Autumn Newsletter

We are coming to the end of another busy year for the Society with a pleasing number of new Members.

The August Show was a success despite the erratic weather conditions experienced by both flower and vegetable growers and we must congratulate all exhibitors for their persistence and skill. Your Committee Members are taking a well-deserved breather before launching into next year’s programme.

Over the past year we have had an eclectic programme, starting with the fascinating talk from Chris Beardshaw in February. He was booked for a 45 minutes talk, but after 2 hours the audience did not seem in any mood for him to finish.

In May we held our Annual Dinner at The Golden Lion. All who attended agreed the meal was excellent and in pleasant surroundings. This was in lieu of the Christmas Meal as it was felt that there are possibly too many "Turkey and Christmas Pud" events at that time of year. If you have any comments regarding this please let us know, as we hope to return there next year. 

Another highlight of the year was a trip to Dibleys Nurseries where 30 Members were given a plug plant Streptocarpus, appropriately named ‘Charlotte’, to grow on for the August Show. This did prove a challenge and many Members, myself included, thought the plant would not flower in time. However, we had a wonderful display on the day with the winner being Mike Jarvis, one of our newest Members. Pat, our President, has requested that Members bring their plants to the June Show to show how they have flourished.

I think my favourite (but not from the organisation point of view) was the exclusive conducted tour of Eaton Hall Gardens in July. Fifty members and friends/family were allowed private access to the gardens and were shown round by the Head Gardener, Jan Lomas. The weather was kind to us and we spent 2½ hours gaining an insight into the workings of the gardens and the influence the Duchess has on the them.

Earlier in the year we had a talk on Propagation by our old favourite, Derek Jones, who sadly lost his wife in July. The Society was represented at her funeral and our sympathy was extended to the family. Despite this, Derek insisted on Judging at our main Show and for this we are very grateful.

Other talks were from Gordon Baillie, the Head Gardener at Arley Hall, about the Gardens at the Hall and a talk about Bumble Bees from George Pilkington. Did you know that only 25% of pollination is carried out by Honey Bees, the rest is by various Bumble Bees?

George has also developed a nest box for studying Solitary Bees and, as a ‘thank you’ to St. Peter’s School for allowing us to use their premises, the Society has purchased a nest box for the School to allow the pupils to study these creatures. They are called Solitary Bees because they do not swarm and have individual nests in the ground but they can be seen in large groups together; especially on a sunny day where the ground is sandy you will see what appears to be a swarm but each bee will be digging an individual hole in the ground for a nest.

On 23rd September we were due to have a talk on herbs from Pete Evans, who gave us a fascinating talk and demonstration of edible flowers last year. Unfortunately, Pete had to cancel at short notice due to ill health. Fortunately, we were able to secure the services of Louise Idoux, a trained herbalist from Oswestry Herbarium. Her talk was mainly on the medicinal side of herbs but did include some culinary uses. She concluded by making an infusion of valerian root, lime flower blossom, passion flower and lavender. Some of the braver Members tried a small sample of the infusion, with mixed reactions. Well worth another visit.

We still have to look forward to a visit from Summer Wynne, who will be running a workshop for a Christmas Table Decoration. Last year this was very popular with everyone joining in, including the husbands who had just come to keep their wife company. So come along and bring a selection of cones, berries, holly, ribbons etc. There will be a supply of dishes and oasis, together with scissors/secateurs, but you can bring your own, and have a go.

Our Horticultural year will end with talks in January and February from the popular Speaker, Goronwy Wynne, ’20 years on my Knees’ (collecting plants in Flintshire) followed by a talk on Butterflies and Dragonflies from Steve Palin of the Wildlife Trust.

Note: Don’t forget the AGM on 21st October. There will be cheese and wine supplied for the same price as a cup of tea and a biscuit (a real bargain!!), and the chance to have your say. If you are interested in joining the Committee or you know someone who is willing please contact Bob Bates or any Committee Member.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bob Bates
General Secretary