Newsletter          March 2006

 

Cookham and Cookham Dean Horticultural Society

 

NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY 29th  MARCH

Cookham Dean Village Hall

Spring Show

Staging 7.30pm-8.30pm

 

Notes from the Chairman

 

The last meeting with Carolyn Foster giving us an excellent and informative talk on ‘Getting the garden ready for Spring’ together with some lovely slides was attended by over fifty members so we must be doing something right especially as it was such a cold evening.

 

I hope by the time you read this the weather has started warming up and the bulbs, especially the daffodils will be coming into flower.  As you know the next meeting is our Spring Show which was so well supported last year.  Les Waldren is coming again to judge and tell us why we won and the reasons for it, he is always fun to listen to so do come along even if you aren’t showing anything.

 

The Society’s bulbs will need to be got in flower in time, so make sure you have lifted them from the ground and use a greenhouse or warm window sill to make sure they come into flower in time.  I it will take a very tight green bud 6 - 7 days to open up fully in a warm house, so allow plenty of time.  Do make sure the pot is clean before you show it and if the flowers need some help in standing up use some twigs or similar to support them.  Cover the soil with a little moss from the lawn.  Enclosed with this letter is a schedule of classes which may help a little in deciding which daffodils go into which of the classes, if you are still unsure please do ask me on the night.  I am more than happy to give advice on staging etc.

 

Look forward to seeing  you on the 29th March

 Brian

 

01628 484821

 

 

                                                                      

Welcome to the following new members:

 

Mrs Joan Eardley-Wilmot, Ms Sheila Heath, Ms Sheila Strachan, Ms Jane Wilson and  Ms Sheena Wright.

We look forward to meeting you and hope you will enjoy the forthcoming programme. (Revised version enclosed)

 

SNIPPETS

 

 

Brian Davis School of Gardening

 

Members who were at Brian’s talk to the Society in  September last year may have picked up the details of his gardening school. Carolyn Foster has been to several sessions and I attended the one on Rose Pruning in February this year. The courses are good value with a high practical content, held near Newbury and Brian is a knowledgeable and amusing teacher. Details on the website at www.gardeningschool.co.uk or phone 01635 860500. There is also a new gardening information source at www.Knowyourgardening.com which costs £6 a year and promises to be a useful resource for enthusiastic gardeners. Remaining courses for 2006 include a guided walking tour of Savill Gardens; Building and Planting a Water Feature and Basket and Container displays. New courses planned for next autumn and winter will cover Lawn Care, Selecting and Planting bulbs and Colour Themed gardening.

 

Visits

Catherine Doe is organizing a trip to Coton Manor garden on Wednesday, 24th May. The ten acre garden is landscaped on different levels and there are a number of smaller gardens within the site. There are natural flowing streams, ponds and fountains throughout the garden. In part of the old walled Kitchen Garden is the Nursery where many unusual plants are for sale. Many of these have been propagated from the garden. Further details in the next newsletter or phone Catherine on 526415

 

RHS London Flower Shows

One of my New Year Resolutions is to attend more RHS shows at Lawrence Hall. I have now put these in the diary and intend to go to the Spring Shows in March and April  to see unusual bulbs, hellebores and daffodils. See Page 122 of the RHS handbook for more details. There is no charge for members and only £3 on the second day for non members of the RHS. If you are going to Wisley in the next few months do call in to the Library which has been refurbished. It is an oasis of calm with a wealth of periodicals and reference books. Open from 11am to 4pm daily. The librarian is also very helpful and friendly.

 

Rabbits

Brian Witherington has kindly sent me a useful list of ‘rabbit proof ‘plants. This will be available at the next meeting for those interested. Please let me know in advance if you would like a copy

 

Grow your own potatoes……. in a pot!

The February issue of Gardening Which? magazine carries a useful guide on growing potatoes in pots. Useful if you don’t have a vegetable garden and love a few early potatoes

 

1.      Buy seed  potato tubers in February or March. Put them on a cool window sill to sprout.

2.      Plant them outside in April or earlier in a frost free greenhouse or porch if you have one.

3.      Take a pot of at least 25cm diameter. Black plastic pots are fine.

4.      Half fill the pot with multi purpose compost or save money by using the contents of a grow bag.

5.      Bury the seed potato just below the surface of the compost

6.      As shoots grow, cover with more compost until the pot is full

7.      Cover the young plants with garden fleece at night through April and May if frost s are forecast

8.      Water regularly to keep the compost moist but not wet. If the leaves start to turn yellow in June, feed regularly with a general purpose or tomato fertilizer

9.      By late June or early July your potatoes should be ready. Push your hand gently into the compost and feel for the tubers. Tip the contents out, or carefully remove any of eating size and leave the rest to continue growing.

 

Early varieties to try; Accent, Charlotte, Cherie, Lady Christie. Baby Earlies are Mimi and Shelley with cherry tomato sized tubers. If anyone has a go please let us know how you get on!!

 

 

 


Revised programme for the remainder of the year.

 

March                         Society’s Spring Show

 

 

April                            Planting Hanging Baskets and Containers

                                    Uel Magowan, Head Gardener at Odney Club, Cookham

 

May                            Ponds & Water Gardening

                                    Keith Fletcher from Waterworld, Shinfield, Nr. Reading

 

June                            Visit to Windsor Farm Shop, 6 p.m.  (own cars) more details

                                    later

 

 

July                             No meeting

 

August                        Wed., 23rd. at 6 p.m.  Visit to Mill House garden, Medmenham

                                    (own cars, more details later)

 

 

September                  Spring Flowers of Crete

                                    Victor Scott

 

 

October                       Herbs for the House and Garden

                                    Richard Bailey

 

erbs HHHHHHHH

 

November                   A.G.M. & Christmas Competition

 

 

December                   No meeting

 

                                               

 

 Copy deadline for next newsletter is 6th April. Please send to Gill Townend at gilltownend@aol.com or by post to The Farm, Church Road, Cookham Dean, Berks SL6 9PR. Or give me a call on 01628 483092.