Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - February 2009
Chairman : Grace Hunter
Secretary : Susan Mills
Garden Hut Manager : Tony Gelder
Assistant Hut Manager : Keith Gould
Treasurer : Robert Bastin
January meeting report
Graham Talbot, our January speaker, gave a most engaging
talk about the history and growing of sweet peas. A National
Exhibitor and lecturer in Horticulture he explained that
many of our best sweet peas originated from Althorp Park,
home of the Spencer family including the late Lady Diana. He
grows about 400 sweet pea plants each year, on a large
allotment, raising them in his green house. It was a
privilege to be in the presence of a real expert. Mr Talbot
used some excellent slides and gave us a superb set of
hand-out sheets, including full colour illustrations. These
included his recommendations on which varieties to grow,
with notes on further sources of information. Pictures of
his blooms were quite magnificent.
The Spring Show will be in the Parish Church Hall at
8.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 15th April, 2009.
The Classes in the Flowers and Vegetables Sections will be
:-
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 dia.
Class 5. - Pot Plant Foliage, pot not to exceed 6 Dia.
Class 6. - 5 Stems different Foliage, in a vase.
Class 7. - A Floral Arrangement, not to exceed 9 dia.
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 Classes in the Photographic Section will be.
Class 1. - Feast in the Garden.
Class 2. - A Tree, or Trees, bearing Fruit or Blossom
Class 3. - Birds in the Garden
Class 4. - Local Architecture.
Photographs should be presented mounted on an A4 sheet or
card.
The Next Meeting will be On Wednesday, 18th February at 8
p.m.in the Chalfont St Peter Church Hall
Martin Finney will Lecture on Garden design.
Members Free but visitors £1.00. Please show your Membership
Card
KEITHS COACH OUTINGS GARDEN CLUB OUTINGS FOR 2009
These are only open to Club Members, their Spouses and
Friends.
The cost for a National Trust visit is coach only - £14 each
Club member and £16 for any other non-member as stated. (non
N/Trust visitors will have also to pay group entry price).
The total cost for other venues will be held for this year
at £20 for Club member & £22 for any other non member,
inclusive of venue entry. Booking forms for each outing will
appear in the previous months newsletters whilst below I
have made out a multi-use form for anyone wishing to book
early. Keith.
1) EMMETTS & QU. HOUSE - Sevenoaks/Kent - Wed. April 22nd
- N/T - £8 group entry
2) (Due to unforeseen problems this one will be changed and
may not be a N/T venue)
3) COTSWOLDS WLIFE PARK - Burford, Oxford Wed. June 10th
4) LOSELEY PARK Guildford, Surrey Wed. June 24th
5) BORDE HILL - Haywards Heath, West Sussex- THURS July 16th
6) CLANDON PARK & HLDS - nr Guildford Wed. Sept.9th -
N/T /£10 group entry
7) POLESDEN LACEY - Surrey Wed. Sept 30th N/T - £9
gp.entry
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Name & Address
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................................................................................................Tel/no
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Please book me ( ) seats for
.............(venue)
on
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Total Cost £..........................
Late bookings please ring first: 01753 884012.
Post to Mr. K.Gould, 10 Leachcroft, Chalfont St. Peter,
Bucks. SL9 9LG or take to hut when open
THE GARDEN HUT- Feb 2009
During February the Garden Hut will be open every Sunday
from 10:00am to 12 noon. Please show your 2009/2008
membership card to the person on the desk.
The hut will be well stocked with various quality grades of
FERTILISERS and COMPOSTS.
Anything you would like us to stock? Let me know and if
practical I will do my best to get it. Contact Tony on 01494
873316. A notebook is at the hut for your comments. PLEASE
try and make a visit to your garden club hut this month to
see the variety of garden products in stock many are lower
priced than local garden centres. Also as an added bonus:
this month a 10% DISCOUNT is available on all purchases
totalling over £20 (except on a small selection of items
already on special offer)
NOTE: Request for garden club members help PLEASE can you
spare 2 hours on 1 Sunday every 3/4 months? If yes, please
contact Geoff Mitchell on 01753 885984, any Garden club
committee member or, better still, visit the club on Sunday
mornings (see above for opening times).
Chalfont St. Peter Garden Club Membership Renewal Form
2009
Membership Fee £6.00 per/yr
Post to Membership Secretary, C/o Chalfont St. Peter Garden
Club, 14 Foxdell Way,Chalfont St. Peter, SL9 0PN or by hand
at the Hut/monthly meeting.
" Please complete in BLOCK
CAPITALS ........................................
Name(s) (title & initials)
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Date
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Address (House No. or name)
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Post Code
Telephone
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e-mail address
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Tick here if to you wish to receive the Newsletter by email
Subscriptions run until 31 December each year.
Cheques/POs payable to Chalfont St. Peter Garden Club I
enclose £6
Add £2:50 if your Newsletter is posted or you live outside
the area £8.50
Please Renew by the end February.
I agree that details of my membership may be held on
computer for
administrative purposes only.
YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD WILL BE WITH YOUR FEBRUARY 2009
NEWSLETTER
Janes Garden Tips
As temperatures improve there will be signs of new growth
on rose bushes so, if you havent pruned yet, do it now.
Remove damaged, crossing or rubbing stems; cut back other
stems by about half to just above an outward pointing bud.
Also cut back stems of various shrubs lavateras, hardy
fuchsias and buddleia as new shoots will be appearing. Cut
Ornamental grasses that have added interest to the winter
border to ground level to allow new growth. Sprinkle general
fertiliser around clumps of emerging spring bulbs. With
spring sowing in mind make sure that seed trays, tubs &
containers are thoroughly cleaned and the greenhouse cleaned
inside & out. Prepare the ground outside by covering with
cloches or polythene to protect from rain/snow to warm up.
Vegetable crops that can be grown directly outside under a
cloche this month include broad beans, hardy peas, carrots
and parsnips. Start to sow seeds under glass - lettuce,
radish, peas, beetroot, leeks, summer cabbage and spinach.
Easiest way is to sow in plastic modules that dont need
heat but a light spot. Then transplant easily next month. If
growing potatoes choose a variety that is blight resistant,
set in trays to chit for planting in March for crops in
June. If your lawn has a few bare patches grow your own turf
to repair it. Fill deep seed tray with compost (John Innes)
sprinkle with grass seed cover lightly with compost & water.
When growing strongly trim with scissors to keep at about
7cms, grow on until roots matt well together; use to repair
patches in the lawn.
Vegetable gardening is making a come back
We are all a lot more conscious of saving money and
eating healthily, so what could be better than growing your
own vegetables If you have never tried it before or have not
got the space, try a few pots or containers with salad
leaves, lettuce, and other salad crops, tomatoes, French
beans, courgettes or even potatoes. Club together with
friends and rent an allotment. Share seeds and plants; most
vegetables are easy to grow just follow the instructions on
the packet or label, or ask at the hut or monthly meeting,
there are some excellent vegetable growers within the club.
Be rewarded with tasty meals and the knowledge that you grew
it yourself.
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