REPORTS AND FEATURES
Members Garden Walkabout on 8 July
On a glorious but very hot day this ever popular attracted over 200 members and their guests to visit five very different but well maintained gardens. They ranged from fairly large and old to small and new, but what they had in common was an obvious love of gardening and a great use of plants. This provided a great opportunity for members to meet and converse in a friendly horticultural setting and has become a major social occasion.
All the owners: Deborah Spring & Stephen Irwin, Avril & Laurie Shindler, Diane & Malcolm Mutkin, Ruth & Stephen Rose, and Jackie & John Angel, had obviously spent a great deal of time preparing their gardens for the walkabout and we thank them for their efforts. All the entrance money and that from the sale of teas, coming in total to over £1000, has been distributed to charities selected by the garden owners. Thanks should also go to Peter Hordern for all the work he put in organising the event and to all the stewards and tea helpers who assisted on the day.
Views of the five gardens in the order of owners above are shown below.
Select any picture for larger image
Day trip to Kelmarsh Hall & Garden plus Coton Manor Garden on 9 August
Kelmarsh Hall & Gardens. The tour of the main rooms of Kelmarsh Hall was interesting but the newly opened servants area below stairs was outstanding; an extensive area showing the personnel and duties of the many staff who helped run the manor. The gardens however were disappointment as, despite the efforts of the volunteers, most of the borders and even the walled garden had succumbed to the very hot dry summer and few plants were still flowering. An excellent dark blue Agapanthus and some vivid Rudbeckias were exceptions and we could only imagine how attractive it might look in a normal cool wet British summer.
Coton Manor Gardens. It was with some trepidation that we went on to Coton Manor
gardens but we need not have worried -
The left photo is from Kelmarsh Hall -
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The Autumn Show at the Vision Hall on 1 September
Despite forebodings about the extraordinary weather this year with a wet Spring and a dry and extremely hot Summer, members produced 591 entries, the most of any recent year, to make it a very successful show.
Although the weather made it difficult for the vegetable classes with only a few high quality exhibits, it was a good year for fruit. And it was great to see those who were unable to enter the produce classes giving support to the other sections where there were with lots of entries in the domestic section and some 50 in the photographic classes.
Unfortunately the number of children’s entries was again very few and further efforts will be made to improve this next year, helped we hope by the show not being held during the school holidays (Report and pictures in the Young Gardeners page).
Overall it was a busy and successful show with nearly 200 visitors, most of whom partook of the excellent teas. The prizes this year were presented by Peggy Sjoberg, where the Chairman also thanked Amanda for running a very successful Show.
Thanks go to all who had helped to stage and run the show, the exhibitors, judges and of course the visitors. Well done everyone. And also those who donated exhibits for sale at the end of the show, the proceeds of which are being sent to the charity THRIVE which helps the lives of the disabled and disadvantaged through horticulture.
Here are some views of the show:
Select any picture for larger image
The main prizewinners were as follows:
Chairnan’s Pair
RHS Banksian Medal
Perpetual Challenge Bowl
National Dahlia Society Silver Medal
National Dahlia Society Bronze Medal
RHS Affiliated Societies Bronze Medal
Novice Cup
The
Raymond Sprake Cup
Paul Balen Cup -
Blue Ribbon for best vegetable exhibit -
Blue Ribbon for best fruit exhibit -
Blue Ribbon for best domestic exhibit -
Phillimore Plaque
Newberries Plaque
Young Ones Plaque
This year’s Mystery Dahlia was
full results for all classes are posted in the Store)
Peter Hordern
Maureen Thorne
Peter
Hordern
Maureen Thorne
Peter Hordern
Mike Paterson
Susie Dougan
Maureen Thorne
Peter Cushion
Peter
Cushion
Maureen Thorne
Mary Crosher
Jessica Hill
Emerson Newman
Evie Coldham
Taratahi Ruby
(waterlily -
Annual General Meeting and talk ‘ Restoration of the Gardens at Wimpole Hall’ by Philip Whaites on 14 November
AGM
The Chairman reported another busy and successful year and thanked the Committee
and Helpers for all their efforts. He also thanked those who had contributed plants
for the Plant Sale or opened their gardens for the ever popular Garden Walkabout.
Members were advised to enter next years dates, 4 May and 7 July respectively, in
their diaries.
The Treasure noted that the Society had made a small profit this year,
the finances were in good order. As a result the Committee had recommended the meeting
to maintain the current subscription for the next three year period and the was approved
unanimously.
The Secretary advised the main consequences of GDPR on the Society and proposed the addition of a new item in the Society Rules to confirm our compliance. This was also approved.
Talk
After the interval we enjoyed a talk on the restoration of the Wimpole Hall Gardens by Philip Waites who had recently retired after being Head Gardener for 38 years. Philip explained how he had started a career in gardening and his progress to become head gardener at Wimpole Hall. He told us the run down state of all the garden areas and how each one was rediscovered and developed by his small team of gardeners and a large number of willing volunteers. This was accompanied by many interesting photos of the before and after and the plants restored or introduced, including a lot of very tasty vegetables and fruit being supplied to the Estate café.
Proposed Holidays in 2019
Peggy Sjoberg explained her plans for a spring holiday to Warwickshire based on the
Stratford Manor Hotel near Stratford-
Radlett Horticultural Society