Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

March 2023

From The Chair

Dear Members,

A brief update.

*Sadly we have heard our member Sue Byrne has died  (Gordon has sent a card on our behalf). Funeral 1pm Tuesday, 7th March at Greenacres, Heatherly Wood, Headley Road, Grayshott, GU35 8LA.

* Following John Bakers presentation and the high interest in keeping Slugs off Hostas. Our Secretary Sally has purchased some bulk Garlic Crystals and is bottling a strong mix with which she is filling 500ml bottles, this dilutes to approx 20 litres, to spray onto the plants. She proposes selling it at our next meeting under the name “Slug-er off” !  £3 per bottle. All proceeds to club funds.

* BBC Gardeners World Fair returns to Beaulieu on 28-30 April 9.30am – 5pm contact    www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com.

*Nick Bailey “365 Days Of Colour in the Garden” See Page 2

I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday 8th March for our very special Keynote lecture by Tony Kirkham

John

News in General

Membership

The final date for payment of 2023 Annual Subscriptions is on Wednesday 8^th March at our Club Night in Grayshott Village Hall when the £20 payment by cash, cheque and card can be made.

Spring Show

Now that Spring appears to have sprung, hope you’re all poring over the Show Schedules, ready for entering on 15^th April – let’s make it a show to remember.

 Any questions, please contact Pamela Wright at shows@grayshottgardeners.net and we look forward to seeing you all there!

 Visits

The Munstead Wood Garden visit is now full. Vanessa has opened a waiting list.

But some places are still available for

Beechenwood Farm

Saturday 1st April 1Information from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email: events@grayshottgardeners.net  to reserve your place

Plant of the Month

Chrysosplenium macrophyllum

Roy Lancaster told me that it is a very good ‘thank you’ plant to take to your host instead of chocolates or wine!

The plant is the Giant Golden Saxifrage(Chrysosplenium macrophyllum), an unusual and rather dramatic woodland plant from China.It is grown more as a ground cover plant in moist or moisture retentive soils for its foliage rather than its flowers.

The leaves are large (hence the Latin name)rather like a Bergenia, succulent, ovate, brownish when young and hairy, producing a good ground covering mat.

It is a low maintenance plant. It flowers early in February/March, the pinkish/white flat headed umbels borne on 15 to 30 cm (6”-12”) stems bursting from large swollen deep pink buds.

The flowers attract pollinating insects after flowering.

Each plant produces a mass of long strong growing stolons like the ‘Day of the Triffids’, scrambling over the adjacent plants and rooting at the tip, thus spreading the colony. Each year Judith pulls all the stolons off to keep our patch under control. If left, the new plants, being shallow rooted, are easy to transplant, pot up, to give away or sell at GGs!

The Giant Golden Saxifrage is best planted in full or partial shade in a sheltered spot, is tolerant of a wide range of moisture retentive soils, is largely pest (slugs!) and disease-free and fully hardy.

It is worth growing. Please let us know if you don’t have it in your garden and we will try to find one for you.

Local Events

Nick Bailey

Tickets for this event cost £10 and must be pre-booked as seating is limited.

Go to: www.witleygardening.org Go to ‘next event’, Select ‘Celebrity speaker registration’, Fill in the form and submit

Proof of registration will be sent to you.

£10 is payable on the door on

February Meeting

We had the pleasure of welcoming Maggie Tran to our monthly meeting on February 8th to give us a fascinating talk.

‘The Trowels and Tribulations of taking on an Historic Garden’

Maggie turned from a fine arts background to a career in horticulture. She trained at Wisley for two years and obtained scholarships to places both in this country and abroad. A very impressive list – Great Dixter, Cambo gardens in Scotland, Sissinghurst, Kerdalo in Brittany, Tresco Abbey Gardens – Scilly’s subtropical gem and lastly Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania where, much to her delight, she found 80 acres of original wild meadow land to wander through!

Finally, in 2018 she took on the formidable task of restoring the gardens at Bramdean House to its original splendour.

It was  a most entertaining and inspiring evening – well worth the effort of stepping out on a very cold and frosty evening.

Bramdean House garden is open  under the NGS on Sundays 19 February and 25 June (13:00 – 15:30)  Visits also by arrangement March to September.

More information and pictures can be seen on our website.

www.grayshottgardeners.net

March Meeting

This month we’ll be welcoming Tony Kirkham for our special Keynote lecture this month

Trees, a Cut Above The Rest

Tony Kirkham retired from his role as Head of the Arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, at the end of July 2021, after over 40 years’ devoted service to the management of its trees.

Tony joined the team at Kew as a supervisor after completing a diploma there – and he has never looked back. Over the years he has been responsible for the development of the arboretum into the world-class venue it is today, caring for over 14,000 specimens, with 150–200 more trees planted each year.

Well known through many books, articles and television programmes, his infectious enthusiasm for all things arboricultural has won him a place in the hearts of the general public, and when he teamed up with Dame Judi Dench, first in the TV programme about an oak tree near her home and later with a research trip to Borneo, his fame was secured as part of a duo of ‘national treasures’!

The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall  Wednesday March 8th 2023

Light refreshments will be served and there will be a raffle

Doors open at 7.15pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Jobs for this month

Spring arrives (fingers crossed)

Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. It’s time to get busy preparing seed beds, sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden.

1. Prune bush and climbing roses

These general tips for rose pruning will help you improve the health and lifespan of any rose.

2. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes

Onions are such a versatile vegetable – they feature in so many recipes, and growing your own means you’ll always have them to hand.

Dont forget to plant your competition potatoes ready for the Summer Show on 15th July

3.Plant summer-flowering bulbs

Bulbs make a fine display planted in containers or borders, especially daffodils, snowdrops and tulips in spring.

More jobs for this month

   4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials.

Please pot  some up ready for The Annual Plants Sale on 13th May

    5.Top dress containers with fresh compost

    6.Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed)

    7.Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems

    8.Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control early

    9.Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters

    10.Protect new spring shoots from slugs.

Get your magic mixture at the club night on March 8th.

From The Chair

Dear Members,

At last we are thawing out!

Gordon tells me his Snowdrops in pots, which are partly buried in the soil, are frozen in. But with the thaw, he expects them to be ready for our next meeting.

Despite the frosts, unlike us, it never fails to impress me that the plants are putting their heads out!

As you return to the garden, will you please think ahead to our important plant sale, where if you can split plants, Jan on behalf of the club will be most grateful for your contribution.

I look forward to welcoming you to our next meeting on Wednesday 8^th February when Maggie Tran, Head Gardener at Bramdean House, will be regaling us on  “The Trowels and Tribulations of taking on an Historic Garden”

Best wishes.

JOHN.

News in General

Membership

Subs of £20 are now due. Your membership from last year will expire at the end of this month.

Ways to pay :-

Cash,card or cheque at a club night.

Bank transfer (details on the web site)

Flower Count

In what has become a bit of a tradition, Grayshott Gardeners went out into their gardens at the beginning of January to count as many blooms as they could find.The list may have been shorter than in previous years, but some plants were still braving the elements, and between us we racked up a total of 34 species.  And how heart lifting those diminutive flowers were.  A tiny reminder that spring is on its way …..

Plant of the Month

There are over 100 species of crocus, so although it is a full botanical mouthful ‘Tricolor’ is my choice for the February plant for the month.It is one of the earliest and most striking of all the crocuses and it is fragrant. Just 3 – 4 inches tall. Leaves and flowers emerge at the same time. The leaves have an attractive white silvery stripe along the middle, but it is the flower for which this highly desirable crocus is noted. The flowers are tripartite. They have a mauve top, a white central band and a bright yellow, orange base.

They remain closed in dull weather, but in sunlight open to reveal a rich yellow centre and dark orange stamens. With the light behind the flowers they positively glow.

Easy to grow in any well-drained soil in most aspects from sun to shade. They multiply naturally producing more corms or can be propagated by the seeds.They are hardy.

Unfortunately like Winter Aconites, mice and squirrels do have crocus corms on their diet of choice!

That said do try to grow ’Tricolor’ it is a visual treat in the cold days of February and early March.

Visits

The Munstead Wood Garden visit is now full. Vanessa has opened a waiting list.

But some places are still available for Beechenwood Farm – A private 2-acre garden near Odiham, Hants

Saturday 1st April 10.30am

 Developed by the owners since 1965 this tranquil garden offers maturity, a lightness of touch, peace and inspiration.

Woodland, herb garden, orchard, veg patch, specimen trees and extensive views from the belvedere!

Homemade refreshments and plant sales

Lunch visit afterwards! (optional)

 Cost £10 per head.  In aid of the National Garden Scheme Charity

January Meeting

Our first club night lecture of 2023 was given by our very own John Baker, who gave a very entertaining lecture about all things Hosta.

John went right back to the origins of the Hostas we grow in our gardens today – which originated in Manchuria, and from there spread to Korea, Russia and Japan.  They were originally classified as Hemerocallis, or Day Lilies – which explains their common name of Plantain Lilies.

John couldn’t talk about Hostas without addressing the elephant in the room – Slugs and Snails.  He gave us recipes for garlic spray and told us how to use Epsom salts and Ammonia.  And his top tip was to mark February 14th in our calendars for the Valentine’s Day massacre.

John Baker with our chairman sporting his magnificent Christmas jumper!

February Meeting

This month we’ll be welcoming Maggie Tran to give a talk on

The Trowels and Tribulations of taking on a Historic Garden

 Maggie is the current Head Gardener at Bramdean House and brings a wealth of experience to share with us on the rare and unusual plant collection and mirror borders that can be found there.

Bramdean House Garden is a “plant lover’s garden” in Hampshire covering 5 acres. The house itself dates back to the 1740s but the garden has been established since the 1940s by the present owner, Victoria Wakefield, and her mother

The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall

 Wednesday February 8th 2023

Light refreshments will be served

Doors open at 7.15pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Also at the meeting –

Snowdrops – thanks to Gordon and Judith Rae snowdrops will once again be on sale.

Subscriptions – A gentle reminder from Jane our programme secretary. Subs for 2023 (£20) are now due and she will be on hand to collect subscriptions, by cash, cheque or card.

Jobs for this Month

Its February and Spring is in sight

This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and wildlife waking up as light levels and temperatures increase. There’s plenty to do indoors this month to prepare for the season ahead. Outdoors, as the garden comes to life again, it’s time to prune shrubs and climbers, such as Wisteria as well as evergreen hedges.

Don’t forget the Valentine’s Day Massacre of slugs and snails.

1. Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under cover

Knowing which vegetables to sow where, when and how means you can maintain constant supplies throughout the season

2. Chit potato tubers

It’s important with earlies, and a good idea with main-crops, to ‘chit’ the seed potatoes before planting. This means allowing them to start sprouting shoots.

Not forgetting the special competion potatoes ready for the summer show on 15th July 2023

These can be collected at the next club night 8th February.

3. Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches

Most top fruit and soft fruit are very hardy but once they start into growth in spring, flowers and buds are especially vulnerable to frost and may need protection to crop well next season.

More jobs for this month

 4. Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off

 5. Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering

6. Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting ‘in the green’

7. Prune Wisteria

8. Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges

9. Prune conservatory climbers such as bougainvillea

10. Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter, remove dead grass from evergreen grasses

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

January 2023

From the Chair

Dear Members,

May I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year together with gardening success, and I hope everyone enjoyed their turkey and cranberry sauce, (don’t forget to save a jar to enter it into the Spring Show in April!)

Sadly, the good old British weather has prevented some of the last of pre winter garden tidying up, I certainly have more to do.

Looking ahead to 2023, Sue has created another programme of quality and varied speakers for us to look forward to. Also, Vanessa has pre-planned interesting outside visits to gardens for the spring and summer.

May I also thank again, those members who volunteered to assist the committee in the coming year, the committee appreciate your support.

It will be my pleasure to welcome you to our first meeting of the New Year on the 11^th January, when our very own John Baker will be presenting to us a “Hosta Potpourri”. As John holds the National collection of Hostas, he has a wealth of experience and advice to hold our attention.

Please take note of the January 1^st (or thereabouts) plant in flower count, despite awful weather it always amazes me what unexpected plants retain their blooms in our gardens,

I hope you join in and help surprise everyone with your own count.

Best wishes.

JOHN.

January Flower Count

Sorry for the very short notice but we are still going to run the New Year’s Flower Count. I think we can extend it this year to  the first week in January. This will be the third time of doing this, 66 different species in 21 and 53 in 22. Let’s see if we can beat that in 2023!

The idea is that you wander round your garden on New Year’s Day (or the nearest date you can get to that if the weather is rubbish) and count all the different flowers you can find.  Flowers must be fully open – not just in bud.  You’ll probably be surprised by just how much is out there if you get out and have a good look.  You can include any flower you find – which might be things you have planted or things that have arrived by themselves (aka weeds).

Make a note of their names (Latin or otherwise!) and email your results to Sue, our Programme Co-ordinator, at programme@grayshottgardeners.net  (you can even include pictures if you want to).  It’s not a competition – just a bit of fun.

We will put them together to show just how much Flower Power there is in a Grayshott January. Watch out for the results in the February newsletter and on our website.

October Meeting

This month we were treated to beautiful scenes alongside a garden history lesson, when Annabel Watts – Head Gardener at Munstead Wood – came to give our Club Night lecture.

We learned how Gertrude Jekyll was a formidable business woman and a skilled craftswoman who made wood work with ornate inlays, intricate shell work and silver repousse. 

Munstead Wood was the headquarters of her enterprises, where she had a workshop, a forge and a flower shop.

It was fascinating to hear about the life and achievements of this formidable lady, whose influence is still very much with us more than a century later.

Two visits to these wonderful gardens have been organised by Vanessa Thompson in April. (see opposite)

Visits

Thanks to our Events organiser Vanessa, we have four exciting trips planned for this year.

More details can be found on our website www.grayshottgardeners.net or in the new green handbook or from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email

events@grayshottgardeners.net

December Meeting

Last month we were delighted to welcome Sally Nex who’s talk ‘How to Garden the Low Carbon Way ‘ was most interesting and informative.

Sally Nex is a gardener and writer whose work promoting sustainable techniques has appeared in leading national publications including Gardener’s World, The Guardian, Grow Your Own and the RHS’s The Garden.

Gordon, our president had to agree that he and Sally were at different ends of the gardening spectrum but was still looking forward to the talk.

‘Every little helps’ was the message. Maybe not buying too much summer bedding, leaving just a bit of your lawn to go wild, using a re-chargeable lawn mower, making your own compost were just some of the ideas.

Sally also showed us how she makes her own pots from newspaper or cardboard. Such a simple thing which costs nothing to us but is worth so much to our planet.

Sally Nex with programme Secretary Sue Wheeler and our chairman John PriOur talk this month will be given by our very own John Baker.

January Meeting – Hosta Potpourri.

Our talk this month will be given by our very own John Baker. John, and his wife June Colley, who has a Masters in Botany, hold the National Collection of Hostas in their  garden, which has featured in Monty Don’s  programme.

John considers Hostas as the perfect perenial and I am sure he will have tips on how to combat slugs and snails I look forward to that!The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall

 Wednesday January 11th 2023

Light refreshments will be served

Doors open at 7.15pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Also at the meeting –

Snowdrops – thanks to Gordon and Judith Rae will once again be on sale.

Subscriptions – A gentle reminder from Jane our programme secretary. Subs for 2023 (£20) are now due and she will be on hand to collect subscriptions, by cash, cheque or card.January might be the middle of winter but as the days lengthen the garden starts to grow. Now is a great time to plan for the coming gardening year and to order seeds and plants. Enjoy the fresh air, on dry sunny days, and check your winter protection, stakes, ties and supports are still working after any severe weather. Also put out food for birds and leave some garden areas uncut, a little longer, to provide shelter for wildlife in your garden.

Jobs for this month

1. Prune apple and pear trees

Pruning an apple or pear tree can be daunting for many gardeners. Rather than be put off completely or panic and inadvertently harm the tree back by excessive pruning, instead try our easy guide and enjoy a well-shaped, productive tree.

2.Clean pots and greenhouses ready for spring

Cleaning greenhouses, whether glass or plastic, greatly improves the growing environment for plants. By removing the algae, moss and grime it lets in more light and helps control pests and diseases too.

3. Dig over any vacant plots that have not been dug already

Soil cultivation or digging may be hard work but, if taken slowly, it need not be back-breaking. In fact, here we describe how it can often be omitted or at least minimised.

More jobs for this month

4. Disperse worm casts in lawns.

5.Inspect stored tubers of Dahlia, Begonia and Canna for rots or drying out.

6. Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch.

7. Start forcing rhubarb.

8. Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season.

9. Keep putting out food and water for hungry birds.

10.Make a polythene shelter for outdoor peaches and nectarines, to protect against peach leaf curl.

For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/January

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

September 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members

How rare is it that we have been locked out of our gardens due to excessive heat?

After 46 years in North Yorkshire I never thought I would pray for rain. But, balance is gradually returning with “good rain”  of repeated showers instead of cloudbursts, showing the amazing recovery abilities of, seemingly, dead grass. Early in August a full coach of us enjoyed a very interesting visit to Woolbeding Gardens, which included the Silk Route garden leading to the unique Heatherwick greenhouse, if you went on the visit or not it is worth looking at the link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQkvjpIkMXk which shows it in action.

An additional benefit was, both on the coach and at the gardens, members had the opportunity to mix  with members who they never had the opportunity of meeting previously, a big plus.

Again, our thanks to Vanessa for selecting and organising such a successful visit.

JOHN.

A little something to think about…..

The RHS are looking for volunteers for an experiment/ study on “Well-being” and the garden. As a gardeneing club we feel that the mental health benefits of the garden are really important and we are pleased to see them getting serious about research in this area   Link here…..

https://linktr.ee/rhs.wellbeing

Visits

An interesting invitation from The Chiddingfold Gardening Group.

 Jack Salway has kindly agreed to open his amazing subtropical garden to the public on the 18^th September. All ticket proceeds will go to St Mary’s Church, Chiddingfold.

Access to Jack’s garden is via the Combe Lane Allotments Car Park. Walk past the pitch with the allotments on your right hand side and Jack’s garden can be accessed at the end of the football pitch.

To control the number of people in Jack’s garden at any one time, we will be selling tickets for the period of 1-2.30pm, 2.30-4pm and 4-5pm. Tickets are £5 and under 16s go free. To control the number of people in Jack’s garden, it would help if you could buy a ticket in advance at www.eventbrite.co.uk search for Chiddingfold and you will find the event. Tickets will also be available on the day from the entrance to Jack’s garden from the Combe Lane football pitch.

August Meeting

Martyn Cox was the speaker for our Club Night lecture this month, and he treated us all to a very entertaining evening.

Firstly we learned just how long some of our vegetables have been around.  We saw mosaics from 300BC depicting bunches of asparagus that would not look out of place in today’s supermarkets.  We heard how dried peas were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun – clearly they were the food of kings.  And there are paintings of beetroot on the walls of Pompeii.

We also heard how some vegetables are celebrated – with tomato throwing festivals in Spain, the Hindhu worship of Basil, and how the Grecian athletes smeared onion juice on their bodies to increase their sporting prowess.

In a history a bit closer to home, we learned how carrots were promoted to the Brits in World War II – mainly because they were easy to grow.  They were said to improve the eyesight of pilots, and help you find your way round in the blackouts (all untrue, but useful propaganda).  And children deprived of sugar by rationing were given carrots on sticks instead of lollipops!

At the end we reflected on the fact that all the vegetables currently grown on our allotments and vegetable gardens have originated from abroad – many from ancient cultures and civilisations.  The humble veg patch is far more exotic than first meets the eye!

More details of this talk can be found on our website www.grayshottgardeners.net

September Meeting

We are delighted to welcome the celebrated garden designer Ann-Marie Powell to present our Key Note lecture this month.

Her talk – ‘The New Gardens at RHS Hilltop Wisley’ will tell us about this amazing new development on our doorstep!

How lucky we are to live and garden in Grayshott.

Plant of the Month

Japanese Anemone

Although called the Japanese Anemone, it comes from central China in the province Hubei and is a member of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae).

The capital of Hubei is Wuhan –  remember that?

The Japanese Anemone is a reliable, robust, herbaceous perennial which will grace any late summer, early autumn border.

The striking flowers born on upright stems 2-5 feet tall maybe the purest white, pink to near purple, some flushed with a grey-blue reverse.

All have centres of bright yellow stamens, much favoured and pollinated by a wide range of insects.

There are single, semi double and double varieties available.

 Cultivation dates back 11-1200 years in China, but was not introduced into Europe until the 1800s.

Japanese Anemones are easy to grow and reliable in full sun or partial shade. They favour a rich soil which does not dry out. This year (2022) ours have suffered from the prolonged dry weather and are shorter, and have far fewer and much smaller flowers.

Plants in good conditions will spread easily and may be divided by splitting clumps in Spring or propagated by root cuttings in late Autumn, early winter.

Varieties which have thrived in Grayshott are:-

A.‘Honorine Jobert’, –  single  pure white

      A ‘Hadspen Abundance’pink

1. ‘Wild Swan’ attractive blue grey reverse.

Jobs for this month

September is generally a cooler, gustier month than August and the days are noticeably shorter. While there’s not as much to do in the ornamental garden at this time of the year, if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you’ll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest. It’s also time to get out and start planting spring-flowering bulbs for next year and you can collect seeds for next summer’s colour too. Make the most of the remaining warmth while you can!

1.Divide herbaceous perennials

Dividing perennials regularly will ensure healthy, vigorous plants that will continue to perform year after year. It also offers the opportunity to multiply your plants.

2.Pick autumn raspberries

Harvest regularly, to get fruits at the peak of ripeness, when richly coloured, plump and easy to pull off. Pick on a dry day, so the berries aren’t wet.

3.Collect and sow seed from perennials and hardy annuals

Growing plants from seed is generally straightforward and inexpensive. It is an opportunity to increase the number of plants in your garden for free.

4. Dig up remaining potatoes before slug damage spoils them

5.    Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway

6.    Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if possible

7.    Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant watering

8.    Clean out cold frames and greenhouses so that they are ready for use in the autumn

9.    Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof netting

10.Plant spring flowering bulbs

    More details on all of these jobs can be found on the RHS website

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/september

In memory

The funeral for Gillian Rawcliffe will be held on Friday 2nd September 2022 at 11.30

Green Acres, Heatherley Wood, Grayshott Road, GU35 8LA

Please wear bright colours with  co-ordinated accessories etc  – those of you who knew Gill will appreciate this!

 No flowers but donations if desired to Alzheimers Research or  RNLI can be done via Grayshott – Gould & Chapman

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

August 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members

Congratulation again to the Shows Committee for a Summer show which attracted a record number of entries, which is also a thank you to club members for all your support, this gave us a record entry.

We must never forget to thank those members behind the scenes without whom the Show would not succeed, including another Successful Plant Sale. The sun which we were so happy with, to bring on our plants for the Show, appears to have outstayed it’s welcome, with the lack of rain now damaging our gardens.

I must apologise personally , as I thought it my duty to the club to create rain, I did my best with a rain dance, but alas it was a failure!

Look forward to meeting you at our next meeting on the 10th August.
JOHN.

Visits

Both the Woolbeding trip and the Special Wisley trip are now full.

Vanessa has opened a waiting list and has also asked that if you have booked but find that you cannot attend, please let her know to allow others to take your place.

Info from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email events@grayshottgardeners.net to reserve your place(s)

Volunteers needed

The committee would really appreciate help with the following jobs. Contact any one of us for more information.

Publicity – Short articles for local publications
Posters – distribution around the village

Communications – Distribution of emails to members

General Secretarial duties – support for the chairman.
Plants sales – support for Jan Bebbington

July Meeting

In July we welcomed Peter Moore to Grayshott Gardeners, to talk to us about Buddlejas – something he is very well qualified to do, as keeper of the National Collection of this Genus at Longstock Nursery in Hampshire. He started developing the collection in 1993, and by sourcing cuttings and seed from around the world has built it up to an impressive display of international acclaim.

Peter took us through what he considers to be the best garden-worthy varieties. He warned us that some species don’t quite live up to their advertising hype. The Buzz Series, for example, is free flowering but not the dwarf variety that it was initially billed as. They can reach 2 meters in height – enough to block most windows if planted in a flower bed just outside!

He showed us what a wide range of flower colours are available, from the darkest purple through to magentas, reds and pinks, and they can be upright or have a weeping form. Leaves can be plain or variegated – and some flowers can be variegated too, like the new introduction “Berries and Cream”. Most of the garden varieties are hardy in the UK, but a few special ones need a glasshouse to overwinter them successfully

August Meeting

This month we are delighted to welcome Martyn Cox to speak to us.
His talk ‘The Secret History of Vegetables’, sounds fascintaing and I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Martyn is a prolific garden writer and author with a tiny, but plant packed garden in East London. Martyn writes a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday and monthly for Grow it! His work regularly features in BBC Gardeners’ World, The English Garden, Grand Designs and Sainsbury’s Magazine.

The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall

Wednesday August 10th 2022

Light refreshments will be served and there will be plants on sale as well as secondhand books

Doors open at 7.30pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Summer Show

Building on the great success of our Spring Show this year, we made a few changes to the arrangements, allowing a bit more time for entries to be displayed and a bit more space for refreshments and the plant sale.

More time was much appreciated by those entrants with a lot of entries, and overall we had 282 wonderful exhibits. In the ten years before Covid, the number averaged around 250, so a huge thank you to all who entered. For those who contributed for the very first time – we
know it can a bit nerve wracking, and do hope you enjoyed it, ready for next time!

More space for the refreshments was welcomed by all, and using the Studio allowed for a great display of some lovely plants to take home for your gardens.

Given the combination of the hot weather, the attraction of a Ladies Wimbledon Tennis Final on TV and the Hampton Palace Garden Festival enjoying its final day, our footfall of members and visitors was naturally impacted – that said, feedback was very positive and clearly everyone enjoyed themselves, with most people having a flutter on the raffle too.

The award winners were:

Trophy	Winner
Davies Rose Cup	Dennis Homer
Smith Cup	Jill Meech
Davies Tankard	Lynne Callender
Mike Hallt Cup	Gordon Rae
Littlejohn Rose Bowl	Lynne Callender
Novice Cup	Lynne Callender
Banksian Medal	Lynne Callender
Floral Arrangement Trophy	Sue Erler
Home Produce Cup	Jill Meech
Best in Show Plate	Gilly Coleman
Photography Prize	Diana Grant
Juniors under 8	Grace Strowger

Plant of the Month – Hydrangea

However mundane the Hydrangea may be considered as a garden plant there is one for many different garden situations, be it is for sun, shade, shrub or climbers, deciduous, or

evergreen. You can even make them change colour from pink to blue and vice versa.

There are about 80 species of Hydrangeas around the world. Most are native to the Himalayas, China and Japan, but
H. arborescens is native to NE USA and the evergreen species, H. Integerrima comes from Chile.

We have four species growing happily in our Grayshott garden.
H. macrophylla is the common pink and blue Hydrangea recognised by most people. There are two separate groups within H. macrophylla the ‘Hortensia’ or ‘mopheads’ and the ‘lace caps’ with flat opens heads.

These can be persuaded to change colour. In acid soil the flowers are blue, in alkaline soils the flowers are pink.

H. petiolaris, the climbing hydrangea is best planted at the base of a rough barked tree on to which the aerial roots may cling.

They may take time to establish, as did ours against a Scotts pine, but is now 50 – 60 feet high.

Each year it rewards us with a show of white/cream flower heads and beautiful, butter yellow foliage in the Autumn

H. paniculata has, as the name suggests, impressive, terminal panicles of white flowers.

H. quercifolia with it’s more open habit and oak-like leaves has darker green, reddish leaves and grows well in shade with good autumn colour.

Hydrangeas are best suited to organic rich, moisture retentive soils, responding well to an annual spring mulch.

August is usually one of the hottest months of the year – making watering essential. Try to use grey water wherever possible, especially as water butts may be running low if it has been a dry summer. August is traditionally holiday-time, so you might need to enlist the help of friends and family to look after the garden while you are away. When you are at home, take the time to prune Wisteria and summer- flowering shrubs such as lavender once they’ve finished flowering.

Jobs for the Month

1. Prune Wisteria

Wisteria needs regular pruning to keep the growth and size under control, but it will also improve the flowering display. Although it seems complicated, wisteria pruning is quite simple if you follow our simple guide.

2. Don’t delay summer pruning fruits trained as restricted forms.

Summer pruning is mainly for apples and pears trained as restricted forms. It will allow sunlight to ripen the fruit.

3. Deadhead flowering plants regularly.

Remove spent flowers as soon as they look scruffy – thankfully, a few days delay won’t make a difference. The simplest method is to just pinch off the faded blooms with finger and thumb.

4. Water containers and new plants, preferably with grey recycled water or stored rainwater

5. Collect seed from garden plants

6. Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as they become ready

7. Continue cutting out old fruited canes on raspberries

8. Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners

9. Keep ponds and water features topped up

10. Feed the soil with green manures

More details on all of these jobs can be found on the RHS website

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/ august

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

July 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members

Wonderful Sun!

But oh for some rain!

We gardeners are like farmers too little or too much we are never satisfied. However, This weather has encouraged our gardens to produce it’s fruits all ready to enter our Summer Show. If you have not entered before visit our website, go to “Photo Gallery” scroll down to “Summer Show 2019” and look at the pictures which may give you ideas.

You will even see our President proud of his “failure”. Please try to enter at least one class, you might win the silver egg cup like our President!

Looking forward to seeing you on the 9^th July at our summer Show.

JOHN.

Our chairman, John Price ready for action on the Grayshott Gardeners stall at the PIG day celebrations in June

Stop Press

The Plant Sale at the Summer Show has a new home.

It will be in the Studio at the Village Hall. This is the building to the left of the main hall – used to be the library .

This means there will be more space for you to enjoy a cuppa and a slice of cake in the small hall as usual.

Visits

The last chance to grab a ticket for this rather special trip

Friday 5th August 2022

• Door to door service on our private coach
• Exclusive welcome presentation on arrival.
• New for 2022- The Silk Route garden (plants from the ancient trade route designed by Fergus Garret from Great Dixter)

Cost £25 per head. £10 deposit required

Info from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email events@grayshottgardeners.net to reserve your place(s)

June Meeting

Our June speaker was Professor Dave Goulson, who gave us an insight into the lives of some of the tiny creatures that live in our gardens, and gave us tips on how to garden so that we can encourage as many of them as possible to flourish.

Life on earth needs insects to continue – without them our ecosystems would rapidly collapse.   And insects are in trouble, with well documented declines in many species, particularly those that are habitat specialists. 

Chairman, John Price with Programme secretary Sue Wheeler and Dave Goulson

Gardeners may think of themselves as “green”, but when you consider that the average trip to the Garden Centre results in the purchase of a plant that has been grown in peat, in a heated greenhouse, treated with insecticide, in a disposable plastic pot it is obvious that changes need to be made.

Dave gave us some steps to maximise the insect life in our gardens.  Use plants with open flowers.  Reimagine weeds as wild flowers. Mow less.  Build bug hotels to provide homes for insects. Plant flowering trees – which can provide continuity of food supply for insects from March through to June.  AND STOP USING PESTICIDES. Simple!

Dave has some very useful and entertaining videos on YouTube if you want to find out more.

July Meeting

After the talk last month on making our gardens more insect friendly it seems very appropriate that this month we have a Buddleja  expert, Peter Moore, coming to Grayshott to prsent a talk entitled ‘Beautiful Buddlejas’.

Peter Moore has been propagating plants for many years and now holds the National Collection of Buddlejas at Longstock Gardens. In Spring 2016 there were 164 different Buddleja in the collection and now maybe there are more.

The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall

 Wednesday July13th 2022

Light refreshments will be served and there will be plants on sale as well as secondhand books.

Doors open at 7.30pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Summer Show

Looking forward to the Summer Show!

Saturday 9th July 2pm – 4pm

Grayshott Village Hall

Time flies, it’s been three months since the Spring Show, and we’ve had plenty of sunshine and rain to help our gardens grow in that time.  Bugs and slugs have grown too, though hopefully there are still some beautiful things in your garden you would like to show. As well as the plants, flowers and vegetables, please do share your culinary skills and enter the home produce classes.

Entry forms are in your handbook and also on the website – please give your completed forms to Tanchoux by 5pm on Thursday 7^th, or send as an attachment to shows@grayshottgardeners.net.

As a reminder, there is a change of arrangements on Show Day – please can entrants come along to the hall  with their exhibits from 8.40 until 10am (rather than from 9 until 10.20am).  If you are intending to enter a lot of classes, we can accommodate you coming along to the hall earlier than 8.40am, which we hope will make things a bit less frenetic for you!

As well as some super exhibits to view, there will be a plant sale and some mouth-watering cakes to sample with your tea or coffee. A lovely way to spend an afternoon!

Please do contact Pamela at shows@grayshottgardeners.net if you have any questions.

Items of Interest

Update on our Data Privacy Statement

You may remember that back in 2018, we issued a Data Privacy Statement to all of our members. Time and legislation moves on, and we have updated our privacy statement accordingly.

We have now included our privacy statement on the website – it can be found on the Membership page.

Should you have any questions, please contact our Data Controller, Alan Wright at admin@grayshottgardeners.net

The Green Hub Project for Teens

We are on the hunt for some more garden volunteers – might this be something that you’d be interested in? Or maybe someone you know? 

 We have 3 adult volunteers at each of our two Saturday sessions (they last about 2 hours), guiding teens on garden and craft projects. We would be delighted to receive some more applications from people keen to join our Saturday team.

More information of this very worthy cause can be found on their website www.greenhub.org.uk

Plant of the Month

Hoheria Sexstylosa ‘Stardust’

Although bought as a ‘compact shrub’ our Hoheria is now a good 20 feet tall and best described as an upright tree.

Hoheria or Ribbonwood or Lacebark is a member of the Mallow family and is a native of both islands of New Zealand.

It has several outstanding garden features, two being the evergreen, toothed, glossy, dark green leaves held throughout the year and the clusters of pure white, fragrant flowers with their prominent anthers and stamens.

Hoherias will grow in a wide range of soils, including our more acid, sandy soil in Grayshott and will tolerate full sun and partial shade. Although we do not do it, a winter mulch to protect the roots is often recommended.

Hoherias are generally free from both pests and diseases and require a little pruning. If pruning is required, it is best done in Spring or after flowering, when the semi ripe cuttings can be used for propagation.

Butterflies and other insects are attracted to Hoheria.

Our Hoheria is beginning to outgrow its allotted space, but our garden would be the poorer without its elegant shape, evergreen habit and the reliable profusion of white blossom every summer

Jobs for this month

1. Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials, to ensure continuous flowering.

Keep plants looking attractive and encourage more blooms, whether in beds and border, containers or hanging baskets.

2. Care for houseplant while on holiday.

Most houseplants will tolerate a few days’ absence without suffering, but absences of more than a week call for some creative measures to provide valuable moisture in the right quantity.

3. Water tubs and new plants if dry, but be water-wise.

Watering is one of the most important jobs when growing plants in containers. Roots need a balance of air and water to grow well which is easy to provide if you have a good quality compost or soil.

4. Check clematis for signs of clematis wilt

5. Pick courgettes before they become marrows

6. Treat apple scab

7.Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up

8. Order catalogues for next year’s spring-flowering bulbs

9. Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed, especially if not given a spring feed

10. Harvest apricots, peaches and nectarines

And the most important job of all – select and prepare all your exhibits for the Summer Show.

More details on all of these jobs can be found on the RHS website

Looks like quite a busy month in the garden!

More details on all of these jobs can be found on the RHS website.

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

June 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Plant Sale, Jan took on a difficult task and all who helped by either donating plants or buying them should be congratulated on raising £3,000 for our funds. 

We have always relied on a good plant sale to strengthen our finances which enables us to keep our subscriptions low as well as attracting great speakers.

We now look forward to our next big event The Summer Show, please support Pamela and her team by entering the various competitions on the 9^th July.

By the way look out for us on PiG day, we will have a stall in the car park promoting the club.

JOHN

May Meeting

 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

This month we welcomed back Pamela Holt, a judge at our Spring Show, to hear her insights into the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

Pamela was a student at Kew in the 1970’s. She also went on several plant hunting trips for the gardens.

Pamela started by explaining the derivation of the name Kew – originally Cayo – which describes a dock (Cay or Quay) on a spur of land (Ho – like in Westward Ho!) on the River Thames in West London.  The Royal connection comes from its founder Princess Augusta, mother of George III.  And the Gardens (note the plural) comes from the fact that it is actually an amalgamation of several gardens.

It was a really interesting evening and Pamela gave us lots of reasons to go and visit the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew very soon.

June Meeting

We are delighted to welcome back Dave Goulson to speak at our meeting this month.

Dave, Author of Sting in a Tale, first came to Grayshott in 2016 when he gave us a fascinating talk on Bumblebees.

This time his lecture is entitled ‘My Jungle Garden – gardening to save the planet’ and will be all about making our green spaces more insect and wildlife friendly.

There are already a myriad of small creatures that live in our gardens but with a few minor changes we can encourage even more and Dave will tell us how and also explain just why this is so important.

The meeting will be held in Grayshott Village Hall , on  Wednesday June 8th 2022

Light refreshments will be served and there will be a secondhand book sale

Doors open at 7.30pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Summer Show

We’re looking forward very much to our Summer Show, and I’m sure there will be some great exhibits in all classes.

As a trial to make things easier for everyone involved , we’re changing the arrangements slightly.  Please can entrants come along to the hall  with their exhibits from 8.40 until 10am (rather than from 9 until 10.20am). 

If you are intending to enter a lot of classes – firstly a big thank you, secondly, we can accommodate you coming along to the hall earlier than 8.40am, which we hope will make things a bit less frenetic!

Please do contact Pamela at shows@grayshottgardeners.net if you have any questions.

Enjoying the rain…

 Pamela

Grayshott Gardeners Outings

A great time was had by all when we visited Millais Nurseries last month.

All aboard our coach to Woolbeding Gardens

Door to door service on our private coach

Exclusive welcome presentation on arrival with refreshments

New for 2022 – the Silk Route garden (plants from the ancient trade route designed by Fergus Garret from Great Dixter)

Cost £25 per head.  £10 per head deposit required.

Info from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email events@grayshottgardeners.net to reserve your place(s)

Calibrachoa

An article on this plant featured in Grayshott Today earlier this year. There is no apology for including it in our newsletter. Calibrachoa is an outstanding summer plant for a Grayshott gardener, especially for a container or a hanging basket.

‘Miniature Petunias on speed’ is the nearest description I can dream up for Calibrachoa.

The plants are full of multicoloured flowers from late April until autumn, growing best in a sunny position. It does not need any deadheading.

Calibrachoa is a plant that is well visited by both bees and butterflies.

Intensive hybridisation in recent years has led to a wide variety of colours being available

Having a a trailing habit Calibarchoa is ideal for pots, hanging baskets or cascading over a wall.

As it was so successful last year in our garden, fresh plants have already been bought for 2022. Calibrachoa plants are inexpensive and reliable in a sunny position.

If you have not grown it before it is suggested that you might like to give it a go.

Jobs for the month

1. Position summer hanging baskets and containers outside

Choose vibrant bedding plants for a short-term show or herbs, shrubs and evergreens for a long-lasting display.

2. Be water-wise, especially in drought-affected areas

Watering is key to growing plants well, so here we look at how to get it just right. This not only means providing the water our gardens need, but using it wisely.

3. Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes

Removing the side-shoots is simple – every time you water, check the plant for any shoots sprouting just above each leaf, from the joint between the leaf and the stem.

4. Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads      and early potatoes

5. Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds

6. Mow lawns at least once a week – but consider leaving some areas uncut for wildlife

7.Plant out summer bedding

8. Stake tall or floppy plants

9. Prune many spring-flowering shrubs

10. Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and prevent scorch

Looks like quite a busy month in the garden!

More details on all of these jobs can be found on the RHS website

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

May 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members, 

Following our very successful Spring Show, at last the real Spring has decided to join us!

In a week’s time on 7th May we are holding our Annual Plant Sale in the Village Hall. Enormous effort has been made to provide you with a wide range of plants at bargain prices. The Sale starts at 10am and finishes at 11.30am. 

If you want more tips on collecting plants, then join us for our next speaker Pamela Holt, former “Plant Collector for The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew” who will be speaking to us on Wednesday 11th May at 7.30 for 8pm.

Happy planting.

JOHN.

Grayshott Gardener’s Plant Sale

Saturday May 7th 2022

Grayshott Village Hall

10am – 11.30am

A word of warning: queues start to form well before the doors are open!

There are a number of ways members can help:-

1. Any plants from your garden, after splitting, need to be potted up in good compost and taken to Jan Bebbington before Friday 6th May to give time to put them through sorting-tidying-pricing process. As such no plants can be accepted on Friday or Saturday (the day of the sale)

2. If you have suitable transport to help move plants from Jan’s to the Village Hall at 6 pm Friday that would be appreciated. Please contact Jan if you can help.

3. Please bring cash preferably or cheques to pay for the plants also bags to take away your plants.

4. Most importantly –

TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS.

More information from Jan Bebbington: plantsales@grayshottgardeners.net

May Meeting

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Our speaker this month is Pamela Holt. A Horticulturist since leaving school, Pamela has worked variously in private gardens, nurseries, garden centres, the Home Office, Horticultural Colleges and for Local Authorities.

She trained at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with Alan Titchmarsh and taught Charlie Dimmock whilst a lecturer in Somerset. An intrepid traveller Pamela has collected plants in Peru and Bolivia for Kew.

Kew Gardens has one of the most diverse collections of living plants of any botanic garden in the world.

Grayshott Village Hall

 Wednesday May 11th 2022

Light refreshments will be served and there will be a secondhand book sale

Doors open at 7.30pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

April Meeting

Last month our lecture was given by our very own President – Gordon Rae VMH.

At the beginning of the Covid 19 Pandemic, when we were all locked down and confined to our homes and gardens, Gordon got out his notebook and his camera and started to record events as they unfolded.  He took thousands of photographs of the plants that grow in his garden (and if they grow in his Grayshott Garden, then there’s a good chance they will also grow in yours).  And he also noted the extraordinary milestones of the time – from the shortage of loo rolls, to the roll out of the vaccine, the rule of six and all those family gatherings in gardens and carparks.

Gordon also shared some of the cards he had received from family members. One of which really made me smile – the sender obviously knew Gordon very well!

A full report of his talk can be found on our website

www.grayshottgardeners.net

Spring Show

Our first show for three years was a great success.

A very big thank you to all of our entrants, who between them provided almost 200 wonderful exhibits.  A great effort on such a frosty morning for the plants and flowers, and also some beautiful crafts and tasty home produce. The super quality of the exhibits gave the judges quite a challenge!

Please see below for the award winners:-

Spring Cup                          Judith Rae

Gardeners Cup                  Judith Rae

Denyer Cup                         Sue Erler

Gladys Willmott Cup        Jill Meech

Novice Cup                         Alan Wright

Whitehouse Cup               Judith Rae

Best in Show             Sue Erler

Craft Prize                           Margaret Stokes

Juniors Under 8                 Florence Strowger

Sue Erler with her beautiful prize winning exhibit.

And thank you to all those who came along in the afternoon to enjoy the scrumptious cakes with tea, buy a book or a plant and take a chance with a raffle ticket.

With members and guests, there were 181 people, our best attendance for some years.

Roll on July 9^th and our Summer Show!

Thank you to those budding bakers who have asked for clarification on the tin size for the Lemon Drizzle cake recipe, class 67. 

The tin to be used is a 2lb loaf tin, we appreciate these come is slightly different sizes and this is fine.

Any questions, please contact Pamela Wright at

shows@grayshottgardeners.net

Grayshott Primary School

We have received a request from a governor of Grayshott Primary School (Tim Roberson) asking for guidance and advice on planting flowers and vegetables in the school garden.

The emphasis is on guidance!

Sue Wheeler is prepared to advise on plants, but we need a volunteer to advise on growing vegetables, can you help please?

The actual work is being carried out by PTA members, Governors and Parents, during the school summer holidays.

As the Village’s gardening club I hope we can help. You might be advising a future member of Grayshott Gardeners!

Please contact me for further information. JOHN   chair@grayshottgardeners

Plant of the Month

Madeira Orchid – Dactylorhiza foliosaThe meeting will be held in

It is a misconception. Orchids are not difficult to grow in a Grayshott garden.

If you wish to try, there are two which have proven themselves in our garden. Dactylorhiza and some varieties of Cypripedium, the Lady’s Slipper Orchid. Dactylorhiza foliosa, the Madeira Orchid, was the first we attempted some years ago and it is grown well and flowered regularly.

It is a native of Madeira, growing in damp woodlands and open grassland. It is in an herbaceous perennial producing bright green, shiny lance shaped leaves and conspicuous spikes a bluish/rosy pink flowers in May/June.

It is easy to grow in a well-drained damp humus rich soil, ideally with its feet in the shade and its head in the sun. It will tolerate a wide range of soil types from acid to alkaline. Dactylorhiza  will bulk up and can be divided in the autumn

The Madeira Orchid is fully hardy and will benefit from an autumn/ winter mulch.

After Dactylorhiza move onto Cypripediums which will cost you a little more for each plant!

Jobs for the month

1. First and foremost

Watch out for late frosts. Protect tender plants

Frost can affect many plants, and is particularly damaging to tender new growth and blossom in the spring. The risks of frost damage can be reduced by taking some simple steps to protect the plants in your garden.

2.Earth up potatoes, and promptly plant any still remaining.

Especially the ones you are growing for the Potato Competition in July

Potato plants need ‘earthing up’ as they grow, to protect early shoots from frost damage and ensure the developing potatoes aren’t exposed to light, which turns them green and poisonous.

3.Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month (except in cold areas)

4.Water early and late to get the most out of your water, recycle water when possible

5.Regularly hoe off weeds

6.Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days

7.Mow lawns weekly – but consider leaving some areas uncut for wildlife

8.Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges

9.Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs

10.Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grub

The above list was taken from the RHS website where you can also get more information on each topic.

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

April 2022

From the Chair

Dear Members,

What a difference a month makes!

From storms and collapsing trees and fences, to hot sunshine. I was in Madeira last week admiring their early spring flowers, reflecting how slow spring seems to be this year at home. Then to our amazement on returning, find sunshine and warmth equal to Madeira with surprising growth in the garden having taken place in our absence.

This must be a good omen for our first spring show for three years on the 9^th April. Pamela and her committee have been working for weeks to ensure we match previous high standards, so please give your support in entering one of the classes to make it a show to remember.

On May 7th we have our first Plant Sale for three years. Again, Jan has been working hard, but needs further support in nurturing plants which she has potted up to meet the sale.

Many hands make light work, please help if you can.

I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on the 13^th April, when our speaker will be our very own President Gordon Rae, the title of his presentation is My Corona Diary 2020-21.

Knowing Gordon it will be interesting!

Best wishes.

JOHN.

Spring Show

Counting down to 9^th April…

 Yes, it’s time to prepare for the Spring Show.  There’s plenty of activity going on behind the scenes – thanks to all those who have volunteered to help with the cakes; there will be a plant sale and a raffle; plus a new venture of a sale of second hand gardening books.  If you do have any books you would like to contribute, please contact Helen on comms@grayshottgardeners.net.

Hopefully there’s also plenty of activity in your gardens.  Some rain this week and some sunshine forecast – those beautiful plants, veg and blooms should be perfect for the day!  Not forgetting of course the indoor enterprises of creating craft and delectable home produce.

Entry forms are in your handbook and also on the website – please give your completed forms to Tanchoux by 5pm on Thursday 7^th, or send as an attachment to shows@grayshottgardeners.net.

Any questions, please contact Pamela Wright at shows@grayshottgardeners.net and we look forward to seeing you all there!

April Meeting

Gordon Rae, our esteemed President, will be telling us all about what he got up to during those lockdown months – should be interesting!The meeting will be held in

Grayshott Village Hall

 Wednesda April 13th 2022

Doors open at 7.30pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.

Plant Sale

The Plant Sale this year is to be held in the Village Hall on May 7th

Jan Bebbington and her team still need PLANTS and plenty of them!

Help needed please

1. For more divided or propagated plants

2. Potting up and offering to grow on and re-pot plug plants arriving after 11th April

3. Transporting plants to the Village Hall prior to the Spring Show and Plant Sale ie evening of 8th April and 6th May – large car essential!

Jan  will be on hand at the next meeting to take names and give advice.

March Meeting

Grayshott Gardeners were very pleased to welcome Matthew Wilson – Garden Designer, Writer, Television and Radio broadcaster – to give our club night lecture this month.  It was his first talk IRL (in real life) since Covid restrictions eased. Naturally, no sign of first night nerves. 

He was so delighted to be talking to ‘real people’ again that he asked if he could take a picture of us all and put it on his instagram page – fame at last for Grayshott Gardeners.

Plant of the Month

Erythroniums, of which there are over 20 species, are members of the Lily family and native to Europe and especially North America.

The Dog Tooth Violet is named as such on account of the ‘roots’ being long and toothlike. They are edible and eaten as a vegetable.

Erythroniums are hardy, spring flowering perennials, with both attractive leaves and flowers providing good ground cover. As shade loving natives of temperate forests and meadows they prefer a moist, well-drained soil, do not take kindly to becoming dried out and benefit from mulching.

Their distinctive pendant flowers have swept back (recurved) petals (tepals) which come in a range of colours, white, pale cream, yellow, light and dark pink to mauve.

Erythronium ’Pagoda’, ‘White Beauty’, ‘Revolutum’ and the Harrington Hybrids all do well in our Grayshott gardens.

Obituaries

We are very sad to let you know that Sybil Saunders has passed away.  Sybil was a very long standing and enthusiastic member of Grayshott Gardeners and will be sorely missed by us all.

We send our sincere condolences to Roger and her family.

Jobs for April

1. Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wild flower seed outdoors

2. Protect fruit blossom from late frosts

3. Tie in climbing and rambling roses

4. Keep weeds under control

5. Start to feed citrus plants

6. Increase the water given to houseplants

7.Feed hungry shrubs and roses

8. Sow new lawns or repair bare patches

9. Prune fig trees

The above list was taken from the RHS website where you can also get more information on each topic.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/march

Garden Visits

Join us for an exclusive tour of

Millais Nursery Garden, Churt

Just a few spaces left

Tuesday 17th May            5.30pm—7pm

Cost £5 per head. 
In aid of the National Garden Scheme Charity

Some ideas for Future visits

Hilliers, Romsey

Borde Hill, Haywards Heath

Houghton Lodge, Stockbridge

Arundel Castle

Coverwood Lakes, near Shere

Beechenwood Farm, Odiham

 Wisley

Munstead, Godalming

More Information from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email: events@grayshottgardeners.net

Grayshott Gardeners Newsletter

March 2022

FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Members,

I hope your homes and gardens survived the storms without too much damage.

I am pleased to say I can guarantee Dudley, Eunice and Franklin will not be visiting our gardens again, but as yet I have not heard what Gladys is up to!

Sadly, our Secretary Anne Butler has resigned her position after 3 years of serving on the committee, for which we thank her for her really excellent work  and I look forward to seeing her at future club evenings.

We now have a vacancy and I would be pleased to hear from anyone who might have an interest in learning more about the secretarial role, please call me on 01428 482750 or email me at <chair@grayshottgardeners.net>.

Currently apart from general admin we have 5 Committee meetings a year which require the taking of minutes.

I am pleased to report that the video recording of our last speaker Harry Baldwin (see report elsewhere in this Newsletter) has already received 68 hits, so it appears that those unable to come to our meetings are enjoying the presentations.

Lastly and by no means least, a big thank you to Gordon and Judith for once again opening their garden for us all to view their beautiful snowdrops, for which the weather was amazingly good.

Best wishes John

MARCH MEETING

Our next meeting on the 9^th March is a Keynote Lecture by Matthew Wilson, so why not invite your friends? We are pleased to inform you on that night catering will be back to normal.

Matthew is an award-winning garden and landscape designer, writer, radio and television broadcaster and lecturer. He has designed two show gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  In 2016, his show garden, entitled ‘God’s own country – A garden for Yorkshire’ was sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire, and was inspired by the East Window at York Minster, the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain.   

His garden won the esteemed People’s Choice Award at the show, and his talk will all be about getting a show garden ready for Chelsea and is entitled   ‘My Chelsea Story’

As this is one of our Key Note lectures  members can attend at no additional charge to their membership fee, however should you wish to bring a guest, there is a charge of £8. Guests who are members of inter-village clubs will be charged £5.

BORDE HILL GARDEN

Why not join Harry Baldwin, head of horticulture at Borde Hill, on a free, hour-long guided tour of the garden?

The tour will focus primarily on the garden’s impressive collection of magnolias, some of which were collected by the great plant hunters of the 1900s and are now Champion Trees.

Tickets are included in the garden admission – adults £10.50, children £7

Tour dates: 29th March and 5th April

Booking is essential at www.bordehill.co.uk

FEBRUARY MEETING

Harry Baldwin made a welcome return to Grayshott Last month to present his most interesting talk ‘The World of Oaks’

Oaks have been important for humans since ancient times – many cultures developed with acorns as a staple to their diet.  And their wood has been used for centuries, to build cathedrals, ships and shaft props in the coal mines.

England is blessed with many ancient oaks – more than elsewhere in Europe.  This may well be because our Royal Forests and Deer Parks, made fashionable by William the Conqueror, allowed commoners to collect wood, but not to cut the trees, thus preserving them for future generations.  Some of these trees are thought to be about 1000 years old.

We had a fascinating evening listening and learning about oaks.  Some of us might even have been converted to Quercophiles!

SHOWS

We’re delighted to be preparing for our Spring Show – our first “in person” show since 2019!   It’s very exciting and it will be such a joy to welcome you all to the village hall to view the exhibits, partake in a cup of tea with a scrumptious slice of homemade cake, maybe buy a plant or two…..Talking of exhibits, please don’t be shy! Please do enter as many classes as you can – there are many opportunities to show your beautiful plants, veg and blooms, perhaps some craft you’ve created in those long days of lockdown, or some delicious produce inspired by “bake off”.  If you’ve any questions, please do contact Pamela Wright on      shows@grayshottgardeners.net.

On the topic of baking, we offer an apology – the recipe for the Coffee and Walnut cake has a mistake in it.  The ingredients for the cake and the topping include 50ml of strong black coffee.  We’ve translated this quantity to 3 teaspoons, which is not right.  It would be 2.81 tablespoons, but please just ignore the spoon mistake, and stick to 50ml.   I’m sure it will taste delicious – happy baking!

VISITS

Join us for an exclusive tour of Millais Nursery Garden, Churt One of the country’s leading specialist rhododendron growers, with 5 consecutive RHS Flower Show ‘Golds’

Tuesday 17th May            5.30pm—7pm

Explore the newly remodelled garden
See mature Rhododendrons in their prime

Purchase plants at 10% discount

Tour the propagation unit (optional)

Light refreshments served on arrival

Cost £5 per head. 
In aid of the National Garden Scheme Charity (Places are limited)

Information from Vanessa Thompson at a club night or email: events@grayshottgardeners.net  to reserve your place

JOBS FOR THIS MONTH

1. Prune bush and climbing roses.

2. Plant shallots, onions and early potatoes.

3. Plant summer-flowering bulbs.

4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials. (See plant sale article)

5. Top dress containers with fresh compost.

6. Mow the lawn on dry day (if needed).

7. Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems.

8. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control.

9. Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain : remove pond heaters.

10.Protect new spring shoots from slugs.

The above list was taken from the RHS website where you can also get more information on each topic. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/march

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Subscription Payments

Our membership secretary would like to remind you that subscriptions should be paid by the end of March.

As a reminder, its £20 for the year and if you would like to pay on a club night, cash would be appreciated.

Village Hall wifi connection

For those members who would like to be on line while at the hall.

PLANT SALE

We are planning a Plant Sale this year to be held in the Village Hall on May 7th

For this we will need PLANTS and plenty of them!

Please help by

1. Potting up any perenials you have been splitting.

2. Offer to grow on and re-pot plug plants provided by the club.

Jan Bebbington will be on hand at the next meeting to take names and give advice.

Together we can make this a great event so please help if you can.