Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - April 2006
Chairman: Charles Flawn
Secretary: Linda Hills-Harrop
Garden Hut Manager: Cliff Thayer
Treasurer : Robert Bastin Dear Member, The visit to Leonardslee
Gardens on 26th April will be lovely at this time of year
with all the spring flowers bursting forth and the
rhododendrons in full bud with the early ones in fresh
bloom. If you have not already booked a seat on Keith’s
coach, do hurry up and give him a ring on
Meetings; This month’s meeting will be at 8pm on
Wednesday19th in the Church Hall for our Spring Show with
cheese & wine followed by a photo competition. Entry will be
£1 as usual. The judges this year are Florence Hallam, Ken
Hall, Marina Long and Pat Taylor. Photo Competition -
During the Spring Show we are having a photographic
competition, similar to last year’s event. This year we are
having 3 classes, photos may be in colour or black & white.
1/ A Garden
2/ A Flower
3/ A Landscape
Each Class you enter should be mounted separately on paper
or card no bigger than A4. Mark the class on the back..
You will be asked to judge the entries.
Spring Show Schedule for April 19th
- Class 1 Polyanthus bowl of 6 cut stems own Foliage
- Class 2 Daffodils vase of 3 blooms own Foliage
- Class 3 Tulips vase of 3 blooms own foliage
- Class 4 Pot Plant in Flower pot not to exceed 6” in
diameter
- Class 5 Pot Plant Foliage pot not to exceed 6” in
diameter
- Class 6 5 stems of different Evergreen Foliage in a
vase
- Class 7 A Floral Arrangement not to exceed 9”
overall
- Class 8 Any Other Flower, one kind only, 3 or more
blooms
- Class 9. 3 Sticks of Rhubarb, may be forced
- Class 10 Any Other Vegetable
The Garden Hut will be open every Sunday from
10.00 am to 12 noon. Very important, you must show your
Membership card. Correction to last month’s letter, ERIC
should read ERIN, and there is plenty in stock at 3 bags
for £10. We have stocks of all LAWN CARE products,
including Sinclair Lawn Food in sizes for 100 sq M. and
400 sq M. and Sinclair Lawn Weed & Feed in similar
sizes. Also Levingtons Complete (weed, feed & moss) in
sizes for 100 sq m. 200 sq m and 400 sq m. Also
Sinclair’s Lawn Sand and Lawn Dressing, all these items
are at Special Offer Prices. We have a good supply of
top quality Decorative Pine Bark and composted bark for
digging-in. Growbags @ £1.30 will be available from
Sunday 9th April Help Needed in the Garden Hut on
Sundays for 2 hours.
Please will every kind soul give Jane Rycart a ring or
Cliff.
HUT is OPEN on EASTER SUNDAY
COACH OUTINGS – MAY’S OUTING IS TO GROOMBRIDGE
PLACE (TUN/WELLS) WEDNESDAY MAY 24th
There is a BOAT TRIP (60p ea. with booking, or £1 on the
day.) There are so many things to see and experience,
the CONAN DOYLE MUSEUM, BIRDS OF PREY DEMO, THE WALLED
GARDENS, and so many walks – (gardens laid in the 17th
century), the ENCHANTED FOREST, etc. Animals that roam
include the Zeedonk, also goats and deer. You can also
buy wine made from their own 2-acre vineyard, at the
Country Store, which also sells gifts and souvenirs.
There is a licensed Restaurant, or you can picnic near
the car park, complete with tables (but no snacking
elsewhere, please!) Incidentally, Groombridge was the
setting for the filming of Sherlock Holmes’s, ”The
Valley of Death.”, and also stars in “Pride & Predudice”.
Wheelchairs are ok .on all but the higher slopes!
Please send bookings to
MR.K.GOULD,10,LEACHCROFT,CH.ST.PETER,BUCKS.-SL9 9LG or
take to the Hut on a Sunday. All postal bookings will be
confirmed by telephone - Can I remind you all that the
Coach Driver’s tip is still included in the fare, and
also that late bookee’s for Leonardslee on 26th April
will need to ring me first on 01753-884012, in case of
over-bookingt!! – Remember, all coaches leave the
hall/church lane at 9.30am.and exit venue at 4.30pm -
Many thanks – KEITH.
. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Booking Slip – (PLEASE INCL. Tel/no.)
Please book me ( ) seats for GROOMBRIDGE PLACE on WED.
MAY 24th
( ) C/M’s @ £17.00ea. – plus ( ) N/M’s @ £18.00ea. Total
£………..
(optional) Boat Trip + 60p.ea. if required! –Will
otherwise be £1 on the day.
Name
&Address………………………………………………………………………………..TEL/NO………….. .
Jane’s Garden Tips
As new growth begins in the borders and shrubs, trees
and hedges it’s a good idea to sprinkle a general
fertilizer (Growmore or ‘blood fish and bone’ from the
Hut) around the base of the plants to rejuvenate after
the winter months, follow this by a good thick layer of
mulch, making sure the ground is moist beforehand, use
well rotted manure, garden compost or bark, this will
conserve moisture and keep the weeds down. Consider
installing a water butt to collect the little rain we
get at the moment, it may be useful in the months to
come. Prepare areas in the border to sow hardy annuals,
they can be started off in the greenhouse or cold frame
or directly where they will flower. Plant up hanging
baskets and containers provided they can be protected
from frost, use multi-purpose compost and add slow
release fertilizer (both are in the Hut), keep well
watered and deadhead regularly. Permanent pot plants
need attention if leaves are yellowing or growth is
stunted and will benefit from the removal of top layer
of soil and replacing with fresh John Innes mixed with a
fertilizer to suit the plant and grit. By April lawns
will be actively growing, mowing should be done on a
high setting, it should also be aerated at this time of
year by spiking with a fork or spiking machine, then
have a top dressing of a mixture of 50% sharp sand and
50% compost raked or brushed in, lastly feed with a
spring summer fertilizer. As daffodils fade deadhead and
leave leaves to die down naturally, give clumps a liquid
feed as they are greedy feeders and divide any clumps
that have not flowered well this year. Start to feed
indoor plants once a fortnight. Protect new shoots of
perennials from slugs and snails also put in plant
supports for taller growing plants. French and runner
beans and sweet corn can be started off in pot or tray
in the greenhouse or cold frame, sow outside leeks,
beetroot, onions, parsnips, early carrots, and spinach.
Make small sowings of lettuce and radish. Plant out main
crop potatoes; protect any potato shoots coming through
from frosts.
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
Chiltern Craft Show 1st & 2nd April All events open 10am
to 5pm
Victorian Easter Fair 14th to 17th April
Meet the Roman Army 30th to 1st May
Prelude to D-Day - A Village at War 13th & 14th May
The Chilterns during the Dark Ages 27th to 29th May
GARDENS OPEN
Usually 2 to 5 pm. Homemade teas are available at most
of these eventsChesham Bois House, 85 Bois Lane Chesham
Bois HP6 6DF
02 April 2006
Waddesdon Manor Gardens HP18 0JH
05 April 2006
6 Oldfield Close Little Chalfont HP6 6SU
09 April 2006
Long Crendon Gardens HP18 9EF 8 gardens open
09 April 2006
Gipsy House, Whitefield Lane Gt Missenden HP16 0BP
13 April 2006
The Plant Specialist, Whitefield Lane Gt Missenden HP16
0BH
13 April 2006
Overstroud Cottage, The Dell, Frith Hill Gt Missenden
HP16 9QE
16 April 2006
Cliveden Taplow SL6 0JA
23 April 2006
The Old Vicarage Padbury MK18 2AH
23 April 2006
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.
Chalfont St Peter Garden Club
01 May 2006
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