any interesting photos of flowers, vegetables etc please send them to the webmistress.
If you have any suggestions for the newsletter or would like to submit an article you can e-mail it to me at or hand it to me at any meeting. Also, if you would like to change from e-mail to hard copy or from hard copy to e-mail just let me or any committee member know.
CLATFORDVALLEY GARDENING CLUB
BOOKING FORM
Name ……………………………………………………………………….
Tel. Number…………………………………………………………….
I/we would like to book the following event:
Date / Event / Cost / No. of members / No. of Guests / Cheque enclosed15th July / BBQ / Members £8
Guests £10
Please bring this booking form and cheque for the appropriate amount to the April meeting or give toMavis Niblett (357668)
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CLATFORDVALLEY GARDENING CLUB
BOOKING FORM
Name ……………………………………………………………………….
Tel. Number…………………………………………………………….
I/we would like to book the following event:
Date / Event / Cost / No. of members / Cheque enclosed7th June / Andy McIndoe’s garden / £7.00
Please bring this booking form and cheque for the appropriate amount to the April meeting or give toMavis Niblett (357668)
ANNUAL PRODUCE SHOW.
Growing vegetables in containers
The following might be useful if you are thinking of growing something for the show.
Pots should be at least 18 inches in diameter and preferably plastic as terracotta pots dry out too quickly. Specially designed sacks for growing vegetables in are readily available at Garden Centres or DIY stores or via the garden press or newspapers. A multi-purpose compost or good sieved soil should be used or a mixture of both. Most garden outlets sell compost specifically formulated for vegetables .
Vegetables suitable for growing in pots
Potatoes - Plant immediately. Plant 3 tubers halfway down the biggest pot you can find and cover with compost. As the plants grow, add more compost until a couple of inches from the top to allow for watering. Do not spray as the water will run off. Feed with a liquid fertiliser once a week after plants are fully grown. Protect from frost.
Carrots –Sow April /May. Sow directly into the pot and cover with compost. Sow thinly and cover the pot with glass or polythene to aid germination. When the plants are 2 inches tall, thin to 1 inch apart and discard thinnings to avoid attracting carrot fly. Water regularly and feed weekly in the latter stages. When the plants are fully grown, thin again to 3 inches apart.
Parsnips –Sow immediately. Treat as carrots but thin to 6 inches to allow the plants to grow straight and true.
Beetroot –Sow April / May. Treat as above.
Courgettes – Sow May. Sow seeds individually in 3 inch pots and place in a sheltered spot or cold frame. When the plants are 6 inches high and when all risk of frost has passed, plant out singly in a large pot and treat as other vegetables. Pick when 4-6 inches long. The more you pick them the more they will grow. Watch out for slugs and snails. Keep off the ground if possible.
Climbing or Dwarf French Beans – Sow April / May. Treat as for courgettes in the early stages, then plant 3 in a large pot with three 4ft canes for them to climb up. When the plants are mature, the pot will be top heavy so use soil rather than compost to add weight to avoid the pot blowing over. Place in a sheltered spot and water and feed as above. Pick regularly or they will stop producing and be finished before the Show! The more you pick, the more they will produce.
Tomatoes – Buy a plant at the May Fayre and plant in a large pot or Growbag. Place in a sheltered spot and support with a strong cane. Tie in as it grows and pick out the side shoots as they grow (not the flowering shoots or you won’t get any fruit). Water and feed as above.
If you don’t want to grow them from seed, young plants will be available at the club’s April meeting and of course at the May Fayre at Upper Clatford on Bank Holiday Monday from 2 p.m.
Do’s and Don’ts
DO / DON’TMake sure pots have drainage holes / Place pots in full sun
Give some shelter from the wind / Forget where you put them
Water regularly / Spray water on them
Water at the roots / Over water
Feed weekly / Ignore slugs, snails and caterpillars
Watch out for slugs and snails / Worry
Give some TLC / Forget the Show!
Why not put a pot or planter on your patio this year and……. GROW SOMETHING FOR THE SHOW!