Category: Gardening Group

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

November’s meeting unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the snow, we have rebooked the speaker to come to us in April next year.

There is no meeting in December or January, the next meeting will be February, with a talk on a Spring garden.

Enjoy your planning for the new year of gardening.

Anne

Last month the group had a question and answer Garden Problem session. The answers were provided by experts at the Garden News magazine, and it is encouraging to hear that they also suffer the same types of problems and difficulties in their gardens.

There were tips on how to successfully grow different plants, how and when to prune, and how to deal with tenacious weeds. Autumn is considered the Gardeners’ New Year, a time to plan and prepare for the next seasons’ growing. Sow the seed swap was very successful and is something we will consider again in the future.

November’s meeting, on the 19^th is again at the John Godber Centre, when we will welcome Patricia Rayner who is going to talk about Japanese Gardens and the particular style of gardening.

All are welcome as we are an open group.