Welcome Spring

Talk:  The South Downs Way and Parham House

Mike Davey talked about the geography, history and agriculture to be found in the South Downs and persuaded some of us to take a walk along some of the 100 mile route.

Mike also took us on a virtual tour of Parnham House, built in the 1500s.  The gardens date from the 18^th century and are tended by one lady head gardener assisted by volunteers.   They comprise an orchard, a lavender garden, a vegetable and herb garden and a lake; 4 acres in all.  We saw slides of the hot, white, blue and gold flower borders, a tool shed to die for, a brick built wendy house and a renovated glass house.  There are also interesting sculptures including “The Dying Man” by L Amigoni and “The River God” plus a maze inspired by a work of embroidery, ornaments and decorative seating.

Display Table:

 Dorothy's Tete a tete daffodils, Carol's crocuses which she planted in a bowl for maximum impact and her Chionodoxa

 Gill J's jug of spring flowers contains pulmonaria, kerria, anemone blanda, heather, hellebore and camellia Donation

L: Gill E brought from her garden sycopsis, Stachyurus, coreopsis, allium, Pachyphragma macrophylla and pulmonaria.

R:  Ann brought erythronium dens-canis, olsynium douglasii, chiondoxa, corydakis malkensis and George Baker, Leucojum vernum, scilla bifolia and tubergeniana, muscari White Magic and atlanticum, hepatica, cyclamen coum, anemonde blanda and ipheon Charlotte Bishop.

Notice Board:

Strulch is available again this year from Gerry Vernon.

Paxton Spring Show Saturday, 4^th April, full details on their website https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home/people/room-hire/show-dates .

Friday Forum Spring Show will be on 17^th April.

Janella has organised an exciting 3 venue day trip for 17^th July.  Ask her for details.
For other gardens to visit in Yorkshire, pick up this leaflet or look on line.

 

Paxton AGM to take place on 29^th April at 8pm.

Next Meeting:  3rd April - Plants and shrubs with all year interest.  All members are welcome to contribute to the forum

Plant at your peril!

Have you ever wished you hadn’t introduced a plant into your garden which turned out to be a thug?  Well here are some examples from our Friday Forum members.

 

 Gill’s ALLIUM PARADOXUM seeds itself from bulbils, but the Normale species is better.

Another thug is her CARDAMINE BULBIFERA

 Sue G sowed CAMPANULA PERSICIFOLIA in her then brand new garden and has since appeared everywhere growing to 3 – 4 ft

 
She also bemoans her GERANIUM NUDOSUM which she says “seeds like fury” but is good in shade

  ACHILLEA THE PEARL, useful as a late flowerer but won’t stay put, unless in a tub.

 And her ALCHEMILLA ALPINA runs amok

And she complains that her LYSIMACHIA CLETHROIDES “travels”

PELTHARIA ALLIACEA grows to 2-3 ft and is attractive

               EUONYMOUS EUROPAEUS (SPINDLE TREE) produces suckers

 PERENNIAL SWEET PEA (WHITE) is rampant, has no scent, is deeply rooted and comes back time after time.

GRAHAM W’S

 SYMPHORICARPUS ALBUS (SNOWBERRY) can take over if not checked

   And the PHYSALIS ALKEKENGI (CHINESE LANTERN) is pretty but invasive

ECHINOPS ‘GLOBE THISTLE’ has an attractive flower but seeds itself everywhere.

                   

                           GERANIUM ROBERTIANUM

Linda says: This plant has spread over an area of my garden.  It’s small, insignificant and easy to pull out, but seeds itself in amongst other plants.  I first spotted it last summer and I don’t know where it came from but I wish it would disappear.

Commonly known as Herb-Robert, Red Robin, Death come quickly, Storksbill, Dove's Foot, Crow's Foot

In the state of Washington, it is known as Stinky Bob and classified as a noxious weed.

In traditional herbalism, Herb Robert was used as a remedy for toothache and nosebleeds and for healing wounds. Freshly picked leaves have an odour resembling burning tyres when crushed, and if they are rubbed on the body the smell is said to repel mosquitoes. The active ingredients are tannins, a bitter compound called geraniin and essential oils. It was carried to attract good luck, and due to its analogical association with storks, to enhance fertility.

If you need some advice in removing unwanted plants, click on the link:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=479

 

Quiz

Kate and Maggie compiled a clever quiz which required us to identify the names of celebrities from their photos with a flower theme, so we had everyone from Buddy Holly to Kate Bush plus some cryptic clues.  Highly entertaining with some very creative guesswork!

Display Table

Ann brought some crispy willow (salix babylonica) which she offered to members for propagation.  Apparently they take well but don’t like being transplanted

 

 Ann’s pot of plants which are currently in bloom in her garden.  Full details to follow

Judith’s clematis seed pods of Bill Mackenzie which are a great favourite of the sparrows

Margaret was looking for an answer on why the stems on her rose bushes had split

 

Gill’s Iris Sheila Ann Germany

Gill’s pot of predominantly lilac flowers include iris lazica, Ipheion Wisley blue,white primrose, snowdrop Cordelia, which forms a tight clump, Hepatica, Anemone blanda, and a white  Pulmonaria, rubra var. Alba which spreads well.

Notice Board

The next meeting, on 20^th March, will be a presentation by Mike Davy on The South Downs Way and Gardens of Parham House, Surrey.