Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - September 2005
Dear Member,
Our Summer Show on 20 August had an excellent range of entries, with high quality in all sections. Whilst we were a little down in entries for some vegetable and flower classes, owing to poor weather at times and the loss of a couple of our “big hitters”, the good news was an increase in the Floral Art, Novices and, especially, in the Junior classes. Domestic classes were very well supported. The Judges were impressed with the quality throughout the show. This was my last year as Show Secretary, and I’m delighted to be handing on the job to Grace Hunter, who will take the Show on to new successes. Bryan Nicholson. A full list of winners in all classes is attached.
Our next Summer Show will be on Saturday 19 th August 2006, please make a note of this date!
Meetings ; This month’s meeting will be at 8pm on Wednesday 21 st in the Church Hall when Carol Gubler of The British Fuchsia Society and owner of ‘Little Brook Fuchsia Nursery’ near Aldershot (01252-329731) will talk to us about all aspects of fuchsia growing. Carol is a very experienced grower who has built up her Nursery over the last 20 years to a point where it has international recognition. (www.littlebrookfuchsias.com/) This will be a very ‘meaty’ talk with plenty of experience behind the words. I think it is highly likely that she will bring along plants to sell.
Keith’s Coach Outings. – All those interested in my outings for next year can find my suggested
selection at the Garden Hut during this month – please choose the ones you like best, and return the forms to me- I will then take the most popular – I look forward to your continued support!- many thanks, Keith.
The Garden Hut will be open on Sundays from 10.00 am to 12 noon. Very important , you must show your Membership card. Now is the time to consider autumn projects. Most products are available now, although we are still awaiting details of “Autumn Specials” from our Wholesaler, which will include various lawn products. We have a plentiful supply of Mushroom compost also top quality ‘pine bark chippings’. Spring and Summer lawn food can still be used until the end of this month. This is also a good time to seed any bare patches in the lawn; grass seed is available in the Hut as well as J.I. Seed Compost for covering the new seed. Your Patio may need cleaning; we have a good cleaner in stock at a reasonable price. Cliff.
Seeds. We will be putting a bulk order into Dobies for seeds and tot plants. Catalogues will be in the Hut as soon as Dobies send them to us!! Last order dates will be in the November Newsletter.
Jane’s Garden Tips
As summer turns to autumn its time to harvest vegetables to store during the winter months, onions should be stored on strings or plaits, potatoes in strong paper or hessian sacks in a cool dark place, checking them regularly. Leeks, main crop carrots, parsnips can be left in the soil until needed. Plant spring cabbage, onions and garlic to over winter. If necessary cover French beans with cloches to prolong their harvest, lay tomato plants on a bed of straw to hasten they’re ripening. Prune summer raspberries cutting out stems that have fruited this year, tie in new canes. Autumn raspberries can all be cut down after they have finished fruiting later on in the year. Sow some winter lettuce under cover that will germinate quickly to produce lettuce early next year. After the ground is cleared plant green manure crops to prevent weeds taking a hold.
Pick fruit as it ripens early apples should be eaten straight away, cooking apples can be stored for sometime, pears should be picked while hard and ripened slowly indoors. Be prepared to bring in house plants that have been standing outside during the summer before evenings become too cold. Plant up bulbs in pots for Christmas and early spring displays, try a variety of bulbs, any dwarf spring bulbs are worth trying, make sure the pot has good drainage, use a multi purpose compost, ensuring the pot is deep enough to allow 5cms of compost in the bottom below the bulbs, keep in a cool dark place until shoots appear. Also plant outside bulbs now, tulips should be planted next month. Deadhead climbing roses and tie in new shoots, also prune ramblers. After the long hot summer the lawn will be compacted and dry but will soon recover with some care. Good drainage can be achieved by spiking it with a fork or similar device and brushing in a mixture of sharp sand and sieved soil, feed as necessary and hopefully winter rains will do the rest.
Organic Horse Manure. Composted manure is available at Widmer Farm Stables, Rawlings Lane, Seer Green. It is free, but you must supply and load your own containers.
Survival of the Prettiest Lack of rain needn’t be a problem; there are plenty of plants that will thrive in the driest conditions. Here is a list of some of the best drought-tolerant self-seeding plants: -
- Digitalis ferruginea.
- Verbena bonariensis.
- Gaura lindheimeri.
- Lychnis coronaria.
- Eschscholtzia.
- Erigeron karvinskianus.
- Verbascum bombyciferum.
- Papaver ruprifragum.
- Eryngium giganteum
- Viola labradorica.
- Stipa tenuissima.
- Salvia turkestanica.
May be these are the sort of plants that you should be considering when you browse the seed catalogues this autumn
Local Events .
Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newlands Park , Gorelands Lane, near Chalfont St. Giles www.coam.org.uk info: 01494-872163 or 871117
Sunday 11 th Heavy Horse show by the Hertfordshire Heavy Horse Association, there will be a variety of heavy horse breeds giving displays and demonstrations. 1 st & 2 nd October Victorian Harvest
Gardens Open. Usually open 2 to 5 pm
Sept 7 th Cliveden, Taplow.
Sept. 18 th Whitewalls, Marlow 01628-482573
Oct 5 th Waddesdon Manor Gardens.
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. |
