Newsletter 23rd September 2024
Good evening everyone and welcome to a new Gardening Club Year. We hope that you have had a good summer even though the weather has been disappointing. At least we have not had to get the hose-pipe out very often!
Tonight we are delighted to have Gordon Malt as our first speaker for the year . Gordon was a finalist in the National Garden Competition in 2015 and has opened his garden in Shropshire for the NGS. He describes his gardening style as ‘controlled relaxation’ – sounds just what we want, doesn’t it? He gives talks on a variety of subjects and tonight he is telling us about ‘Salvias and Ornamental Grasses.’
Just a reminder that Chris Beardshaw is giving a talk called ’Painting with Plants’ at Upton-by-Chester Village Hall (CH2 1HX) on Wednesday, 2nd October at 7:30pm. Visitors £20.
If you are trying to dispose of old plastic plant pots, bring them to a Gardening Club meeting and Gwyn will take them to the ‘hard plastic’ skip in Runcorn.
We are continuing to look after the 3 planters next to the library and the one outside the post office, as well as the raised bed by the railway bridge. Don’t be afraid to do a bit of weeding or dead heading if you are passing by! The sun and rain have made everything shoot up. Also if you are dividing up perennials in October and have some to spare, eg. hardy geraniums, bring them to the next meeting. We are looking for a more permanent arrangement for the bed opposite Costa, with less bedding plants.
Once again, we are entering the Christmas Tree Festival at the beginning of December. The title of our tree is ‘Sow It and Grow It.’ We need empty seed packets and old plant labels to keep the gardening aspect. Do you have any more ideas?
We are very pleased that the bees have been busy during the summer and we again have Frodsham honey for sale, at £5 a jar.
Our speaker for the October meeting will be Anthony Norman from ‘Conquest Plants Nursery’ in Macclesfield. Anthony’s talk is ‘Acid Loving and Associated Plants.’ He is an excellent speaker and brings lots of plants for us to buy. Who can resist buying plants?
Looking ahead to next year. We are hoping to arrange an afternoon visit at the end of March to see the Winter Garden at Dunham Massey. Emily Chandler, who is the head gardener, is giving us a talk in January, so she will tell us what to look out for.
In February, Gwyn will start booking visits to local gardens that are in the Yellow Book.
Any ideas for the day trip in May will be gratefully received. Sounds like a busy year ahead!!
Enjoy your evening. Maureen Coxon, Newsletter & Advertising.