Garden Visit to Beacon Hill House

Our first garden visit of the year was a great success.  The seven-acre garden in Langbar was created in 1848 around an early Victorian house and has been tended by the Boyle family for 37 years.

Mr Boyle gave us a tour of the grounds, pointing out interesting items and answering our questions.  Much of the garden is steeply sloping (one area even named “rest and be thankful” and we could see why) and backs on to a grouse moor and it gives a marvellous view of the Yorkshire countryside.

 

 The garden had beautiful woodland walks amongst a variety of large species of trees, rhododendrons, magnolias and bulbs.  It has an old greenhouse which was originally heated by a coke boiler, as was one of the walls of the orchard at the very top of the garden.

 

Other features of the garden include a windbreak, a pond and a stone built tunnel

 

Notice Board
Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting:   6th June - Peppers.  Also we are hoping to plant up our display for the Tour de France into grow bags so, if you have any young plants ready for growing on, please bring them to the meeting.       

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 2^nd June 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

 

FRIDAY FORUM GARDEN VISITS 2014

Here are the full details of our  FRIDAY FORUM GARDEN VISITS 2014

16th MAY      BEACON HILL HOUSE, Langbar, Nr. Ilkley, LS29 0EU
                     Mr & Mrs H Boyle  Tel: 01943 607544
Looks over the garden wall onto a grouse moor.  This 7 acre ‘intake’, steeply sloping but gardened since 1848, is a spring paradise with early rhododendrons, magnolias and bulbs. 1.30pm - Entrance including tea and cakes £3.50 (the cost of this visit has been subsidized by F/Forum)
Directions:  Coming from Otley, turn right over the bridge at Ben Rhydding, turn left, take first right on to Carter’s Lane.  Keep straight on Hunger Hill (narrow road )After approx 1.5 miles turn right and in approx l.3 miles  you cross a cattle grid.  In approx 3 miles you are at the top of the hill with the wall of Beacon Hill House garden in front of you.  To your right is some spare land to park on, or if you bear left , you will see the entrance to the garden.  There is parking for approx. 4 cars on the drive.


20th June       HORTICAP, Blue Coat Wood Nurseries, Otley Road. Harrogate
                      HG3 1QL
Horticap is a charity based in their own plant nursery.  Adult students with learning disabilities go there to train in horticulture and gain all sorts of life skills.  A volunteer speaker will take us on a tour of the Horticap site.  After the tour refreshments will be served and the shop will be open.  1.30pm – Donations would be appreciated.
B6162 Otley Road on the opposite side of the road to RHS Harlow Carr – Horticap sign on the roadside.


15th August  Pat Clarke,The Mews Cottage, Brunswick Drive,
                    Harrogate HG1 2PZ .
A winner of the Daily Mail Garden of the Year Award . 1.30pm - £3.50 including refreshments
A61 into Harrogate past Betty’s and Cenotaph, down Parliament Street  Through the lights at the bottom, up Ripon Road for a little way, then turn left on to Swan Road past Old Swan Hotel, across onto York Road, over cross roads  and then fork left onto Brunswick Drive.  Look out for Mews Cottage on the left.   If you have a parking disc please bring  it with you but some will be available

The Merry Month of May

Talk:  Town Gardens. Making the best of a small space by Rob Edwards

 

Rob showed us illustrations of beautiful gardens and planting schemes which work in the smaller garden.  He recommends that you include a ‘bit of everything’ in your garden (trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals) scaled to your plot for year round interest.  Rob certainly inspired us and gave us plenty of tips and ideas for our own gardens.

Display Table

 
Judith’s Antirrhinums

 
Elizabeth’s bouquet of fragrant smilicana, Solmon’s Seal, Rosa banksiae, various tulips and late daffodils, Pulsatilla, azelias and variegated Rosemary.

Linda’s Tibetan Peacock Orchid (Pleione tongariro)

Ann’s Asarum caudatum from North and South America and Arisarum proboscideum from Europe.

 
Notice Board

For our yellow flower display to celebrate the Tour de France in July, there are seeds available for members to sow and grow   For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf  If anyone any creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall, please come forward.

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting:   Garden visit to Beacon Hill House, Langbar, near Ilkley, LS29 0EU.  Members should meet at the garden at 1.30pm.                        

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 2^nd June 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Exhibits

Members were asked to display “a flower in any form” and just look at the variety brought in.

 

 

Also, with an Easter theme, member were asked to grow curly cress in an painted eggshell.  Just look how these turned out.  Eggcelent!

Forum Discussion

Members enjoyed a lively discussion on plants they regretted acquiring - here are a few of these:

Spanish bluebells

Smyrnium perfoliatum (lovely spring plant but a prolific self-seeder)
Geranium nodosum - very pretty, good in shade but will seed anywhere including into other plants
Euphorbia griffithii - very attractive but can run around quite a lot
Cardamine bulbifera - BEWARE!
Allium paradoxum - attractive but also an enthusiastic self-seeder
Saponaria ocymoides (soapwort) - a spreader
Little violet and oxalis - pretty but a bit of a nuisance

One member announced that he found Tulipa sprengeri to be a nuisance - this was greeted with howls of incredibility by the many people who struggle to grow it!

Notice Board

For our yellow flower display to celebrate the Tour de France in July, there are seeds available for members to sow and grow   For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf  If anyone any creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall, please come forward.

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting:    2nd May - A talk by Rob Edwards onTown Gardens; making the best of a small space.                      

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 5^th May 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

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

 

 

 

 

Show time

 Gwen is delighted being placed second and third with her floating hellebore flowers

 

Friday Forum had its own mini-show the day before the Paxton Spring Show.  All seven classes received many entries which were judged by John Freer, Daffodil shower and knitter (yes, really, see the jumper he is wearing in the photos below) and Paxton’s own Graham Wheatley.

Class 1 – One vase containing one Daffodil

Class 2 – One vase containing three Daffodils

Class 3 – One vase containing three Tulips

Class 4 – Container of Spring flowering bulbs

Class 5 – One pot plant, indoor or outdoor

 Marjorie's winning pot plant

Class 6 – One vase containing flowering branches

Class 7 – Dish of floating flower heads

Talk on Daffodils

The expert grower and shower of Daffodils and knitter extraordinaire John Freer entertained us with his knowledge of Daffodils.  John gave us lots of tips, some a bit cheeky and others we wished we had known before the show!  

Display Table

 This basket of camellias took centre stage

 

Paxton Friday Forum Day Trip to North Yorkshire

This trip, which takes in three gardens, has now been confirmed for Friday 18^th July.  To reserve a place, which is offered on a first come first served basis, or for more information please contact Janella.

Notice Board

Members were able to see the Strulch, mentioned last meeting and to sign up to order some bags.  Strulch is a light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic gardening.   More information on the properties of Strulch and how it can be used can be seen at http://www.strulch.co.uk

If you are interested in purchasing plant labels which peel off from a handy roll, please see Norma.

Gill and Graham were thanked for their efforts and commitment on the Friday Forum committee.  They have decided to step down, leaving a couple of vacancies for anyone interested.

For our yellow flower display to celebrate the Tour de France in July, there are seeds available for members to sow and grow   For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf  If anyone any creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall, please come forward.

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting:   18^th April - members are asked to bring something in the shape of a flower for the “Flower in any form” contest; arts, crafts, baking etc all acceptable.  Also, you are asked to grow some cress in an eggshell and paint it up. 

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 5^th May 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Propagating properly

Talk on Propagation

Mike Davey gave us an interesting and useful illustrated talk on propagation from seeds, cuttings and leaves.  We may call ourselves gardeners, but I think everyone would have picked up a few practical tips from Mike, who is an expert in this field and lectures at Nottingham University on plant and crop sciences.  Amongst other facts, I learnt about seeds with fungicide coating and to dry out cuttings of succulents before replanting but I don’t think I’ll follow the advice of walking around the garden chewing tomato seeds before sowing!

Display Table

 Judith's Hellebores



 Elisabeth's lovely Spring bouquet of purple Daphne, white Pachyphragma, pink Camelia Debbie/Donation, Heather, Prunus 'Kojo-no-mai' with Chionodoxa and Daffodil Rip Van Winkle

 Gill's Tulips



 Ann's Ipheion uniflorum 'Charlotte Bishop, Tropaeolum and Narcissus cyclamineus

 

Congratulations to Kay on her big birthday

 Everyone wished this beautiful lady many happy returns and sang Happy Birthday

 

Paxton Friday Forum Day Trip to North Yorkshire

This trip, which takes in three gardens, has now been confirmed for Friday 18^th July.  To reserve a place, which is offered on a first come first served basis, or for more information please contact Janella.

Notice Board

The Paxton Open Spring Show will take place on 5^th April.  Pick up a leaflet or look on Paxton’s main site.

Friday Forum’s mini show will be the day before.  Donations of tombola prizes will be appreciated.

Reminder:  for the Good Friday meeting on 18^th April, members are asked to bring something in the shape of a flower for the “Flower in any form” contest; arts, crafts, baking etc all acceptable.  Also, you are asked to grow some cress in an eggshell and paint it up.  Should be interesting!

Members were asked if they would be interested in a bulk purchase of Strulch, a light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic gardening. This would be delivered to a central point for members to collect.  More information on the properties of Strulch and how it can be used, go to http://www.strulch.co.uk

For our yellow flower display to celebrate the Tour de France in July, there are seeds available for members to sow and grow   For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf  If anyone any creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall, please come forward.

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting: 4^th April Paxton Friday Forum Mini Spring Show.  There are seven categories to enter from a vase with one daffodil to a dish of floating flower heads, so have a go. Further information is available from Graham.

There will also be a short talk on daffodils by John Freer.

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 7^th April 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

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

 

 

March on!

Talk on Spring and Autumn in Japan by Ian Richardson

 Ian's visits to Japan and his hobbies of photography and chrysanthemums makes him the ideal person to give an illustrated talk on Japan

Ian transported us to another world of white, pink and red cherry blossom, quince, acers in two seasons of every colour and multicoloured, gravel gardens and moss gardens in their settings of lakes, temples linked by bridges and parks.  The reflection of the landscape in the water gave a feeling of serenity.

Please note that the photographs shown below are not by Ian Richardson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw densely planted bamboo forests.  The bamboo was long and strong enough to be used in the construction industry. We also saw golden carpets where the leaves of the Ginko trees had dropped.

The practice of Bonsai was in evidence.  This is the art of shaping trees using wire and rope and much patience and is not confined to the miniature specimens we tend to think of as Bonsai.

Ian visited flower shows for chrysanthemums and we saw photographs of 1000 blooms on one stem!  Figures outside temples are dressed in hundreds of chrysanthemums which are renewed regularly.

We also learnt of the culture of Japan accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Ian.  We saw examples of snacks of a fish on a stick and heard that battered and fried acer leaves are served for breakfast. 

Ian had produced spectacular albums of his photographs; one for Spring and one for Autumn.

Display Table

 Sue's Hellebores and Ann's Crocus sieberi 'Ronald Ginns', recommended as a good doer

 Margaret's hardy cyclamen coum

 Spring in a pot. 



 Any ideas?   This is kapok from the kapok or Java cotton tree which Norma brought from Costa Rica

Gill's examples of Spring flowers from her garden.

 

Peter impressed us with his display of art work.  My favourite was the potting shed.

Notice Board

The Paxton Open Spring Show will take place on 5^th April.  Pick up a leaflet or look on Paxton’s main site.

Friday Forum’s mini show will be the day before.  Donations of tombola prizes will be appreciated.

For our yellow flower display to celebrate the Tour de France in July, there are seeds available for members to sow and grow   For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf  If anyone any creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall, please come forward.

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting and growing on for the sales table and, if you can help on the day from 10 am, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting

21^st April – Plant Propagation with Mike Davey

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 7^th April 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.  In June, there will be a Dig In at Paxton Garden; date TBA.

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