February meeting – Gardening myths

 

Our talk on the 5th February will be by Ken Thompson, experienced ecologist and gardener and author of several books.  Ken will be talking to us about gardening lore and debunking some of the myths that many of us hold to be true.

The talk will start at 7:30pm at Colwall Village Hall with complimentary refreshments from 7pm.  Visitors are always welcome at £5 per ticket.  Membership is £15 per year payable in January, so if you didn’t renew your membership last month don’t forget to do it on the 5th February.

 

January Meeting – Winter Gardens

Image courtesy of http://www.gardenista.com

Our talk on the 8th January is courtesy of Jeff Bates, a professional horticulturalist,  who will be talking to us about creating interest in the winter garden through structure, colour and scent.

As ever the talk will commence at 7:30pm at Colwall Village Hall with complimentary refreshments from 7:00pm.

Visitors are always welcome at £5 per ticket.

Members are reminded that their annual membership, £15, is due at the January meeting.  New membership forms were handed out at the last meeting.  You can download a copy of the membership form here and spares will be available at the meeting but please arrive earlier than normal to allow time to renew your membership.

November Meeting – The Winter Garden

Our talk on the 6th November is courtesy of Andy McIndoe who is going to talk to us about Winter Gardens

Andy has over 40 years experience in retail and production horticulture. A regular contributor to a number of magazines, blogs and BBC Radio he lectures to gardening groups and societies at home and abroad, leads gardening tours and is consultant to well-known suppliers in the garden industry. He has been responsible for 25 consecutive Gold Medal winning exhibits at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Andy McIndoe on the Winter Garden.  Andy has over 40 years experience in retail and horticulture.

The talk will commence at 7:30pm at Colwall Village Hall but complimentary refreshments will be available from 7:00pm.  Visitors are always welcome and we charge £4 per visitors.  Membership is £12 a year and for those joining this month they will not need to renew their membership until January 2019.

We look forward to seeing you on the 6th November.

Percy Picton Memorial Lecture – Christine Walkden

 

We are delighted that Christine Walkden has agreed to deliver the 31st Percy Picton Memorial Lecture on the 2nd October 2017.

Whilst Christine is well known for her horticulture based media work, having presented on BBC Gardeners’ World, Christine’s Garden and Glorious Gardens from Above, plus countless other television and radio appearances, she also works freelance as a plantswoman and horticulturalist.  She works for a number of horticultural colleges and professional trade organisations; leads garden tours and field trips all around the world and has written many books on a wide range of gardening topics.  All of which means that her lecture entitled ‘The Life and Times of a Gardener’ should be fascinating.

The lecture is held annually by Wyche and Colwall Horticultural Society to raise funds for the Percy Picton Memorial Fund.  The charity gives financial support to local horticultural students.

Tickets for the lecture are £12 per person which includes refreshments.  Tickets can be purchased from Old Court Nursery and  John Goodwin Estate Agents both in Colwall.

The lecture will be held in Colwall Village Hall with refreshments available from 7pm and the lecture commencing at 7:30pm.

We do hope you will be able to join us for what should prove to be an entertaining evening.

 

 

September meeting – Autumn Containers

At our meeting on the 4th September Mark Moir, of Newent Plant Centre, will demonstrate how to plant up Autumn Containers though probably without the pumpkins.

The meeting will commence at 7:30pm sharp with complimentary refreshments available from 7:00pm.  Visitors are always welcome and are charged £4 per meeting.  Annual membership is £12 which includes all standard monthly meetings with the exception of the October Percy Picton Memorial Lecture.

Talking of which don’t forget you will need a ticket for the 2nd October meeting at which Christine Walkden will be giving the Percy Picton Memorial Lecture.  Her topic is ‘The Life and Times of a Gardener’.  Tickets are £12 a head and can be bought at the September meeting, from John Goodwins in Colwall or from Old Court Nursery.

 

 

August meeting – Quiet Roads in Cornwall

Our talk on the 7th August is by Adrian James who will take us for a wander down the ‘Quiet Roads in Cornwall’ no doubt to find some hidden garden gems.   Adrian is a gardener and plant photographer and his images are used in magazines and advertising.

As usual the talk will start at 7:30pm with complimentary refreshments available from 7:00pm.  Visitors are very welcome and we charge £4 per ticket.  For those interested in joining the society membership is £12 per year.  Our talks are held at Colwall Village Hall.

Don’t forget our Annual Show is the following Saturday (12th August) so please bring your donations for the tombola and produce stall.  If you are planning to enter the Show, and we do hoe you will, don’t forget to make sure your entry show is submitted by 5pm on Thursday 10th August (details on the Show Entry Form)

 

June Meeting – Siberian Iris

Have you been wowed by the beautiful irises at the recent RHS Malvern and Chelsea Flower Shows, maybe you have been lucky enough to see the Siberian iris display at Bryans Ground in Herefordshire (above) and are wondering if you could grow Siberian irises in your garden? Your questions will be answered at our June meeting on the 5th June when Alun Whitehead, will be talking to us about his and his wife, Jill’s national collection at their home near Leominster.

Visitors’ tickets are £4 per person including complimentary refreshments.  The talk commences at 7:30 at Colwall Village Hall with refreshments available from 7pm.

Don’t forget your donations for the members plant stall and if you want to book a place on one of the two garden visits please make sure you register with Tim Beaumont as places are limited – more information on the visits is available on the programme

Finally, the Show Schedule for the Annual Show in August is now available, both in hard copy at the meeting and on-line from this page. We welcome entries from members and non-members, the more the merrier so why not make this the year when you pluck up courage and have a go.

 

Gardeners Question Time

Want to know when to prune your fruit trees, what has eaten your prized plant, why your seedlings have died, the best plants for dry shade? Then come to our Gardeners Question Time on Monday 15th May and pose your questions, thorny or otherwise.

Questions will be answered by a panel of local horticultural experts chaired by Reg Moule, BBC Hereford and Worcester’s gardening guru.

The cost of the evening is £4 per person and all are welcome.  Doors open at Colwall Village Hall at 7pm with the actual question time session starting at 7:30pm

So why not come along, bring some friends, and get your gardening conundrums answered – probably!

May Meeting: Julian Dowle

Julian Dowle’s 2005 Chelsea Show Garden – photo courtesy of http://www.gardenvisit.com

Our talk on the 1st May (yes Bank Holiday Monday) is by Julian Dowle – well known for his popular Chelsea showgardens.  Julian’s talk is entitled Country and Cottage Gardens and I am sure there will be lots of idyllic gardens for us to look at.

The talk starts at 7:30pm at Colwall Village Hall with complimentary refreshments from 7:00pm. Visitors are always welcome at £4 a ticket. Membership runs from January to December and is £12 a year.

In addition there will be a members’ plant stall – so please don’t forget to pot up some of those divisions and bring them along.

Finally, there are still some places available on the two garden visits.  Details are on the programme and if you would like to book a place on either please see Tim Beaumont.

April Meeting – Auriculas and Primulas

Our talk on the 3rd April is courtesy of Ingrid Millington of Hillview Hardy Plants who will be talking to us about Auriculas and Primulas.  The talk will commence at 7:30pm at Colwall Village Hall with refreshments available from 7:00pm. Visitors are always welcome and we charge £4 to include complimentary refreshments.  Membership is £12 a year with annual subscriptions due from January each year.

Members are reminded that we hold the Michael Jefferson-Brown Spring Flowering bulb competition at our April meeting. The Michael Jefferson Brown Competition is for members only; there are two classes
1. Pot or container of growing flowering bulbs, corms or tubers
2. Vase/container of cut flowers grown from bulbs, corms or tubers.
One entry per person in each class.
Exhibits are judged on quality and presentation. The Trophy
will be awarded for the best overall exhibit

You can also book your tickets for the garden visit which have been scheduled in June and July – details on the programme

Finally, we will again be holding a plant sale for members’ donated plants with the proceeds going to the Percy Picton Memorial Fund. We would be very grateful for any donated plants, cuttings, divisions and seedlings.