“Sweet May hath come to love us, Flowers, trees, their blossoms don; And through the blue heavens above us The very clouds move on.” -- Heinrich Heine

Presentation by Pat Hutchinson

This Friday, we had a wonderful talk:  'In Search of the World's Largest Flower'.  Pat Hutchinson took us on a virtual tour of Borneo in search of the Rafflesia arnoldii, a rare plant whose flowers are up to 1 metre across and only last five days.  Also known as the corpse plant because of its smell of rotting flesh, this parasitic plant is named after the expedition facilitated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and the scientist Dr Joseph Arnold who discovered it.   The plant, which is pollinated by insects and whose seeds are dispersed by ground squirrels, is an endangered species and the government imposes jail sentences for anyone who might do harm to the plants. 

On Pat’s first trip to Borneo, she was not able to see the flower, but she did share her amazing adventures with us and showed us wonderful photographs of animals, birds and insects.  However, she did succeed in seeing it on her second trip. 

Display Table

Margaret’s colourful arrangement of Tulips Gavota and purple anemone blanda is set off by the matching purple trug

 Kate brought in her Wulfenia carinthiaca and what we think is a Lithodora??

 Margaret H brought a pot of Daffodil Thalia and a pot of tulip Angelique

 In Judith’s bottle of daffodils, one is Salome, but we weren’t sure of the other two

Gill’s collection just goes to show the wide range of flowers that are out at the moment.  She also recommends that we don’t dismiss plants that are, in her words, “as common as muck” as they can complement other plants to give an attractive display.

Gill’s jug contained Euphorbia chameleon, Kerria double and single varieties, Tellima, Bugle Bowles gold, daffodil Thalia, Lamium, Allium bisceptrum, Honesty, Osmanthus, Brunnera, Pachyfragma, Cardamine, Aqualegia, Anemone blanda, Rubus coreanus, Teucrium, Pulmoneria opal and Magnolia stellata

Notice Board

* PLEASE NOTE CHANGES TO OUR VISIT LIST*

Next meeting:  20^th May is a forum and not a garden visit, so this is your chance if you have anything to share with the group.

Instead of the day trip on June 3^rd, we have the opportunity to visit to The Old Vicarage, Whixley, home of Bridget Marshall who is a county organiser for the Yellow Booklet.  Guests are welcome and if you have transport problems, please have a word with a committee member.  See full details on the visits page.  Details of other visits remain the same.