“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant

 Presentation

Sue Dengan gave an interesting and very informative talk on willow weaving. Although Sue told Friday Forum that she is a relatively newcomer to willow weaving, she did a super job demonstrating her weaving skills. 

There was much enthusiasm and many questions asked as we went along.  Members were able to have a go themselves by plaiting four willow strands.

Display Table

Judith brought Verbena Bampton, Verbena Bonariensis, Orange dahlia, Tithonia (an annual)

Peter brought, in sealed plastic bags to keep fresh, Ginger (hedychium), Mimosa , Morning Glory (ipoemea)

Dorothy found this bargain at B&Q - three for £10. She left one at home as it was a bit run of the mill

 

Trevor's Dahlias grown from seed

Liz's flowers

Next Meeting: Oct 6^th: Harvest Meeting – Food and Quiz

Visit to Cliff Bank Nursery

The inclement weather forecast didn’t stop Friday Forum members from an enjoyable visit to Cliff Bank Nursery in Huby where we were shown round by owner Ben Preston.

The site has been a nursery for over 100 years, the last owner being the late Joe Maiden. Ben, previously head gardener at York Gate and now joined by partner Laura, previously a NHS nurse took on the site last year after it had been closed for about 8 years.

With his passion for plants, Ben told us about the challenges they had to overcome, Ben shared his future plans with us and we have no doubt that this enthusiastic couple will achieve their goals such as making a show garden of all the plants available in the nursery, a woodland walk and taking on an apprentice, just to name a few. Ben told us that one thing is certain, Cliff Bank will never become a garden centre but remain a plant nursery.

Everything at Cliff Bank is propagated from seed, cuttings and divisions and you will find a healthy selection of woodland plants, unusual perennials and ornamental grasses. Further stocks are grown in raised beds in the village nearby.

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The resident hens give eggs every day as well as keeping down the slug and snail population.  Ben and Laura also keep pigs which are useful for clearing rough ground and eat the windfall apples 

The polytunnel with its colour coded seeds

The very  old greenhouse where Ben showed us some before and after pictures.  All manner of objects have been found when clearing the site! 

We were given a tour of the nursery when Ben answered all our questions and gave us many tips on propagation.

A welcome drink and slice of delicious cake in front of the apple orchard.  An apple press is brought in at harvest time. There is an impressive view from the nursery over towards Harewood. 

The Nursery is open Wed-Sat 9am-4:30pm until Sunday 29th October. This allows Ben and Laura to attend plant fairs, details of which are on the website. 

https://cliffbanknursery.co.uk/

More details of the history is here:

The first of many……Welcome to Cliff Bank Nursery – 10th of October 2022 – Cliff Bank Nursery

Next Meeting: 15^th September – Willow weaving with Sue Dengan

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips

 Dahlias

Judith spoke about her love for Dahlias for their form and colour. Her preference is the Bishop series rather than the pompom shapes. Originating from South America, a friend of the Bishop of Llandaff brought the flower over in the 1920s and named it after the Bishop. Since then, there are many different “Bishops” including the Children.

Judith’s Dahlias: The orange Flaxton, the red Murdoch, the purple Bluetiful and the single yellow 

Judith recommended The Gardener's Guide to Growing Dahlias (Paperback) by Gareth Rowland and a Plant Lovers Guide to Dahlias by Andy Vernon 

From the discussion, we heard that some members had successfully sown Dahlias from seed, how some wrapped the tubers in newspaper until March and some bemoaned the attraction of slugs and snails so they grew them in pots. Valley Gardens in Harrogate and Golden Acre Park have a range of Dahlias well worth a visit.

Dahlias in Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Discussion

Suzanne led the discussion about plants that do well in our gardens in the extremes of weather we have been experiencing. She had recently visited Beth Chatto’s gravel garden which was started in 1990 and is never watered. A rainfall table showed that while July 2022 had zero rainfall, 2023 was the wettest on record. Here are found Mediterranean plants including Thymes, Lavender, tall Verbascum bombyciferum, Yucca, Eryngium, Stipa gigantea, Sedum telephium all growing happily.

Members agreed that this year, only the pots needed watering regularly. Others had noticed some plants flowering later and others earlier than usual with Agapanthus doing especially well.

Display Table

Sue G’s brought a Salvia,  the pink form of Amistad

Dorothy’s yellow bouquet: Cosmos, 2 x bedding Dahlias, French Marigold and Begonia

Dorothy’s Eucomis which is overwintered in the greenhouse

Suzanne brought the foliage of Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ with its flower, the rose pink Penstemon ‘Just Jayne’ with its streaked white throat, Erysimum Bowles mauve, Aster frikarta Mönch, Crocosmia Lucifer and Emily McKenzie/Orange Pekoe? and Spiraea Anthony Waterer

Judith Hellfire dark purple phlox maculata, Cosmos and a dark purple Anemone

Ann: Persicaria, Golden Arrow, J S Calienta and Fat Domino

Peter tested our knowledge on his contributions: Phlox zaluanskia, Asarina procumbens, Agastache, Stokesia, Passiflora, Freesia laxa, Fuchsia gartenmeister bonstedt, Heliotrope and Persicaria campanulata

Next Meetings

1^st September - visit to Cliff Bank Nursery

September 15th – Willow Weaving with Sue Dengan

God made rainy days so gardeners can get the housework done

 

Talk: Colours of the Garden by Hilary Hutson

Hilary has given many interesting and well-researched presentations to Friday Forum on a wide range of subjects. This fascinating talk covered the science of how we humans see colour and how insects, birds and mammals see colour. Whereas for humans the colour red stands out, for bees it is purple and wasps like reddy browns. This is important for pollination. Who knew that ladybirds and lily beetles are red to alert predators to leave them alone? Many plants have splashes of ultra violet which can be seen by the insects but not by humans. These facts and much more were explained and illustrated by Hilary.

Display Table

These cuttings are taken from a Salvia from the late Margaret Bulman’s garden. They were distributed to some members who will take their own cuttings to pass on to other members.

The petals of Ann’s Viola hederacea has no lower petals, hence the name Chinless Wonder. The plant is kept in a greenhouse

Maggie Y’s pot contains Hypericum ‘Magic Universe’, Crocosmia (too orange for Lucifer),ceratostigma willmottianum and ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Inula, Persicaria ‘Golden Arrow’. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and athyrium niponicum ‘Ursula’s Red’

As much interest was expressed, here is the spicy perfumed Hypericum ‘Magic Universe’ in Maggie’s garden

Kate brought Japanese Anemones: Pamina, Dreaming Swan, Pretty Lady Susan and Honerine Jobert

Suzanne’s vase contains a flower from Hosta Fortunei aureomarginata, Bergenia’Harzkristall’ Salvia microphylla ‘Pink Lips’, Persicaria affinis superba, Geraniums ‘Rozanne’ and sanguineum ‘Max Frei’, Anemone ‘Serenade’, Fern – polypodium vulgara and Penstemon ‘Hidcote Pink’ with its cream and purple striped throat

Carol’s gladiolus byzantinus

Eighteen lucky people tucked in the Liz’s chocolate cake and I can personally vouch for the other one. We all appreciate your fabulous baking, Liz.

Next Meeting: 18^th August will be chaired by Suzanne. Judith will speak about Dahlias followed by a discussion on which plants are successful, or not, in our gardens in the extreme weather patterns we are experiencing.