Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - May 2005

Chairman: Charles Flawn
Secretary: Linda Hills-Harrop
Garden Hut Manager Cliff Thayer
Tour Manager Keith Gould

Guest editor Bryan Nicholson

Dear Member,
Meetings This month’s meeting will be at 8pm on Wednesday 18th in the Church Hall when we have Simon Croflands to tell us about our ‘Friends & Foes in the Garden’

The Garden Hut will be open on every Sunday from 10.00 am to 12 noon. Very important, you must show your Membership card. Growbags are still available while stocks last. Please purchase your requirements to make room for other items. There are still seasonable promotions of Leavingtons Complete Lawn Fertilizer available together with all other lawn care products. Pathclear sachets are now available. Also in stock Flower Circles for supporting plants; also a few maximum / minimum thermometers. We now have a good supply of garden canes including a new delivery of 8ft canes. Help in the hut is desperately needed as it is very difficult to find members prepared to give just 2 hours on a Sunday morning once in a while, Please come forward and offer us a helping hand.

Jane’s Garden Tips Most shrubs will be producing plenty of growth; these shoots are excellent for making softwood cuttings now and for a few months until the wood ripens. Take plenty of shoots about 3-4” long cutting just above a bud or leaf, trim the cutting with a sharp knife removing lower leaves, dip in hormone rooting compound and pop 5-6 cuttings into a pot containing a mix of compost, grit or vermiculite, water and cover with polythene, place in a cool place to root. Lightly trim evergreen hedges such as box (cuttings can be taken). While trimming be alert for box fungal disease (box blight), which is spreading throughout the UK and currently has no cure. The first sign is browning sometimes purple tinged leaf spotting, which will turn black and defoliate. The best advice is to remove affected leaves and branches and destroy. Prune back clematis Montana after flowering and tie in other climbers. Cut back and divide spring flowering perennials –doronicums, pulmonarias and primulas, after division replant in soil that has been revitalised with organic material. Trim back alyssum, ababis and aubrietia almost to the ground, fresh growth will soon appear. Prepare ground for summer bedding and begin to harden off these plants for planting out towards the end of the month. Sow spring flowering biennials –wall flowers, forget- me- knots and winter flowering pansies for next years spring displays. Continue to control weeds in the lawn either by using feed and weed or by treating individual weeds with a spot control, mow the lawn every week now. Prune out unwanted shoots on all raspberries. Continue successional planting of salad crops, leeks can be planted into individual holes. Plant out marrows, courgettes and squashes once the danger of frost has passed, plant into enriched soil allowing plenty of room for each plant. Plant out or sow in position all beans, outside tomatoes can also be put in position. Earth up potatoes as the shoots appear. Pinch out the tops of broad beans to prevent black fly.

Coach Outings - Can I bring to your attention the fact that I need to fill as many seats as possible, (40+) on the coach outings, in order to avoid having to cancel any of them. I would find that regrettable but the club would like, at least, to break even. Most of you, I am sure, have noticed the rapid increase in petrol prices (not to mention further rises to come!) – at my prices, it’s always going to be “cheaper by bus”. Plus, “Cliff’s Coaches” are so very comfortable, with hot/cold drinks available, so how about leaving that car behind and join us? Coaches leave Church Hall at 9am.
The JUNE outing to CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BOTANIC GARDENS (£16 each/22nd),may be the one for you! We begin with the tour at approx 1130am. This 40 acre oasis contains some 8000 plant species, including the glass house displays. There are several landscaped gardens, as well as a lake and also a picnic area. Refreshments can be purchased at the Gilmore site. Last year, I had to cancel this one, so I hope not to repeat that this time around. The cost at £16 includes the tour of the glasshouses.
JULY outing is to ABBEY HOUSE (£15-50 each / 27th) Malmsbury, Wilts. Although some of you went last year, I think it is well worth another visit, it being some 8 weeks later and those roses will be out! I, for one, have never seen so many plants and shrubs in one place. For those going for the first time, it’s a fabulous five acres, with a lovely river walk an abbey next door and the old town also to explore. You can picnic, or there are two pubs and plenty of other places to eat.
PAYMENT BY CHEQUES PLEASE to Chalfont St Peter Garden Club – bring bookings to the hut and hand to KEITH.GOULD, All post will be acknowledged by phone. Many thanks, Keith.
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Please Book me (… ) seats for Cambridge University Botanic Gdns. ( June 22nd ) @ £16 ea Total (£…… ..) inclusive of tour

Name…………………………………………… Address………………………………………………………………………………………………………Phone No.………………………
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Please Book me (… ) seats for Abbey Gdns. ( July 27th ) @ £15-50 ea Total (£…… ..)

Name…………………………………………… Address………………………………………………………………………………………………………Phone No.………………………

Spring Show Report 2004

Davis Cup Winner: - with the most points: - Mrs. P. Taylor.
Stop Press: This was a highly successful evening, our first with Jane Campbell as Show Secretary. The event was well attended, with excellent entries. There was a great spirit in the hall, helped on by excellent refreshments by Doris Grant and her team, and excellent wines organised by Cliff Thayer and his helpers. Results:

Photographic competition Class 1: M. Langtham; 2: C Blackburn; 3: B.Orr
Class 2: B. Nicholson; 2: C. Alford; 3: C. Flawn

Very many thanks to all who helped to make the Show a success, the Exhibitors, the Judges, and the Committee and all the helpers in the kitchen. Jane Campbell

OUR SUMMER SHOW 2005

You can be confident of being able to show anything this year as last year, with the usual new challenges in the Domestic and Floral Art sections of the show. Not too early to start encouraging youngsters among your family and neighbours to have a go at the Junior classes. Your schedule should reach you with the June newsletter. As an added attraction this year, we have asked the local beekeepers to come again. Their Secretary, Richard Simpson (01494-875105) says: ”Chalfonts Beekeepers’ Society will be showing a display hive and a wide array of bee products. Approximately 35% of their 50 beekeeping members live within bee-range of Chalfont St Peter, contributing C. 10 million bees in a season to pollination in the area. Since the advent of the pernicious varroa mite, wild bee colonies have died out, so beekeepers are all that stands between us and extinction for honeybees in the UK, and reduced pollination for producers” The Society produces an informative newsletter, a copy of which has been placed in our hut for you to look at.

Local Events. C.O.A. M. Special Events info: 01494-872163 or 871117
(Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, near Chalfont St. Giles ) www.coam.org.uk
30th May Medieval Pageant, ‘The Lion Rampant!’. June 3rd to 5th Country Homes and Gardens Show.

Gardens Open (normally 2 to 5 pm)

Thurs. 12th Gypsy Ho. Gt. Missenden 864912
The Plant Specialist, Gt. Missenden. 866681
Sun. 15th Fressingwood Lt. Kingshill
The White Ho. Denham Village
Sun 22nd Old Sun Ho. Pednor, Nr. Chesham
Sun 29th 2 gardens at The Lee, nr. Gt. Missenden
4 gardens at Quainton, nr. Waddesdon
Mon.30th 6 gardens at East Claydon, nr. Winslow.
June 2nd Homelands, Ellesborough, Nr Wendover, 01296 622306
Berkshire gardens open: May 17th to 19th 10am to 4pm Frogmore House garden, Windsor: for tickets, phone (02077-667305) These gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit.
Chelsea Flower Show Tuesday 24th to 28th Tickets, tel. no.0870-906-3781; RHS members 0870-906-3780
Open Gardens in aid of the Red Cross in Higher Denham, Community Hall, Lower Road, off Rectory Lane. Sunday 22nd May 12 noon to 6pm Tickets £3 in advance 01895-833408 or £3-50 on the day
The BLUEBELLS will be out in early May at the Harcourt Aboretum, part of the Oxford University Botanic Garden. The Arboretum is at Nuneham Courtenay, A4074, just south of the ring road tel. 01865-343501

Buyer Beware. Through the medium of this Newsletter the club is bringing to your attention, opportunities that may interest you, however, you must satisfy yourself that they meet your requirements as Chalfont St. Peter Garden Club will accept no legal, moral or financial responsibility.