Saturday 18 January 2014

Beating the Winter Blues


Talk by Brian Denison:  My Garden; its history and plants

We were indeed fortunate to welcome Brian to our Friday Forum.  His illustrated talk on his own, stunning garden left us both awed and inspired.  Featured on the Anglian TV series Britain’s Best Back Gardens and winner of Yorkshire Life Magazine’s Garden of the Year 2009, Brian told us he thinks about his garden all the time and the slide show displayed his skilful use of plant combinations and colour association.  Brian is proficient in Niwaki, a Japanese term for style shaping of trees, including cloud pruning.  A useful list of recommended plants was distributed.

Forum and Display Table

 Judith's Amaryllis

 Early Spring flowers
 


Norma sent in a photo of her lovely, resilient miniature bedding cyclamen which were bedded out in late October and  are still looking fabulous. 

She says that they probably wouldn't have lasted as long if we had suffered heavy frost but they have certainly been value for money over the last two or three months and brighten up the garden during this dark wet windy spell we are going through.

Just to update you on the squirrel prevention debate, applying Vicks to Janella’s Camellia didn’t work.  She may try TCP next time!   All tips welcome.

Jill narrated the classic poem Spring is Sprung, of which there are many versions, in NewYorkese.  Some say it dates from 1940, attribute it to Ogden Nash, Spike Milligan or the the Marx Brothers. 
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where the flowers is,
The boid is on the wing, but that's absoid,
Because everybody knows that the wing is on the boid!

Margaret told us of a cyclist she had encountered with a container of large, early snowdrops attached to his bike.  While waiting for the traffic lights to change, as you do, the cyclist told Margaret that the snowdrops were Mrs Macnamara, named after Dylan Thomas’ mother-in-law, Yvonne Macnamara.  

It’s amazing what we learn!

Has anyone you know paid loads of money for a snowdrop bulb?

Notice Board
We have the opportunity to visit Pat Clarke’s garden on 15th August, not Littlethorpe on that date as previously mentioned.  

Paxton Committee:  As Jenny is not currently able to attend (we wish her a speedy recovery), if anyone else is able to stand in for her, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary
Next Friday Forum Meeting:  7th February – AGM and Tour de France yellow bedding scheme

Please note The meeting scheduled for 21st February has now been changed to a talk on The Sex Life of Plants by Ben Emmett

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 3rd February from Midday.  An hour or two or your time to help maintain the premises are always welcome.  If another date is more suitable for you, please let us know.

Advance warning of Paxton Plant Market to be held on Saturday 31st May:    Please be considering planting and growing on for the sales table and if you can help on the day from 10 am.

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

Sunday 5 January 2014

First footing


At this meeting of the Friday Forum, members discussed a range of topics:

·         What’s in the garden on New Year’s day – a surprising  number of plants.

·         Plants received as Christmas presents and what to do with them plus whether or not to cut off the leaves of hellebores.

·         Jill showed us that Summer and Winter clematis were flowering together in her garden

·         Ann had spotted lily beetle and a green caterpillar had been found curled in a leaf on an upstairs balcony.  We all agreed that squirrels were a nuisance and we were told of an Australian gardener who used TCP on branches to deter possums and  considered if this could work on squirrels.

Gardening resolutions for 2014
Members were asked about their New Year gardening resolutions and it was felt that they could apply to the majority of us:
Plant to attract more bees and butterflies, find a better species of aster, remember to feed, plant out from pots more quickly, continue to eradicate convolvulus, label plants, stake plants before they topple over, Chelsea chop and above all BE MORE RUTHLESS and Pat Clarke was cited as being ruthless to create her wonderful garden at Mews Cottage, Harrogate.
What items have put on your list for 2014?

 Quiz
Here is a link for a Quiz on well–known Gardens from the Telegraph, on which I scored only 50%.

Cover the country in yellow
RHS and Welcome to Yorkshire are going to encourage people to grow sunflowers and other yellow plants to celebrate the Tour de France next July.   Friday Forum is addressing this in the7th February meeting but you can get some ideas from this link http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf

Notice Board
Sadly Doreen Brown passed away in December.  Doreen was a founder member of the group and a keen photographer.
Clare Beard who spoke to the Forum in December on Lineham Farm thanked us for the donations received from her visit.
Margaret sold off some lovely pieces of costume jewellery, the proceeds from which were donated to Friday Forum funds.

 Dates for your diary
Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 6th January from Midday.  An hour or two or your time to help maintain the premises are always welcome.
Next Friday Forum Meeting:  A talk by Brian Denison entitled My Garden; its history and plants
We have an exciting programme of garden visits for this year; more details will follow.
16 May:  Beacon Hill House at Langbar near Ilkley
20 June:   Horticap  nr Harlow Carr with its garden, nursery and tea room
18 July:  Day trip to Rewela Cottage, Skewsby YO61 4SG, lunch at Helmsley then Terrington House with its famous summerhouse decorated with shells.
15 August :  Greencroft, Littlethorpe , near Ripon.

Annual Membership Fees for 2014 of £11.00 are now due
The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home