Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - April 2008
Chairman : Grace Hunter
Secretary : Susan Mills
Garden Hut Manager : Tony Gelder
Assistant Hut Manager : Keith Gould
Treasurer : Robert Bastin
Over 70 Members attended the AGM on 19th March
2008. Grace Hunter was elected Chairman and the Officers and
Committee elected. Charles Flawn, the retiring Chairman
after eight years of service, accepted a gift on behalf of
the Club from the President Alan Davison.
Cliff Thayer also retired as Manager of the Hut after 18
years of service. Cliff has run his personal live around the
Hut and has allowed the Club to maintain the stable
financial position it is in today.
Cliff was made the Vice President of the Club and presented
with a gift on behalf of his selfless service for all those
year.
After the AGM Mr John Norris, an active member of the
Chiltern Society, gave a very interesting talk on the River
Misbourne. Obviously a real expert, he began by explaining
the nature of the local geology and the features that make
chalk streams possible. He told us about the history of the
river's flow over a long period and discussed the issue of
extraction by water companies. The future of our river is
still uncertain, with high level debates continuing about
what could be done to improve flow. Repairs to the river bed
in our area is a possibility. He ended by appealing for
volunteers to help a local group with conservation work.
THE GARDEN HUT
Will be open every Sunday during April through to the last
Sunday in October - 10am - 12 noon. Please bring your
membership card. If you have not received the new one for
2008 bring 2007, although most should have been delivered by
now. Any new non-members joining at the HUT will be given
one on the day of joining
The hut is now very well stocked with all Trade Show items
having been delivered. Still plenty of Growbags available so
hurry not to be disappointed. The discount offer is now
finished so its back to normal.
As this is my last Newsletter I would like to thank ALL
MEMBERS of the Club for the loyal support given to me during
my years of managing the HUT. With all my best wishes and
once again thank you VERY MUCH.
CLIFF THAYER
Spring Show Schedule for 16 April 2008
Will be held in the Church Hall at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday,
16th April. Show Schedule will be as follows :
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
Photographic competition
May be entered in Black & White or Colour. Each exhibitor
can only enter one A4 sized mount per class, This can
contain more than one print.
Class 1- A Garden Class 2 Spring Flowers Class 3 A
Landscape
Come along, you will enjoy the Show. KEN HALL
Membership Renewal - If you join by 15th April there will be
no joining fee so check out one of your previous Newsletters
for the Form and send off immediately or drop at the Hut on
Sunday.
Yaldens at Three Households, Chalfont St Giles
should Members need any hardware, tools, or anything that we
cannot stock in the Club Hut, this is the place to go! Long
established (1953) and family-run. They also have a customer
loyalty scheme and you can order online with free local
deliveries info:.01895464694.
10% Discount available at Farnham Common Nurseries in Crown
Lane. They have a wide selection of good quality plants and
products, well worth a visit at any time. For the
10% discount you MUST show your membership card. Orangery
for lunch, coffee or Tea. Phone 01753 647710"
KEITHS COACH OUTINGS:
Our next outing is in May on Wed.21st. to PENSHURST PLACE
in Kent. A large Manor House Featuring the Barons Hall and
Long Gallery, with an 11acre Walled Garden.. The house also
holds a Toy Museum and has a plant centre and shop. You can
eat in the Garden Tea rooms, (coffee, lunch, afternoon teas)
or picnic.(only in the Venture play-ground.) As usual we
will leave from the Church hall/lane at 9.30am, exiting
venue at 4.00pm. The cost for Penshurst is £18.00ea. for
club members / and £19.00ea. for all others.
Please make cheques out to Chalfont .St. Peter Garden Club
and post to MR.K.GOULD,10 LEACHCROFT, CH.ST.PETER, BUCKS.
SL9 9LG or take to the hut any Sunday morning . All postal
bookings will be acknowledged by phone.
Please book me ( ) seats for Penshurst Place @ £18.00ea /
plus ( ) @ £19.00ea. Total £
.
Name
..
Address
Phone.No
Keith Gould - 01753 884012
The trip to Bentleys on 23rd April is now full
Stoke Poges Memorial Garden Open Saturday 8th March
2-5pm Entry cost £3.50 National Garden Scheme Openings on
Sunday, 6th April & Wed. 7th May when entry includes a
guided tour of these recently restored Grade II Listed
Gardens of Outstanding Beauty of Unique Design. Refreshments
available.
Ring Head Gardener on 01753 523744 for further information.
Janes April Garden Tips
A large variety of vegetables can be started off now in
a prepared outdoors seed beds; carrots, leeks, cabbage,
broccoli, turnips, beetroot, parsnip, onions, spinach and
corn salad. Continue with small amounts of salad crops. Sow
tomatoes for outside crops and pot on earlier grown ones.
Also sow herbs basil, parsley chives and coriander, its
easier to buy rosemary, sage and thyme as they are more
difficult to germinate> Thyme (which has become straggly)
can also be propagated by layering; place a small pot of
compost next to a shoot and bury a length of it and wait for
it to root.
In mid month courgettes, marrow, squashes and all beans
can be started off in pots and trays in the greenhouse or
cold frame. Also, sweet corn can be started in pots; this
crop is very easy to grow. Once planted out in a block it
doesnt require much space or attention and will reward you
with very tasty corn in late summer. Its easier with these
larger seed crops to plant 2 seeds per pot as insurance
against poor germination, discarding the weaker if both
geminate. Plant out early potatoes in the first half of the
month and main later; earth up as shoots appear to prevent
any frost damage and green tubers. Give fruit trees and soft
fruit a general fertiliser to promote flower buds and
replace nutrients lost in the rain.
Dead head daffodils as they fade leaving the leaves to
die back naturally for about 6 weeks so they have maximum
time build up the food supply in the bulb Lift and divide
over crowed clumps that have failed to flower this year and
give all clumps a liquid feed. Prepare borders to sow hardy
annuals; divide clumps of congested perennials replant or
pot up and give to friends. Push plant supports into soil
around tall growing perennials. Mow lawns regularly as
growth resumes, but keep blades higher.
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 |
