Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - December 2007
Chairman: Charles Flawn
Secretary: Susan Mills
Treasurer: Robert Bastin
Garden Hut Manager: Cliff Thayer
http://www.gardenclub.org.uk
Message from the Chairman Charles Flawn
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL EVENING
12th December, 2007 (Changed from the 19th)
Fish ‘n Chip Supper with a Mince Pie. The entertainment will
be by S.G. Productions presenting their show “Have Yourself
a Merry Christmas”. The charge for our annual Christmas
Festivity is £7.00 per person.
Please Note
Entry by Ticket only, from Linda on 01753 883800 or at the
Hut
Report on Mr Hilary Newman’s talk at the November
Meeting:
A good number of members heard Mr Hilary Newman’s talk on
“The Dry Garden”, ironically on a very wet evening! We
enjoyed his encyclopaedic knowledge of plants suitable for
dry conditions, based on a life time’s experience in
horticulture. His excellent slides of gardens, both small
private examples and well-known gardens open to the public
really held our attention. His ready wit ensured that he was
entertaining as well as informative.
KEITH’S COACH OUTINGS 2008
1. APRIL – Wed. 23rd - Benley’s, East Sussex – House &
Gardens/motor museum/park/wildfowl/craftworkers/shop etc.
2. MAY – Wed. 21st – Penshurst Place – House & Gardens/toy
museum/ 13 acre walled garden.
3. JUNE – Wed. 25th – Mottisfont Abbey (N/T), Romsey – Rex
Whistler décor/old rose garden/river walk.
4. JULY – Wed. 23rd – Nyman’s Garden (N/T), Hayward’s Heath
– garden/lakes/arboretum etc.
5. SEPT – Wed. 3rd – Losely House/Park, Guildford –
lake/walled garden/gift shop, etc.
6. OCT – Wed. 1st – Dyrham Park (N/T), Nr Bath – William &
Mary country house/life below stairs
exhibition/lakes/gardens etc.
Thank you for your solid support during 2007. Please let me
know if you have any thoughts about these or other venues.
See you ALL next year Seasons Greetings Keith Gould.
Jane’s December Garden Tips
It is time to pay attention to your houseplants by creating
conditions in which they will thrive. Soak the compost every
7-10 days and allow the compost to dry out in between,
misting the foliage helps to maintain humidity. If possible
don’t keep plants in the warmest rooms, give them plenty of
light but out of direct sunlight, remove dead or dying
leaves and give the foliage a clean with a damp cloth or
leaf shine. Pot up hippeastrum (amaryllis) to promote active
growth, feed and water for a good show in the New Year If
your Christmas cactus fails to set flower buds perhaps the
temperature is too high, move to cooler darker conditions.
Outside clear up the last remaining leaves before they
become soggy and provide homes for slugs and snails, check
for hedgehogs. Repair fences, trellises and wooden
structures, once annual climbers have died back or
perennials have lost their leaves, treat timber with a
preservative, and replace any loose posts or those rotting
from the base before they collapse and cause damage. Move
any evergreens or shrubs that are in the wrong place, dig
out plants maintaining a large root-ball and replant with
plenty of compost in the new area. Take hardwood cuttings
from a wide range of shrubs deutzia, wisteria, dogwood and
Virginia creeper. Prune open grown apples and pear trees,
removing crossing branches or ones that are dead or
diseased, to provide an open structure, shorten laterals
shoots to 4-6 buds to stimulate growth of fruiting spurs.
Look after your garden birds by cleaning out bird feeders
and refilling with fresh seeds and nuts, look for peanuts
that are RSPB approved or BSA (Bird care Standards
Association) this means they have been tested to ensure they
are free from a fungus which produces a poison called
alflatoxin, make sure there is fresh water available.
Finally order seeds and potatoes for next year.
Thompson & Morgan are offering a 50% discount off
seeds plus free postage. Linda will send a bulk order so
study the catalogue and send your list on plain paper with a
cheque payable to Chalfont St. Peter Garden Club include
your name and address. To Mrs L. Hills-Harrop, 29 Criss
Grove, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9HQ.
The Garden Hut will be CLOSED for the whole of
December
THE GARDEN HUT will be closed every Sunday in December
giving us the chance to reflect on the 2007 season and also
give some thought to 2008. The HUT will next open on Sunday
the 13th January 2008 and also on Sunday 20th January from
10am to 12 noon. During February and March we will be
offering a 10% discount on all purchases of £20 and over.
May I take this opportunity to wish all Members and their
families a very Happy Christmas and successful Gardening
throughout 2008. Please accept my Very Best Wishes and a
sincere Thank you to all of you for your support during
2007.
Cliff Thayer - Hut Manager
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
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