Gloucestershire Federation
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Congratulations to. . . . .

Ebrington & District Gardening Club

Ebrington & District Gardening Club won a RHS Gold Medal with its exhibit "The Good Life" in the Inspiring Spaces Class at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2010.

This is the second year in succession that the Club has won gold in this class (and last year the Club also won Best in Class) and is a stunning result for a small village Club situated near Chipping Campden in the North Cotswolds.

The exhibit was designed by Club Member, Liz Hale and was grown and presented by Club Members, Barry and Sally Sabin with help from other Club Members.

The Inspiring Spaces Class provides ideas on how to brighten up small and difficult areas such as a patio, front garden or balcony.

Interest and inspiration have been created through the art of container and companion planting in a space of only 4 sq m. These displays feature a wide variety of themes, with something for every gardener. Displays have been created by RHS Affiliated Societies, Professional Organisations and Garden Centres.

Panels of selected RHS judges - all experts in their field - complete the judging. All exhibits are judged using standard criteria - they are not judged against each other.

Ebrington & District Gardening Club is a very active and thriving Club which is affiliated to the RHS and NVS. It offers a varied programme of garden visits and talks on garden related topics as well as holding Spring and Summer Shows.

Annual membership is £5.00 per person and this also entitles you to discounts on Dobies seeds and with local garden centres.

The membership secretary is Tony Boyse, telephone 01386 593 302.

New members are very welcome and Members' visitors are also welcome to attend any of the Visits or Events.

Tony Boyse

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Mickleton Young Gardeners

Mr. Reed, G.F.G.S. Treasurer, recently received a letter of appreciation from Mr. Barry Metcalfe, for the financial support provided for this gardening project. The money has been put towards the purchase of two 1,000 litre storage containers. Twenty five young people with their parents are attending weekly.

The age range is 4-15 which makes each week a challenge to provide a suitable range of Activities. The young people who have been members for three years are now quite capable of working independently when given a task.

The Project now rents two allotments which will, hopefully, provide produce for both the seventeen families involved and also a surplus to sell to raise funds for seed, fertilizer, tools and general equipment.

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Members who attended the A.G.M. in May will remember viewing the presentation of the youngsters at work and of their well earned prizes at the local Show.

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WINTERBOURNE DOWN & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

50TH ANNIVERSARY

This year marks a very special milestone in the history of the Society. It has been very interesting to research the archives in order to prepare this report in celebration of 50 years of the WDHS.

The History

The Winterbourne Chrysanthemum Society was disbanded during the war as people were growing vegetables to feed themselves instead of growing chrysanthemums for showing. When the Society was disbanded there was a certain amount of funds and various trophies in existence.

After the war many new houses were built in the area. A few of the original members of the Chrysanthemum Society decided to start a Horticultural Society for existing residents and the many newcomers who wanted to know how to tend their new gardens, bearing in mind that at that time there were no nurseries, no garden centres and very few market gardens making it difficult to get supplies. An Open Meeting was held to gauge the interest and from that Meeting a Committee was formed. The first Committee Meeting was held on 23 September 1960 and so the Winterbourne Down & District Horticultural Society was born.

Records show that the society was "formed for the assistance of gardeners" by:

• Lectures by horticultural experts.
• Visits to trial grounds and specialist growers.
• Collective purchase at discount rates of tools, seeds, bulbs, fertilizers, peat & other sundries.
• Trade introductions by means of the Membership Card for individual purchase of garden requirements at certain Bristol firms.
• Organizing an Annual Flower Show & a collective Exhibit at the Bristol Flower Show.

There was to be an annual subscription of 2/6d peer household, membership being free for OAPs. Membership at that time numbered 71 with a note stating that "it was agreed that this number would increase". That prediction proved to be accurate as Membership today totals 365. From the outset the Society was linked to RHS and used their logo on Club stationery. The funds remaining when the Chrysanthemum Society disbanded were used to finance the setting up of the new Horticultural Society. The trophies were also handed over and are still being awarded today.

The Society flourished with lectures, visits and trading. After only 3 years in existence the WDHS was host to Gardeners' Question Time who recorded with the Society in 1963. (At the moment we are on the waiting list for a further possible recording with GQT.)

Over the years the Society has continued to uphold the original aims. Although there was a dip in support during the mid 70s, Membership at present continues to grow.

But what of the Society today?

I am pleased to report that the Society is thriving. We are still mindful of the original aims and enjoy monthly Meetings with a variety of Speakers and topics. We organize several coach trips each year to gardens and special events. We are also fortunate enough to have annual holidays that have seen us travel far and wide. Our trading is till in existence and offers Members horticultural equipment and supplies. This provides valuable income for the Society.

Our planned celebrations will include a special anniversary cake which will be cut at our 50th A.G.M. in February. To commemorate our Golden Anniversary in the wider community we have agreed to provide permanent Flower Troughs to enhance our local area. We have organized our usual trips but this year have tried to incorporate a 60s theme and it promises to be a lively occasion.

Although we are in the south of the County, the WDHS has been pleased to be affiliated to the Gloucestershire Federation of Gardening societies.

Finally, we thank the members of our community who had the foresight to set up and run a horticultural society and also thank all who have continued along the way to make it the success it is today.

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Jottings from Hawkesbury.........

Victoria Logue demonstrated the various ways of propagating plants. She noted that you don't have to sow EVERY seed in the packet. Victoria said there is no need to worry about planting root cuttings the right way up - just lay them horizontally in the compost - they'll soon sort out which way is up - they've been doing it for millions of years without any help from us!

And to cap it all, Victoria said that if a plant is not doing well or is in the wrong place it is OK to get rid of it by putting it in the compost bin or shredding it - it's not murder, she said, you are allowed to do it!

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George Alway on Hanging Baskets and Patio Tubs demonstrating his methods and liners available. My blood ran cold when he suggested that you could use an old, full-of-holes, baggy, long past its OK-to-be-worn-in-public, cardigan! Crikey! I've got a draw full of those - I was wearing one that evening!

Next up was a used margarine container which he put in the bottom of the basket to make a water reservoir. Obvious when you think about it, but who of us does? George warned not to use too much of that expanding crystal gel stuff - it's so easy to overdo and end up with your plants pushed out of the compost when it rains, like hatchlings when the cuckoo has been to call.

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Sue Smith & Sue Dodd talked about Wild Flowers of the Cotswolds. Their entertaining double act was infectious and made good sense for carrying out more research on our wild flowers and their medicinal properties. It used to be thought that Celandine was good for wrinkles - simply rub the plant into your wrinkles and sand if off when dry for a lovely finish - a coat of varnish afterwards will help to keep it in place! Dandelion, from the French 'dent-de-lion' (lion's tooth) is a diuretic - no wonder I'm up all night after drinking dandelion wine. White nettle soup tastes like boiled knickers water - has anyone tasted boiled knickers water? The mind boggles!

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Christine Stapley introduced us to 'Herbs to aid the Gardener' - nettle stings reduce rheumatic pain; juniper berry juice keeps cats away; peppermint oil deters ants; house leek juice relieves ant bites; borage flower cordial fights depression - and makes men 'merry'! Oh, and Christine told us of a unique way to keep plants free from slug damage - put your plant pots on the roof! No slugs up there.

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PLANT OF THE MONTH: HEMEROCALLIS/LILIES

Quite a challenge to draw! This rather messy drawing reflects the growing habit of the Day Lilies, a genus of hardy herbaceous perennials, natives of China, Japan and one from East Siberia. They were discovered in mountainside meadows where the strap leaves, 3 feet high or more, flop around in an unmanageable mass. For those of us with small gardens it often seems crazy to have planted two close together. However, the tawny red with apricot central rib and throat of one contrasts beautifully with the pale lemon-white chiffony-petalled flower with deep lemon throat of the other.

We know the star-shaped flowers last one day only but there are many fat buds on branching stems to follow. Many cultivars have been bred with a wide range of flower type and colour, usually in the yellow to red range with very exciting variations, even lavender shades I read. Some are slightly fragrant, some are sharply defined, lily like. Some are soft and blousy. They all require good, well-drained soil, sun or partial shade. Between October and April you can divide and replant the roots - so that's a job for us this Autumn.

Acknowledgements: Clifton Garden Society

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ST CHRISTOPHER'S GARDENING CLUB, CHELTENHAM

ANALAMETIC SUNDIAL & SHRUBBERY PROJECTS

SUNDIAL

A 'Community Project' supported by grants from Cheltenham Borough Council and the Parish Council. Fifty-eight pupils from all years at Warden Hill Junior School, St Christopher's Church and St Christopher's Gardening Club have all worked together to make it happen.

Depicting a Bow and Arrow, it is sited in the grass area of the church grounds and is accessible for the general public to view and use.

The fifty eight pupils made, decorated, fired and glazed ceramic tiles which are set in the ground, numbered ones for the hours of the day and rectangular ones to make the shape of the 'Bow' and 'String'. Two days work making and decorating the tiles under the guidance of Angie Sayer, Ceramic Artist & Tutor, who teaches at the school on occasions. Firing and glazing were done at appropriate times.

The measurements for placing the hour plates are very specific to our Latitude of 51.53' N

Some members of St Christopher's Church and Gardening Club together with the time spent by the children have provided the 'man hours' to match fund grants from the Cheltenham Borough Council and the Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council.

Watkins Blacksmith of Leckhampton made the black arrow.

It needs the sun to work. A plaque is in place with instructions to stand astride the arrow on the relevant month. The arrow points to the North, and the person's shadow indicates the time. Allowance has to be made for British Summertime, add on one hour.

SHRUBBERY

At the end of our local shop terrace is an area approx 30ft x 80ft, which was planted with a variety of shrubs and under planted with snowdrops and hellebores.

Over the years this has been managed by a variety of people. In 2007 the Parish Council took over full responsibility, by which time the planting had become rather overgrown. The Parish Council then asked St Christopher's Gardening Club if they would be willing to manage it on their behalf.

This was undertaken and in 2008/2009 rather drastic pruning was the order of the day, with the result that following the snow this last winter a mass of snowdrops appeared amongst the red stems of Dogwood, stands of variegated Pittosporum and dark mounds of Ceanothus. Spring saw the flowering of Viburnum, various Potentilla, the bright lime green leaves and flowers of the Dogwood, with new planting of several different Fuchsias and an edging alternating Curry and Lavender plants and as a follow on ground cover Creeping Jenny, Violas and Pansies. Altogether a very worthwhile exercise much appreciated by the local community. It has been a lot of hard work and there is still some re-arranging of the planting to do, but it looks good.

D.P.B. 06.08.2010

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SWEET PEA GROWERS - HELP!

A number of venues for the Federation's inaugural Sweet Pea Show are under consideration. The size of the venue will depend on the level of support from the Exhibitors - chiefly yourselves.

So far less than 10 people have expressed an interest in exhibiting: this is enough to make a good Sweet Pea section in an existing Show.

Because the majority of these people are from the north of Gloucestershire a venue between Gloucester and Cheltenham near to the M5 might be suitable.

As this is our first attempt at a Show will this simple Schedule suffice for now?

Suggested Schedule:

When the full Schedule, including all the rules and Regulations, has been agreed I hope it will be published on the Federation's website for you to download.

The date for the Show will be either the last week of June or the first two week of July 2011.

I invite your comments, advice or offers to exhibit and I will pass them on to the rest of the sub-committee.

Please contact me on the next few weeks:

I look forward to hearing from many of our Members

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