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

 

 

The Sex Lives of Plants

We heard that the first butterfly and ladybird had been spotted, so Spring must be on its way!

The sex lives of plants

This week, a fascinating and amusing illustrated talk was given by Ben Emmott, entomologist, agricultural problem solver and beekeeper.

Ben explained how plants evolved over millions of years by cell division when under water resulting in the production of an identical plant.   Later, when plants grew on land, seeds and pollen moved about via wind, birds or insects giving us plants with different characteristics.  This presented a new set of problems; how the male finds the female.  It turns out that plants are not so different from us and plants may make themselves attractive by their colour, taste, scent, even providing nectar guides and easy access! 

We learnt about the unique symbiotic reproductive method of the Yucca with a certain moth and how some flowers open in the evening for the nocturnal insects.

At one of Ben’s talks, a member of the audience remarked that most plants had a better sex life than she did!

Display Table and Forum

There were certainly signs of spring of the display table.

 This painting by the talented Margaret L.L. is of a hellebore she grows in the garden

 Mary brought in her Aeonium in flower, and not for the first time.  The plant is kept outside in Summer and brought into a porch for the Winter

 Dorothy's Iris Pauline has lovely markings.  Gill displayed a jar of snowdrops of different varieties.  Certain snowdrops are going for really high prices; apparently S. Arnott are selling for £5.00 per bulb, so it may be worth investing in them!  Ann's stunning Jacobinia was rescued from "death row" at a local nursery. 

Notice Board

The Paxton Open Spring Show will take place on 5^th April and Friday Forum’s mini show will be the day before.  Pick up a leaflet or look on Paxton’s main site.

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 

We are seeking creative ideas on how to display our yellow blooms in front of Paxton Hall. 

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:  On 7^th March there is a talk by Ian Richardson on Spring and Autumn in Japan.

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 3^rd March 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

 

 

Signs of Spring

AGM: 

Last year’s minutes and an outline of the past year’s activities were read out and adopted.  The committee was thanked on behalf of all members for the hard work and for the enjoyable and successful programme of activities.

Friday Forum helping to cover the country in yellow for le tour Yorkshire
As previously mentioned, RHS and Welcome to Yorkshire are encouraging people to grow   yellow plants to celebrate the Tour de France in July.   At the Friday Forum meeting this week, seeds were distributed for members to sow and grow in order to create our own yellow display for the event.  For more ideas of yellow flowers see http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf

Plants for shade in every season

Gill told us how she manages a shady area in her own garden, which is really useful to keep interest throughout the year in our own difficult patches.  Gill’s area is shaded by two large cherry trees.

January: Interest comes from the foliage of the fern, Polystichum 'Bevis', hellebores and epimedium plus the primroses which are dotted about. 

February:  The snowdrops, hellebores (stripped of their leaves), epimediums and aconites are now in flower plus Pachyphragma, Tellima  and Early Sensation a daffodil which opens earlier than the others.

March:  The snowdrops and hellebores are still in flower and are joined by the rest of the daffodils.  Other plants featuring at this time are Omphalodes verna 'Alba', primula, azalea, pulmonaria, Bowles golden grass and the Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum).

Gill reminded us that small plants can be planted at the back of the border in Spring as they have little competition.

April: The  daffodils, Pachyphragma and primroses are still performing and are then joined by geranium  nodosum 'Whiteleaf', geranium Spring Fling, corydalis and tellima.

May:  Now the cherry trees are in blossom, the azalea is in flower as well as corydalis, digitalis, orange and yellow epimediums and astrantia sunningdale variegated.

June:  The geraniums continue to flower and the philadelphus.

July/August:  Stylophorum (like a yellow poppy) and clematis Mary Rose

September/October:  The Autumn colour is showing on the cherry trees and other foliage plus Lamium galeobdolon.

Leeds Flower Show is 150 years old

Elizabeth told us how there will be a marquee set out with a miniature replica of the first ever Leeds Flower Show which was held in 1864.   The Leeds Mercury reported that it was held in the Leeds Volunteer Rifles' Army drill hall in Oxford Place and attracted huge pubic interest.  The project will be based on reports which exist from that time which state  ‘ incorporating attractions including groups of flags and shields, tastefully selected and arranged …….. and devices in artificial flowers depending from the girders of the roof’ .

It is hoped to reproduce some of the varieties of plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits which were on display at that time. Pansies, verbenas, fuchsias and 24 varieties of roses feature in the reports but it is debatable whether they will they look the same as they did then.

 

Entries of the various classes back in the day were from such well-known people as Lord Londesborough of Grimston Park , Mr. John Hope Shaw, Mr. J G Marshall and Mr. F W Tetley who were, of course, assisted by their gentlemen’s gardeners.

This year’s Leeds Flower Show is being held atThe Grammar School At Leeds,  Alwoodley Gates, Harrogate Rd, Leeds,LS17 8GS on August 2^nd and 3rd.

Display Table

There were certainly signs of spring of the display table.

 A beautiful assortment of spring plants from Ann's garden and a pot of  S. Arnott snowdrops

An arrangement of floating hellebores. In the centre is Penny's Pink which has marbled leaves in the Summer.

 Dorothy brought in her Orchid Dendrobium Berry Oda.  The irises give a splendid splash of colour.

Notice Board

Advance warning:
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!

 

Paxton Plant Market is on Saturday 31^st May.   Please consider planting up 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 Friday Forum Meeting:  Please note The meeting scheduled for 21^st February has now been changed to a talk on The Sex Life of Plants by Ben Emmett.

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday   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.
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

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 15^th 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:  7^th February – AGM and Tour de France yellow bedding scheme

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

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 3^rd 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 31^st 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

 

 

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%.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/10544248/Quiz-can-you-identify-these-famous-gardens.html

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 6^th 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

 

 

The Christmas “Do”

Quiz

Everyone enjoyed trying to name the everyday articles photographed from different angles (if you call a porcupine quill an everyday item).  Prizes were awarded for the four teams with the highest scores.

The quiz was followed by the drawing of the raffle and afternoon tea with mince pies.

The Holly and the Ivy ....

Attractive festive displays were produced from a range of flowers, foliage and accessories.

 

 This was a new idea for most of us; a festive hanging basket for outside.  A tripod was used for the construction process.

 

 

 

Dates for your Diary

There is an exciting programme of activities for 2014 on the main Paxton website

Next meeting is on 3 January 2014

Friends of Paxton is meeting on 6 January at midday and would welcome any contributions of time and effort to help maintain the Paxton site.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 Leeds Market

 

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