*Nick Bailey “365 Days Of Colour in the Garden\u201d See Page 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday 8th March for our very special Keynote lecture by Tony Kirkham<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News in General<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Membership<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The final date for payment of 2023 Annual Subscriptions is on Wednesday 8th<\/sup> March at our Club Night in Grayshott Village Hall when the \u00a320 payment by cash, cheque and card can be made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring Show<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that Spring appears to have sprung, hope you\u2019re all poring over the Show Schedules, ready for entering on 15th<\/sup> April \u2013 let\u2019s make it a show to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any questions, please contact Pamela Wright at shows@grayshottgardeners.net<\/a> and we look forward to seeing you all there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visits<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Munstead Wood Garden<\/strong> visit is now full. Vanessa has opened a waiting list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But some places are still available for<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beechenwood Farm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 1st April 1<\/strong>Information from Vanessa Thompson at a club night<\/em><\/strong> or email: events@grayshottgardeners.net to reserve your place<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chrysosplenium macrophyllum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Roy Lancaster told me that it is a very good \u2018thank you\u2019 plant to take to your host instead of chocolates or wine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plant is the Giant Golden<\/strong> Saxifrage<\/strong>(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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u201d-12\u201d) stems bursting from large swollen deep pink buds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flowers attract pollinating insects after flowering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each plant produces a mass of long strong growing stolons like the \u2018Day of the Triffids\u2019, 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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nick Bailey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tickets for this event cost \u00a310 and must be pre-booked as seating is limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go to: www.witleygardening.org Go to ‘next event’, Select ‘Celebrity speaker registration’, Fill in the form and submit<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proof of registration will be sent to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a310 is payable on the door on<\/p>\n\n\n\n We had the pleasure of welcoming Maggie Tran to our monthly meeting on February 8th to give us a fascinating talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘The Trowels and Tribulations of taking on an Historic Garden’<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2013 Great Dixter, Cambo gardens in Scotland, Sissinghurst, Kerdalo in Brittany, Tresco Abbey Gardens \u2013 Scilly\u2019s 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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, in 2018 she took on the formidable task of restoring the gardens at Bramdean House to its original splendour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a most entertaining and inspiring evening \u2013 well worth the effort of stepping out on a very cold and frosty evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bramdean House garden is open under the NGS on Sundays 19 February and 25 June (13:00 \u2013 15:30) Visits also by arrangement March to September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More information and pictures can be seen on our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n www.grayshottgardeners.net<\/p>\n\n\n\n This month we’ll be welcoming Tony Kirkham for our special Keynote lecture this month<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trees, a Cut Above The Rest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019 devoted service to the management of its trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tony joined the team at Kew as a supervisor after completing a diploma there \u2013 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\u2013200 more trees planted each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2018national treasures\u2019!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting will be held in<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grayshott Village Hall<\/strong> Wednesday March 8th 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Light refreshments will be served and there will be a raffle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Doors open at 7.15pm ready for the lecture to begin at 8pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring arrives (fingers crossed)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Prune bush and climbing roses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n These general tips for rose pruning will help you improve the health and lifespan of any rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Onions are such a versatile vegetable \u2013 they feature in so many recipes, and growing your own means you\u2019ll always have them to hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dont forget to plant your competition potatoes ready for the Summer Show on 15th July<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.Plant summer-flowering bulbs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bulbs make a fine display planted in containers or borders, especially daffodils, snowdrops and tulips in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More jobs for this month<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please pot some up ready for The Annual Plants Sale on 13th May<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.Top dress containers with fresh compost<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7.Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8.Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control early<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9.Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10.Protect new spring shoots from slugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get your magic mixture at the club night on March 8th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 … Continue reading Newsletter March 2023<\/span> Plant of the Month<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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