Camelia japonica 'Annie Wylam'

Cookham & Cookham Dean

Horticultural Society

To create a garden is to search for a better world. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future


We meet at Cookham Dean Village Hall at 7.45p.m.  Members Free - Visitors £2

(Annual Membership £5 - enrol at the door)


PROGRAMME 2008

Wednesday 30 April

Aubrey Barker , Hopley's Nurseries, Herts

The Modern Herbaceous Border

Wednesday 28 May  

Victor Scott

Rare Wild Flowers of Britain

Sunday 29th June

Cookham Dean Open Gardens for  Thames Hospicecare

 2-6pm. Afternoon teas, plant stall. Church Road/Bigfrith side of the village.

June 

Visit to local garden or nursery 

to be confirmed

Wednesday 24 September Graham Pockett, Landscape Architect and Garden Designer will talk about some of his projects.
(* DENOTES SUBJECTS OR SPEAKERS REQUESTED BY SOCIETY MEMBERS)
   
Newsletter                April 2008

Cookham and Cookham Dean Horticultural Society

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday  30th April 7.30pm

COOKHAM DEAN VILLAGE HALL

The Modern Herbaceous Border

Talk by Aubrey Barker from Hopley’s Plant Nursery

(There will be plants for sale)

  CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

 

Once again, what a super turnout for the Spring Show.  Thank you so much to all those who took the trouble to exhibit and take part in what was a fun evening.

Les Waldren again judged the show, and once the members had had a quick look round to see the results Les went through the entries one by one explaining why he had given the various prizes and also tips on how to improve on staging the blooms.

 

The facts of the Show were:

 

No of Exhibitors          -  23

No of Entries overall   -  77

No of Entries in Society Bulb Class  -14

No of Entries in the Table Decoration Class - 4

Congratulations to Arthur Burgin (above) who won the Society Bulb Class.  Margaret Maskell  was the winner of the Table Decoration Class and Gill Townend  was overall winner with the most points in Show.

Thanks to all who helped in any way and of course the tea and coffee makers.

 

Becky and Mary ran a Seed swap table which was a great success and will be repeated again at a suitable time.  Watch this space, a plant swap table is next.

Next month’s talk by Hopley’s plants “The Modern Herbaceous Border” will have plants for sale on the night so remember to bring your purses with you as I am sure you will be tempted to spend.

 

On the subject of plants for sale, I shall have a few pots of mixed sweet pea plants for sale, proceeds to the Society, plus some out of print, but nevertheless most informative booklets on the growing of sweet peas.

 

Look forward to seeing you at the next meeting

 

Brian

                                                                                                          

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                   

NEWS FROM GARDENING WHICH?

 

CONTAINER COMPOSTS

Best buy for compost for containers...............................B&Q John Innes no3  ( £3.48 for 20 litres)

Best buy for Grow Bags.................................................Homebase Grow Bag (£1.29 for 33 litres)

Best buy for Multi purpose compost...............................Homebase Multi Purpose (£3.99 for 80 litres)

Best buy for Peat free grow bag......................................New Horizon Organic/Peat free(£2.99 for 33litres)

 

PATIO AND PATH WEEDKILLERS

Best buys

For exisitng weeds only

B&Q Path and Patio Weedkiller 2.............................. ( £2.98 for 1 litre   £8.98 for 3 litres (no saving)

Doff Knockdown systematic Path and Patio Weedkiller......................................(£4.89 for 1 litre)

 

To kill existing weeds and help prevent new weeds germinating

Bayer Garden Advanced Path Weedkiller.............................(.£3.99for 1 litre £14.99 for 4 litres)

Pathclear Gun Season long Weedkiller..................................(£4.99 for 1 litre £12.99 for 3 litres)

 

If you have large areas to cover opt for the easier to use larger 3-5 litre sizes or mix your own.

 

TRAILING PETUNIAS

Introduced in the early 90s, the Surfinia trailing petunias have become a staple in hanging baskets and tubs. The following varieties came out well in the trials (out of 34 varieties) last summer...a good test as it was a wet summer. Blue Topaz, Fanfare Flame, Fanfare Wine, Conchita Collection, Purple Picotee, Viva Forest Fire, Surfinia Lime and Priscilla

 

LOCAL ‘GARDENS OPEN’ REMINDERS (April)

 

Sunday, 6th April  and Wednesday 7th May(2-5pm)  Stoke Poges Memorial Garden SL2 4NZ

Unique 20acre Grade ll registered garden, constructed in 1934-9.Recently completed £1million restoration.

 

 Sunday 27th April  (2-5pm) and Monday 28th April  (10.30 am-1pm) Little Harwood, Choke Lane, Pinkneys Green SL6 6PL

2 acre formal and informal garden and 16 acre bluebell wood. Plant sale.

 

ALSO, don’t forget the Cookham Dean Open Gardens Day on 15th June, 2-6pm in aid of Thames Valley HospiceCare. Plant stall and teas; volunteers needed and offers of plants and cakes to Barbara Dent

on 476512. Please support this local event in any way you can.

  

Seed Swap

 

Thank you to all those who supported our first Seed Swap! Those of you who didn’t have any seeds to exchange generously gave a donation to Thrive instead. Members seemed pleased with their bargain packets…free!


It was a good opportunity to try something new, without incurring any expense. I brought home seeds of Shoo Fly plant, and some tomatoes ‘Tiger Tom’.

 

Later in the year I will write about the best ways of saving seed from your own plants. Then the seeds will be ‘locally grown’ and really free. We won’t have to rely on the seed firms so much and can try some different varieties.

 

Good luck to those who swapped, it will be interesting to hear of how you got on with your seeds. Please let us know of any successes!

 

Becky Pinniger

 

Braywick Heath Nurseries

 

Last year Braywick Heath Nurseries celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. The company is a not for profit organisation and works to improve life chances of people with disabilities, and others needing support, in a commercial environment.

The nurseries are open throughout the week and the shop has a good range of plants which are grown and tended by the team at the nurseries. On offer are;

 

·        A wide range of high quality plants

·        Accessible and knowledgeable staff to help and advise

·        Hanging baskets, tubs and containers planted to customers’specifications

·        Organic and recycled compost

·        Seasonal specialities and bedding plants.

·        A private design and build service and maintenance contracts

 

The management team is assisted by regular volunteers and if you are interested go to www.braywickheath.co.uk   Please support this valuable resource and visit to check out the plants on offer. The nursery is on the Braywick Road in Maidenhead, at the entrance to the Rugby Club and Stafferton Lodge Restaurant.

 

HOLEHIRD GARDENS

On your next visit to the Lake District, we recommend you visit Holehird, the Lake District Horticultural Society’s  ten acre hillside garden. Whenever we visit our flat in the Langdale Valley we spend a few hours at Holehird.

 

·         It is open all the year, parking is free, as is admission but they ask for a donation of £3.

·         It holds three national collections, Astilbes, Hydrangeas and  Polystichum ferns

·         The views of the Lakeland  fells from the garden are magnificent

·         The gardens are maintained by the society’s volunteers

·         There is a splendid walled garden which has a skeleton of small trees and shrubs, under planted with a mixture of annuals, perennials and bulbs which give long lasting displays from spring to autumn.

·         Walks along well made paths on the gentle slopes have seats scattered at key vantage points

·         Obviously the seasons determine which plants are at their best but there is always a good show.

·         Access is 1 mile up the A592 which itself is off the A591 Windermere to Ambleside road.

·         The LHS took over the gardens in 1969 and restored them. Unfortunately there is no tea room.

We will leave the guide book for you to see at our next meeting as it has more details on the plants in the garden.

 

Arthur and Joan Burgin

 

David Penny

We are sad to report that David Penny,  Berkshire lecturer and horticulturalist, died suddenly on 17th March. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and by those who had been taught by him during his years at BCA.

 

 

Contributions for the May newsletter are welcome! Deadline is 6th May to Gill Townend at gilltownend@aol.com or by post or dictated over the phone.


Click here to visit the Royal Horticultural Society Site

Affiliated to the Royal

 Horticultural Society

President: Mabel Vevers   

Vice Presidents: John Linegar & Barbara Samuels

Chairman: Brian Thompson

Vice Chairman: Susie Tremlett

Secretary: Diana Benson 472163 diana.benson@talktalk.net 

Treasurer: Janet Shanks  

Programme Secretary: Mary Fallon and Susie Tremlett

Angela Cockman

Mary Fallon

Catherine Doe

Bridget King

 

Click here for link to South Chilterns Gardening Group 

Click here for a write-up of Gardeners' Question Time April 2005

click here for a write-up on the visit to Highgrove

 

Petunia Fragrant Cloud


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