Saturday 20 September 2014

Golden Acre Park and plants to extend interest in the garden



Talk:  Martin Walker gave us a fascinating presentation on the past and present of Golden Acre Park.  Although it is a local park, we all learnt something new about this popular area.
 Martin:  self confessed obsessive gardenr
By 1932 Golden Acre was a theme park run by the Thompson family, which boasted a dance hall, miniature railway, swimming pool, boating lake and hotel.  It was a popular resort for day trippers and Martin showed us photographs of crowds of people making their way there.  In the middle of the lake a tower blasted out music and the dance hall, where many a match was made, had walls which could be removed in the summer.

By 1939, the park was not very lucrative and the site was requisitioned by the military for training purposes.

In 1946 Golden Acre became the property of Leeds City Council.  Martin, who worked in the park while still a teenager, gave us an insight into the successes and problems of managing such a huge park.  He told us how a salvaged wrought iron gate from the former Blenheim School now graces the Blenheim Courtyard.  There have been many different planting trends over the years and recently mixed annuals have been sown to appear like wildflower meadows.   Golden Acre Park houses national collections of various species, rhododendrons from Parceval Hall in the Dales, cherry orchards and very old beech trees.  Some of the trees were lost in the great storm of 1962 which flooded the area.
Build and they will come 
Janella reminded us about Wildlife Week and how we can attract wildlife into our gardens.  Bug hotels are easy to make using a plastic bottle or piece of old pipe for a shell and filling in with hollow stems, paper and such like.  Other ideas were bat boxes and plants which encourage wildlife.  Wild about gardens http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/about  Why not have a go and let us know the outcome?
Display Table
Janella’s variegated Lobelia which had been squashed and reverted to green has been revitalised by cutting back hard.

 Margaret brought some grass and bulbs; both good multipliers
 This Chilli plant was brought for members to help themselves to the harvest
Gill and Ann demonstrated how our gardens can still contain plenty of interest at this time of the year.

Gill


Kirengeshoma with the yellow bells, phlox maculate, hydrangea, japanese anemone, the whirlwind double white and a pink one, two purple clematis polish spirit with its hanging habit and etoile violette.  Also included are a begonia, the late flowering campanula ossetica, salvia Amistad, the dark red potentilla monarch’s velvet, helenium, lysimachia which is good for front of a border,a couple of fuchsia and corydalis.  There is a plume of a heuchera, the arching grass molinia transparent and an Autumn marlis.

Ann

Abies pine cone

 


Actea, aconitum, an orange hesperantha and even an attractive plant which seemingly came from the birdseed.

Paxton Early Autumn Show and Plant Sale

Saturday 27th September See full details of the various classes, prizes and times are on the Paxton site. https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home/people/room-hire/show-dates

Clematis

Chris Cox of Taylor’s Nursery, who is giving a talk on the 3rd October, has kindly offered to bring any orders placed beforehand thus saving delivery costs.  http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/ 
Next meeting:  
3rd October: Clematis through the seasons
Friends of Paxton meet regularly on the first Monday of the month 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.  
Friday Forum meetings are 1.30pm on 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at Paxton Hall, Paxton Horticultural Society, 186 Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   Meetings may be hands-on sessions, guest speakers or garden visits. Regular features are the Display Table where members can bring their plants for discussion and advice and the Sales Table where members sell their plants, cuttings and produce to help the club funds.  For further information log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home


 

Thursday 11 September 2014

Sunny September



 Photo taken at Breezy Knees gardens



Although we are approaching the end of the summer, Friday Forum members were able to grace the display table with an abundance of flowers and other items of interest.  
 

Norma brought some herbs which she germinated to use as micro salad.  This is a great idea as we are probably all guilty of throwing away our supermarket salad leaves which have wilted in the fridge.

Carl brought in some large courgettes.  As they had a bumper harvest, Margaret made a courgette cake and has kindly shared the recipe.   
 Courgette Cake
250g soft dark brown sugar
3 eggs
250ml veg oil
375g S R flour
1 tsp mixed spice
375g (1 large) courgette, ends removed and coarsely grated
250g mixed dried fruit
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
Topping
50g butter, softened
50g cream cheese
250g icing sugar, sieved
Finely grated zest and juice of half lemon
(Oven temp. Electric 160c or fan 140c, or gas mark 4)
 Method
1  Whisk together the sugar and eggs until thick and creamy, gradually add oil whilst continuing to whisk the mixture
2  Fold in the sifted flour and spice.
3  Carefully stir in grated courgette, fruit and zest and juice of lemon
4  Place the mixture into a lined 20cm deep cake tin and bake for 1.3/4 - 2 hr until risen and golden and crispy to the touch. Cool for 15 min. before removing from the tin.
5 Topping - Mix all ingredients in a bowl without beating, until combined.
6 Spread generously over top of cold cake.
 
 or perhaps courgette, potato and cheddar soup as a savoury option



Judith shared an article from the Telegraph about Tulips that should repeat flower year after year, which you can access through Google, as well as many more useful articles on gardening from the Telegraph. 

Norma read about a company that collects unwanted used plastic plant pots which people can deposit at participating garden centres. They are then recycled into garden products.  Here is the link.
 
Next meeting:  
19th September:  Talk:  Golden Acre Park, Leeds – A potted history

Friends of Paxton meet regularly on the first Monday of the month 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.  
Friday Forum meetings are 1.30pm on 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at Paxton Hall, Paxton Horticultural Society, 186 Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   Meetings may be hands-on sessions, guest speakers or garden visits. Regular features are the Display Table where members can bring their plants for discussion and advice and the Sales Table where members sell their plants, cuttings and produce to help the club funds.  For further information log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home