Gardening Club News & Activities

Lecture On Oxford Botanic Gardens   - posted 7 January 2012

Tim Price will give a lecture on the History of Oxford Botanic Gardens to the club on Thursday 16 February.  All are welcome. If you are not a member it is £2 at the door.

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Peter Payne Gives Monthly Gardening Tips  - posted 12 December 2011

Peter Payne gives monthly gardening tips which are appreciated by club members.

Successful Annual Supper And Lecture  - posted 18 November 2011

Around 50 members and visitors enjoyed the club’s Annual Supper Lecture on October 20th.

This year our speaker was Timothy Walker (Horti Praefectus or Director of The University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and Arboretum), who presented ‘The Healing Power of Plants’. He spoke how mankind has been using medicinal properties of plants for thousands of years, yet the role of plants in modern medicine is still considered to be alternative or complementary by many people. Timothy set the record straight with a very well illustrated and amusing lecture, and showed that plant products are used every day by all of us to relieve pain and suffering, to heal wounds and to cure diseases, and without them the NHS would be a bit stuck.

We have a talk by one of Timothy’s  colleagues next year talking about the Oxford Botanical Garden, and if he’s half as entertaining then that’s one not to miss!

A hot buffet supper of jacket potatoes  and toppings was magically produced by the committee, and a good chat about the lecture was had by all.

Steve Wheeler (Media and Publicity Secretary)

Annual Supper Lecture  - posted 19 September 2011

On 'The Healing Power of Plants'

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Helmdon Flower & Produce Show  - posted 28 August 2011

The Gardening Club held its second Flower and Produce Show on Saturday 20^th August. The organizing committee was hoping that the enthusiasm of last year would be repeated, and we were not disappointed. In spite of some difficult growing conditions (so what’s new?) the number of entries was increased from 2010, and we saw many new names amongst the entrants. 

The fruit, vegetables and flowers were judged by Clyde Burbidge and the home produce by Rosemary Sheppey. Both did an admirable job, carefully assessing the merits of the many fine entries before coming to their decisions.  

In the afternoon the Show was opened up for viewing, and was very well attended by those eager to see how their entries had fared, as well as by others interested to see what the village could produce. The teas and home-made cakes on sale were very popular, and the raffle was also very well supported.  

At the end of the day, any produce that had been donated was sold to add to the overall fund-raising effort.

This year’s trophy winners are as follows: 

Overall Garden Winner: Doreen England

Overall Winner Vegetables: (Joint) Rex Jessett and Tony Wilson

Best Individual Entry Vegetables: Robert Duncombe

Overall Winner Fruit: Charlotte Owen

Best Individual Entry Fruit: Lynn Walmsley

Overall Winner Flowers: Julia Evans

Overall Winner Produce: Enid Kebble

Best Individual Entry Produce: Jo Turnham

Youth section 7 years and under: (Joint) Alfie Castle and Meredith Wheeler

Youth section 8 to 11 years: Katherine Hart 

The organizing committee was again delighted with the support of so many people in entering and visiting the Show, and the effort that had been put into the many wonderful entries. It makes the work of putting on the Show very worthwhile, and with more useful feedback to consider we will soon be making plans for next year!

'Hugely Enjoyable' Annual Summer Garden Party  - posted 16 August 2011

Lovely weather was laid on specially for the Gardening Club's garden party on the 13th August! This year Wiggy Smith kindly offered us the use of her gorgeous garden for this annual event. We quaffed Pimms and nibbled on party food for a few hours and discussed most things - even matters horticultural! Our thanks go to Wiggy and also to Alex who supplied the drinks as she has unfailingly done for the Club over the past three years.

Many thanks as well to our loyal members for coming along to  support this hugely enjoyable part of our yearly programme. As a club we do seem to spend quite a lot of the year in party mode, but in between times we listen to speakers, do quizzes and socialise with fellow Helmdon gardeners. So, if you haven't paid us a visit yet, please do so. The Gardening Club meets in The Reading Room on the third Thursday of each month ... when we aren't out at a party that is! Our members include both sexes and the young and not quite so young.

Caroline King

Chairman

The Helmdon Gardening Club

Flower And Produce Show On Saturday 20 August  - posted 7 August 2011

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The Gardening Club's Annual 'Mystery Garden Visit'  - posted 24 July 2011

If anybody guessed the identity of our 'mystery garden' before we visited it, nobody was telling!  Anyway, Gardening Club members met outside The Reading Room on the 21st July and Steve Wheeler led the way to our destination - which was, in fact, Jan and Cec Harrold's lovely garden in Bell Close.

The Club pays a visit each year to  one of its members' gardens, but the actual garden is kept a closely guarded secret (except to the owners, obviously!).  For members it's a lovely way to spend an evening.  For the owners it's probably a slight worry to have supposedly garden-wise people inspecting every nook and cranny.  Not surprisingly Jan and Cec rose magnificently to the occasion and proudly showed us round their gorgeous - and huge - garden.  Vegetables were scrutinised, roses admired, water features noted and Jan's photo album of the garden's development over the years was poured over.

Being a Gardening Club event, this was all accompanied by the odd glass of wine and some lovely nibbles provided by Jan and Cec.  Even the weather was mild and pleasant.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to Jan and Cec for inviting us to look round their garden and providing the Gardening Club with another lovely evening.

Caroline King

Chairman

The Helmdon Gardening Club

'Another Lovely Day For The Gardening Club'  - posted 2 July 2011

Lovely weather greeted us when we arrived at Charlotte and Paul Sandilands house at Falcutt, on the 29th June.  Quite a few of us had never been to the wonderful gardens before and were very excited about what we might see.  We weren't disappointed!

First of all we walked around Falcutt House itself and admired the climbers and roses adorning the facade.  The roses were almost finished but apparently in May they are a glorious yellow colour which would go so well with the stonework of the house.  Then we admired the view of glorious Northamptonshire countryside to the side of the garden.  I'm afraid to say that being the humble gardener I am, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the plants or their Latin names, but that didn't detract from the beautifully planted and maintained borders. 

My favourite area of the whole garden is the small glade of silver birch trees which have been grown in what was the old tennis court.  And beyond that, more lovely views.

Another favourite in the garden were the massively tall thistle-type plants (sorry, Charlotte, I didn't take down the name) with fascinating silver foliage.

We went  home via the drive guarded on either side by fantastic topiary which Paul said looked spectacular in the snow.  Charlotte very kindly offered us tea and cake before we left after a thoroughly inspiring visit.  Our sincere thanks go to Charlotte and Paul who have always been great supporters of The Helmdon Gardening Club and The Flower and Produce Show.

Another lovely day for the Gardening Club.

Caroline King

Chairman

The Helmdon Gardening Club

July 2011

Visit To Haddonstone Show Garden  - posted 24 June 2011

On a sunny morning on the 13th June 2011 twenty members of the Helmdon Gardening Club visited East Haddon, Northamptonshire to have a look round the Haddonstone Show Garden.  Although none of us actually placed an order for a wonderful statue or a new swimming pool, we all enjoyed looking at the very English show gardens where the Haddonstone products are temptingly dotted around.

To be honest I think most of us were more impressed with the wonderful borders and pretty setting of the gardens than the Haddonstone pieces.  The ornamental masonery, however, was absolutely gorgeous but not particularly cheap.  It's the sort of purchase that you might think about making once you have completely rejigged your garden just to accommodate that fabulous fountain or that dainty statue. All very tempting but I, for one, felt that I might have to ask my husband to buy a new house just so that that gorgeous 'Gothic Grotto' wouldn't look out of place.  Needless to say, he wasn't too keen on my idea.

The morning was rounded off with a visit to The Red Lion Hotel for a spot of lunch before we drove home.  A really interesting morning... and well worth visiting if you are thinking of having a bit of 'hardware' in your garden.

Caroline King

Chairman

The Helmdon Gardening Club 

Learn About The Good Guys And The Bad Guys In The Garden  - posted 13 June 2011

All gardeners will find our next meeting of the Helmdon Gardening Club (16th June 7.30 pm in The Reading Room) particularly interesting!  Our speaker will be advising us to 'Love Your Garden Bugs'.  Sally Cunningham will tell us about the good guys and the bad guys when it comes to all things creepy crawly lurking in our garden borders.

So for a sociable and fascinating evening please join us on the 16th.  Wine and soft drinks start the evening and guests pay just £2 on the door.  The Club is having a very busy summer with outings and invitations etc., so amongst the posters and notices on display on the night, you might find something else that interests you.

Hope to see you there!

Caroline King

Chairman

Day Lilies At The April Meeting  - posted 07 June 2011

This will take place on Saturday 20 August in the Reading Room, 2 pm until 5 pm.

After the great success of last year (we were able to make a contribution to the Reading Room fundraising effort of £160) Helmdon Gardening Club are pleased to announce it’s all going to happen again.

And as of last year, it’s a fairly informal affair, although there are some rules of course! We hope there is something for everybody in the village to enjoy and have the excitement of entering and perhaps seeing that 1^st prize card next to your produce.

Anyone resident in Helmdon and Falcutt, past and present pupils of Helmdon school and Acorns pre-school, and members of the Gardening Club are able to enter.  Schedules have been delivered round the village but if you haven’t received one please contact Peter Payne (760499), Julia McAuliffe (760539), Rex Jessett (760241) Doreen England (760744) or Celia Terrey (760215).

On the day of the show we shall have teas and cakes on sale – and a sale of exhibits at the end.

So get those green fingers working, allotments digging, those recipes testing, and children’s imaginations racing,  and please – Support The Show.

Thank you

The Show committee

Variegated Plants At The May Meeting  - posted 20 May 2011

The Club was lucky enough to have Dr. Glyn Jones speaking to us this evening on variegated plants. Dr. Jones is used to public speaking as he was a university lecturer and it shows! Although he delved fairly deeply into the scientific make up of plants, he kept his audience engaged proving that we humble gardeners have interests beyond making our gardens look pretty with bedding plants!

Most of us might not be up to a quiz on exactly everything that Dr. Jones told us, but we are now in a better position to understand our variegated plants and how to keep them bi-coloured....not something one should take for granted!

Peter Payne finished the evening with a short summary of his topical tips for this month and finally we delved into our pockets to find some money to buy the lovely plants and garden equipment that members had brought in. The proceeds went to the Club helping to boost our funds which we use to pay speakers, arrange outings etc.

If you have never come to a Gardening Club meeting then please do! Click for our 2011 programme. Guests are most welcome and pay just £2 on the door. New members are also welcome and pay just £15 a year with the bonus of having discounts at local garden centres. We are a very friendly bunch of all ages and both sexes and the social side of our meetings is great fun.

Caroline King

Chairman

The Helmdon Gardening Club

Day Lilies At The April Meeting  - posted 20 May 2011

April’s speaker was Gerald Sinclair (from the Nursery Further Afield in Mixbury), who gave a ‘Discovering Day Lillies’ talk, where he told us the story how he set up his nursery, the history of the genus (which has thousands of varieties), and his national collection.  This includes plants hybridized  by local plantsmen Harry Randall (who used names like ‘Missenden’ and ‘Amersham’) and Leonard Brummit (who used the ‘Banbury’ prefix) in the 1960’s.  It has been quite a search tracing some of the plants, a lot that which turned up in Germany. Gerald also said that the hard winter had caused problems with propagation of plants, but he had bought a few plants along which were quickly snapped up.  The nursery sounds like it is worth a visit, but is closed weekends.  

Peter Payne also gave his top tips at the meetings, which are always interesting and helpful. 

Steve Wheeler (Media and Publicity Secretary)

The March Club Social  - posted 20 May 2011

March was the club’s annual social and quiz in The Bell, where Richard put on a splendid spread as usual, and we all had a good natter and and over 30 members scratched heads over Caroline’s quiz (it’s always those photos that get us flustered).  

Steve Wheeler (Media and Publicity Secretary)

Medieval Plants At The February Meeting - posted 20 May 2011

February saw a visit from Nina and Greg from Syresham garden Club, who gave a very interesting and entertaining talk on Medieval Plants and their uses. Which varied from food, medicine, cloth dying, religious use, warding off bugs and evil spirits. Nina and Greg made an excellent job covering such a huge subject and everyone enjoyed the presentation. A website for further details of medieval plants is http://www.katjaorlova.com/HerbalismPaperPlantsGarden.html . We also have a tasting of some of the Marrow Rum which was started off last year, which some found to be an acquired taste!

Steve Wheeler (Media and Publicity Secretary)

Christmas Questions & A Quiet Night In  - posted 16 February 2011

The Gardening Club December meeting was a chance to quiz some of our brave member ‘experts’ in our very own ‘Gardeners Question Time’. Peter Payne, Wiggy Smith, myself and late substitute Owen Brunston (thanks Owen!) answered questions on slugs, weed killers, sweet peas and improving your compost (no one has yet taken me up on my offer!).  It was great fun, and the panel managed well – helped no doubt by the mulled wine, but we won’t be giving up our day jobs just yet.  We then had a ‘festive’ quiz, more mulled wine and nibbles.  A very nice way to finish off the year.

In January we enjoyed a quiet night in with Geoff Hamilton, watching a few episodes of his ‘Cottage Garden’ series from the ‘80s (well I think it was, judging from some of the fashion).  Lots of tips and inspiration from Geoff, who is still sadly missed for his easy manner and straight forward approach.  We will revisit him later in the year when we have some spare time. Peter Payne gave us some bird information of his sightings in the village.

Our next meeting is this Thursday 17th February (this year is going too fast already). We will be having a talk on Medieval Plants and Their Uses by members of the Syresham Gardening Club, followed by homemade marrow rum/wine tasting.  Caroline also has the SmartWater for collection so please remember your money.

Steve Wheeler (Media and Publicity Secretary)

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