Newsletter May 2022

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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 9th 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.