Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - July 2006

Chairman: Charles Flawn
Secretary: Linda Hills-Harrop
Garden Hut Manager: Cliff Thayer
Treasurer : Robert Bastin

Dear Member, Don’t forget the hosepipe ban

Jack Wennell, a life member, died last month aged 84. He was very active in Club events over many years, joining the Committee in 1972. He managed the Hut for years and masterminded its enlargement.
He was chairman from 1981 to87; and actively involved in the organisation of the Summer Show and a very successful exhibitor and prizewinner. He will be greatly missed in Club circles.

Meetings; This month’s meeting will be at 8pm on Wednesday 19th in the Church Hall when Mrs. Penny Everet will give a practical demonstration of Floral Art. These evenings are very colourful, interesting and show how you can transform a simple bunch of flowers into an eye catching display. Even us men can learn a lot about colour combinations, so come along and enjoy!

The Garden Hut will be open on Sunday from 10.00 am to 12 noon. Very important, you must show your Membership card. Now most of us will have completed our planting out and it is now advisable to give the plants some fertilizer to help them on their way. All liquid and compound fertilizers are in stock. For runner, and all types of beans, sweet peas, leeks etc and delphiniums use CHEMPAC No.8; this is highly successful. Mulching of beds and borders will help to retain moisture in the ground; Mushroom compost is ideal, BUT keep away from ericaceous plants i.e. Rhododendrons; Azaleas; Camellias; Heathers etc. One new item in stock is ‘Elliott’s Touchweeder’; this is the traditional wax-based weed killer, which is very effective on dandelions etc, easy to use with no mess.

Jane’s Garden Tips. Now is a good time to plant up a herb container, herbs to consider are thyme, parsley, chives, sage, basil and marjoram. Place crocks in the bottom and fill with compost, arrange herbs, water, place gravel or similar on top as a mulch, (there is a class for this container in the summer show, check for details). To ensure summer displays are at their best, keep an eye on weeds, which also need water to survive thus taking it away from the plants you want, also remove faded and dead flowers. Plant any last minute bedding; check garden centres for bargains. Busy lizzies are good for slightly shady areas, feed annuals with a high potash liquid feed, such as tomato fertiliser; they should then continue to bloom well into the autumn. Keep cutting sweet peas right down to where the stalks meet the main stem. Sow early perennials such as wallflowers, honesty and foxgloves either in a cold frame or in their final position in the garden. Houseplants can be moved outside for the summer season. Divide spring flowering perennials, also bearded iris, which need division, every 4 years to avoid overcrowding and loss of flowering. Keep greenhouse well ventilated and damped down, apply shading to glass as necessary, tomatoes need moist air for a short time each day to help fruit set on trusses which is helped by damping down. To ensure a good crop of marrow and courgettes pollinate by hand pick male flowers with plenty of ripe pollen and use to pollinate the female (ones with swelling behind the flower) keep watered and feed with liquid tomato fertiliser. Continue succession sowings of peas, beetroot, carrots and salad crops. Harvest onions and garlic as the tops start to fall over, dry out completely before storage. Tie in new canes on raspberries. After “June” drop on fruit trees inspect to see if they need further thinning to ensure maximum crop.

Keith’s Coach Outings
I AM MAKING A CHANGE TO OUR 27th SEPT. OUTING. IT WILL NOW BE A DOUBLE N/T EVENT! FIRST STOP IGHTHAM MOTE (appr.10.30am), THEN ON TO KNOLE HOUSE (ar’v.by 2’pm) - Please let me know if you wish to eat at “Ightham”-Ploughman’s £5.95-(menu) – as I would req .no’s. ALL NAT.TRUST MEM’S FREE WITH CARD, ( NON N/T MEMBER’S £15.00 (PLUS COACH). A BONUS FOR “N/T/M’S”- JUST AS LONG AS YOU ALL REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR VALID MEM’S.CARD! CLUB MEMBERS CAN OF COURSE, BRING ALONG AS MANY FRIENDS AS THEY LIKE. NOTE -The Coach will leave “Church Hall” by 9. 00am. and will exit Knole at 4.30pm. Please make cheques out to “Chalfont St. Peter Garden Club” and send to –MR.K.GOULD, take to the club Hut any Sunday morning. All Postal Bookings will be acknowledged by phone, so please enter your `correct` phone number! - MAY I REMIND LATE BOOKEES FOR “SQUERRYES” TO RING ME FIRST TO BE SURE OF A SEAT! ………………………………………………………………………………………………….cut

Booking Slip –
Please book me ( ) seats for -N/T- VISIT TO “IGHTHAM and KNOLE “- WED.SEPT.27th Coach leaves 9 am
COACH ONLY - ( ) C/M’s @ £13.00 - PLUS ( ) N/M’S @ £14.00 ea……Total £………………
Meals, circle Yes / No ‘ Pay on the Day’

Name & Address……………………………………………………………………………………….Tel/No

Summer Show on 19th August. You will have had the opportunity to study your schedule: and we hope you'll have found something in the wide range of classes where you can enter. Have you discussed this with your friends and neighbours, anyone can enter, the more the better the Show will be. Visitors are very welcome to come along and enjoy the excellent displays of flowers, floral art, domestic classes, fruit and vegetables. Light refreshments are provided by Doris and her team, please encourage friends and neighbours to come and enjoy the show.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Is on from the 5th to 10th July

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
The Classic Vehicles Show 22 & 23 July
Romans and Britons The Vicus 29 & 30 July

The Stoke Poges, Wexham and Fulmer Horticultural Society Show is on Saturday 30th July 2005 in the grounds of the Teikyo School Fulmer.for entries ring 01753-643599.

Chenies Manor Plant and Garden Fair on Sunday 16th July.2006
July 5th to 27th “Pictures from a Pleasure Garden” an exhibition of watercolours in the Pavilion by Angela Colman
August 2nd to 31st “Coast & Country” an exhibition of paintings in the Pavilion Art Gallery by John Heywood.

Hosepipe Ban
There is a hosepipe ban in operation in our area; you may only use your hosepipe for filling watering cans or your garden pond. Any other use is either banned or strongly discouraged. It does not matter whether you have a water meter or not, the Ban applies to YOU. If you need more details contact 0845 769 7982 or www.3valleys.co.uk

For Sale. Black & Decker Shredder Model GA 100 £20.
Qualcast Punch Classic Electric Lawnmower £15
Both in good working order. Ring 01753 885508
Open Gardens open times 2 to 6pm approx

White House, Village Road Denham Village Buckinghamshire 09 July 2006
Chesham Bois House, 85 Bois Lane Chesham Bois Buckinghamshire 09 July 2006

Gipsy House, Whitefield Lane Gt Missenden Buckinghamshire 13 July 2006
Homelands, Springs Lane Ellesborough Buckinghamshire 13 July 2006
The Plant Specialist, Whitefield Lane Gt Missenden Buckinghamshire 13 July 2006
Whitewalls, Quarry Wood Road Marlow Buckinghamshire 16 July 2006

Garden Centre Contacts
B&Q 0845-222-1000; Dobbies 0131-663-6778; Hillier 01794-368733; Homebase 0845-077-8888;
Klondyke/Strikes 0800-204080; Notcutts 01394-383344; Squires 020-8977-9988; Wyevale 0800-413213.
Van Hage 01494-764545.
Chalfont St Peter Garden Club
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