"March, when days are getting long, Let thy growing hours be strong to set right some wintry wrong." - Caroline May

Presentation: 

 Doug Stewart gave us a hugely entertaining and interesting talk entitled ‘The Way we Were’.  Doug, who has been involved with gardening all his life, trained as a gardener, has been a lecturer, an expert in the development of tomatoes and cucumbers and is now a horticultural consultant.  Doug is presently writing a book on sustainability.

His talk examined how gardeners were trained in the past, gardening trends and the products and tools they used.  We may ridicule some of the methods and harmful products used by earlier generations but realise that, in years to come, some of our own practices may be considered questionable.

Display Table

Ann’s pot of Gypsy Girl crocuses and daffodils Tiny Bubbles

Katherine’s hardy Pinellia pedatisecta, Chinese Green Dragon

Trevor’s Iris Reticulata

Gill J’s spring posy:  Tête-à-tête and Jet fire daffodils, Camellia, Anemone blanda, Hellebores, Pulmoneria, Heather, Arabis and Wallflowers

Amanda’s beautiful Hellebores, Iris and Daphne

Kate’s Pachyphragma macrophllum, Anemone blanda, Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’, Pulmoneria ‘Blue Ensign’Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’

 Chaenomeles x superba ‘Crimson and Gold’, Camelia ‘Silver Wedding’. Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ which translates as Flight of the Butterflies

Next Meeting:  1^st April – Friday Forum Spring Show

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Presentation

Tracy Foster’s presentation, From Eden to Titchmarsh and Beyond. (A brief history of gardening), was up to her usual excellent standard.  She talked us through the fashions in gardens from those first recorded in Egypt right up to the present day.  Who knew that the incinerator in Leeds is a wonderful example of vertical planting which you can visit! What goes on inside Leeds’ vertical garden and the tallest 'living wall' - Leeds Live (leeds-live.co.uk)

A really interesting, informative and entertaining talk.

 

Display Table

Gill’s container:  Primroses including PrimleyPink, Daffy Rip van Winkle, Pulmonaria, Omphalodes verna, Leucojum vernum

Ann brought  Hamamelis 'Aphrodite, Iris unguicularis, Iris reticulata, Galanthus nivalis, Frp and S.Arnott, Crocus tommasinianus, Olsynium douglasii, Hepatica nobilis, Allium triquetrum, Cyclamen coum, Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’, Helleborus: atrorubens, Ashwood, Yellow, Leucojum vernum and Geranium ‘Spring Fling’ with its decorative leaves

Judith’s hellebores – silver dollar and stenii

Kate brought Viburnum bodnatense Dawn, Skimmia x confusa Kew Green, Ribes sanguineum White Icicle, Helleborus x hybridus SP Sophie and Edgeworthia chrysantha Grandiflora, which was February’s flower of the month Plant of the Month: February 2022 | Hardy Plant Society (wyhps.co.uk)

Next Meeting

Next meeting will be on March 18^th when there will be a presentation by Doug Stewart ‘The Way we Were’