Category: Gardening Group

Last month members enjoyed a lovely and interesting talk from Steffie Shields MBE. Born in Wimbledon she now lives in Lincolnshire and her talk was based on this second biggest county in the country.

Steffie is vice chair of the Lincolnshire Gardens Trust and knows many of the gardens and halls that we all love to visit. She spoke about Gunby Hall, Burghley, (of Capability Brown fame), Grantham Town Gardens and Woolsthorpe Manor, reminding us that the county is not just a flat place but full of fabulous houses and gardens.

There is also Grimsthorpe, Threekingham, Ravesby, Joseph Banks Society Garden in Horncastle, Dawber Garden, Scrivelsby, St James’ Church Louth, Imsby Manor, Marigold Garden Sutton on Sea, Harrington Hall, and the Dutch architecture of Aslackby Manor, to mention but a few! She is a very knowledgeable lady indeed!

Thank you to Helen Harvey for this report.

In July members are visiting the Dorothy Clive Garden in Shropshire.

Meanwhile enjoy your own plots, whatever the size.

Anne

Last month’s meeting was a talk from Patsy Rayner who spoke most interestingly on Japanese Gardening.

She has a son living there so has visited several times and now tries to incorporate some of the ideas into her own plot. She showed how easy it is to add some to our own gardens, including height, to reference Mount Fuji, and gravel or moss paths to represent dry river beds or springs, or to use moss and simple green planting  instead of varied flowering plants. Quite a change to what we are used to seeing and doing here.

May’s group meeting is a trip to Middleton Hall, near Tamworth.

Anne

Last month’s meeting was a visit to Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The weather was glorious and we were able to wander the grounds without coats!

There is so much to see in this historical botanic garden, which has remained intact since 1829. There are over 10,000 plants and we saw many spring bulbs, shrubs and trees all flowering. The 4 Victorian Glasshouses contained an amazing variety of plants, including cacti, lemon trees, gardenia, orchids and many others. There is also an Alpine Garden, a Bog and Fern area, a Japanese Garden – the theme of our meeting in April, a Pinetum and for the young an Adventure Playground. 

The shop and nursery area had a good variety of gardenalia to tempt visitors to part with some money! The café was unfortunately out of action, but we were well served with hot drinks by a young man with a pop-up drinks van and it was perfect weather to sit out with our packed lunches. It is well worth a visit if you have never been.

Anne

Our next meeting is a trip to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on the 3^rd March.

We are having our plant swap a month earlier this year, at our April meeting, so if you are starting to plan your growing for this year, or indeed have already started, and you have more than you need, please bring some along to exchange with others.

Patricia Rayner is coming to that meeting on 7^th April at the JGC, to talk about Japanese Gardening, she was snowed in when she was due to come in 2024, so we look forward to her talk this year.

By the time you read this we will have had our February meeting, a talk on A Spring Garden.

We are currently taking names for our first trip, on 3^rd March, to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, leaving Ogle Street at 9.30 am. The cost is £20.

There are some gardens opening in February for the NGS, I thought some of you might be interested if the weather is favourable!

15 and 16 Feb	The Dower House, Melbourne, DE73 8JH Oak Cottage, Well Lane, Swadlincote, DE11 8AG Church Farm, Church Lane, West Drayton, DN22 8EB
22 and 23 Feb	Hedgehog Hall, 3 Loddington Rd, Tilton on the Hill, LE7 9DE The Old Vicarage, The Fields, Middleton by Wirksworth, Matlock, DE4 4NH

Just a reminder that we are having our plant swap a month earlier this year, at our April meeting, so if you are starting to plan your growing for this year, or indeed have already started, and you have more than you need, please bring some along to exchange with others.

Patricia Rayner is coming to that meeting to talk about Japanese Gardening. She was snowed in when she was due to come in 2024, so we look forward to her talk this year.

Anne