Slugs are just homeless snails

 Garden Pests: Friend or Foe

Chaired by Kate, this Forum looked at garden pests using Val Bourne’s recent article in the Telegraph as a starting point. She argues “Not all slugs are bad – you should embrace them in your garden” and goes on to distinguish between helpful and hateful slugs and the most effective ways of dealing with them. We discussed methods of preventing slug damage from copper rings to beer traps and how to dispose of them. Changing our planting habits, using silver leaved plants and companion planting were considered.

Kate brought her book by Val Bourne and offered to loan it

  Display Table

Kate’s jug contains Geraniums: Max Frei, Patricia, Ann Folkard and Rozeanne with Astrantias: the dark Roma, the white Shaggy and Maxima

Dorothy brought Heuchera, Astrantia, Centaurea (cornflower), Allium moly, Lychnis coronaria, a side shoot of Delphinium, a Common Spotted Orchid and the fragrant Sweet Peas Bubble Gum and Gwendoline

Judith brought a lovely white Poppy, Silene fimbriata, Matricaria, white Argyranthemum  , Peucedanum, a silver leafed Pulmonaria and Cineraria Maritima. They would look wonderful in a container or a bed.

Next Meeting

7^th July: Friday Forum Summer Mini Show

 

Visit to East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley

Friday Forum members met at  East Riddlesden Hall for a tour round the gardens by the lovely and knowledgeable Ben Cooper.  Ben has been head gardener here for two years.

 

 

The first border we came across was a herb garden with a variety of herbs including some more unusual ones which could have been used at that time such as soapwort.  These were used for both medicinal and culinary purposes.

In this walled garden is an orchard and a deep and high herbaceous border


 

After the tour, some members visited the Hall while others visited the tea shop.

Maggie Y sent these photos of a recent visit to Harlow Carr

Across from Harlow Carr in Harrogate is  Horticap who have revamped their nature trail and included information boards on insects, butterflies and wild flowers.  The fairy garden is also looking charming.  The nursery has interesting plants at a reasonable price and the cafe/restaurant has outdoor seating and is much cheaper than Betty's. 

Next Meeting:  June 16^th Forum: Friend or Foe; Garden Pests 

"I like gardening - it's a place where I find myself when I want to lose myself " Alice Sebold

Hanging Baskets

At our meeting we found inspiration for hanging baskets.

Maggie Y’s hanging basket with pansies, ivy,  and heather

Norma made a hanging basket with trailing Heucheras solar eclipse

Norma’s bee friendly basket contains Origanum majorana, Thymes and variegated nasturtiums.

Last year Norma made this bumblebee friendly basket with Nasturtiums, an upright Fuchsia, a trailing Fuchsia, Bacopa, Felicia and Bidens and had it featured in a magazine!

 

Kate showed us how to use upturned wire baskets for growing Nepeta through without cats flattening it.

Display Table

Sue G’s Primula luteola with serrated leaves

Judith brought Rhodiola Ru, Allium tricoccum, Hebe Hulkeana, Erysimum

Dorothy brought Spanish bluebell, Grape hyacinth, Forget-me-not, Doronicum, Wallflowers, Pulmonaria, Cowslip type Primrose and Tulip. She also brought Hellebores and offered their seeds

Margaret H brought various coloured Anemones, Epimediums, Soldanella alpina and Lily of the Valley

Judith’s aptly named Coleus Campfire

Peter’s scented Daphne Bramdean

In Kate’s container there is Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’,Brunnera macrophylla, Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’, pink Lily of the Valley, Iris Pacific Coast hybrid and the blue flower we think is Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum

In true Coronation spirit, Liz spoiled us with Union Jack themed treats plus Chocolate and Malteser brownies courtesy of Marjorie.

Next Meeting

Please note there is no meetings on 19^th May or 2^nd June.

On Wednesday 7^th June is a visit to East Riddlesden Hall. More details emailed to members.

Friday Forum Spring Show 2023

Friday Forum Spring Show

There were 27 entries for our Spring show, despite a lower than usual attendance. Forum member Eric kindly judged the entries and his explanation of how he assessed the various categories was much appreciated.

Class 1: One vase containing one Daffodil, 1^st place Christine

Class 2: One vase containing 3 Daffodils, 1^st place Maggie Y

Class 3: One vase containing 3 Tulips, 1^st place Sue G

Class 4: Container of Spring flowering bulbs, 1^st place Caroline

Class 5: One pot plant, indoor or outdoor, 1^st place Caroline

Class 6: One vase containing flowering branches, 1^st place Norma Hardaker

Class 7: Dish of floating flower heads, 1^st place Sue G

Display Table

Sue bought this Scilla Peruviana at the Harrogate show. This hardy plant actually comes from Portugal but is named after the boat which brought it here.

Next meeting

5^th May: A forum on hanging baskets so bring your ideas, baskets etc

 

“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” ― Lewis Grizzard

Friday Forum held its AGM and free raffle this week.  Minutes have been emailed to members.  Our Chairman, Kate, the committee and all members were thanked for their valuable contributions to the group.

Members were asked to bring in the Acer seeds which were given out with instructions from Peter Williams last Autumn.  Although they were kept in the fridge for the stipulated amount of time, only one member managed to get them to sprout!

Display Table

 (Left)Ann’s Orchid Spiranthes 'Chadd's Ford', 

(Right) Dorothy brought a posy of Bellis perennis, the whiteRibes alpinum, Iris reticulata. Cyclamen coum, Muscari, Helleborus niger plus other hellebores, Pulmonaria, Galanthus nivalis. This would make a pretty Spring bed.

Chrisitine’s Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice' aka Bog rosemary 

Norma’s Skimmia, Hellebore plus Hellebore seedlings

Judith’s Coleus

Next Meeting

There will be no meeting on Good Friday.

April 21^st: Mini Spring Show.  We encourage all members to have a go.  More details and sent by email.

“Friends, like flowers, make life more beautiful.” ― Michele Farabee

Presentation by Suzie Rush: Picked at Dawn, the On Growing Story.

With a background of studying art and working in a garden centre, Suzie started growing her own flowers first in a walled garden in Thirsk before taking on a much larger hayfield in Kilburn. Passionate about flowers and reducing carbon footprints, Suzie took us through the process of growing and tending her flowers which are then made into arrangements for weddings and events. Suzie will only use the flowers in season and has now diversified into flower arranging workshops and supplying well rooted plug plants. We were all interested in how her business developed through perseverance and hard work, especially as she has only used the media to publicise her services.

HOME (pickedatdawn.co.uk) is her website and About - Picked at Dawn (substack.com) keeps you up-to-date with her news.

Display Table

Ann brought Mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, and told us an amusing tale, details of which can be found here.The plant that can kill and cure - BBC News , 
Narcissus cyclaminens, olsynium douglasii sisyrinchium (grass widow), scilla biflora and corydalis malkensis

Maggie Y brought an assortment of daffodils: Snow Baby, Minnow, Tête á Tête and Jetfire

Kate brought Pachyphragma, Brunnera Jack Frost, Pulmonaria Blue Ensign and various Primulas including Primula marginata, the Silver-Edged Primrose

Gill E brought Primroses, Chionodoxa, Cardamine, Lonicera fragrantissima, Pulmonarias, Snowdrops, Cyclamen and Scilla

Gill J’s Iris reticulata