So who was Joseph Paxton?

 

In celebration of 50 years of Paxton Horticultural Society moving into our current premises and 25 years of Friday Forum, what better way to mark the occasion than an illustrated talk  by John M Sheard FRICS, a former manager of the Bolton Abbey Estate,  entitled ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’.

You can find out more about the history of our society at  https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/ 

 Eileen brought some photos and documents of earlier days

 John M Sheard FRICS, a former manager of the Bolton Abbey Estate,  gave an excellent presentation entitled ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’.

We learnt how Sir Joseph Paxton (1803 – 1865), last of 9 children of a farm hand from Milton Bryan, Bedfordshire, worked his way up to a notorious gardener, architect and MP.

In his early 20s, he became head gardener to the 6^th Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth where, on his first morning, he met his wife Sarah.  He constructed huge water features and rock gardens, innovative glasshouses and a model village. 

Paxton embraced the new technology of the day and built wonderful parks such as Birkenhead, which became the model for New York’s Central Park, and the People’s Park in Halifax.  He became fascinated by business and became a director of the Midland Railway and perhaps best known for designing Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Sir Joseph Paxton was committed to promote welfare for the working classes.  Originally sited in Hyde Park, Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham and Paxton wanted this to serve as a pleasure gardens for ordinary people.

Display Table:

Derek brought his Canna, one of many he grew from seed collected from a plant in his hotel garden in The Canary Islands.  Derek’s flowered this year, giving him more seeds, as did the Cannas of other members who acquired a plant from the same batch.  Let’s hope they overwinter.

Just look at the colour of Jenny’s Geranium Bloomtime

 Jenny reminded us of Celia’s talk on Thomas Fairchild https://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.com/2018/09/autumnthe-years-last-loveliest-smile.html  and  brought this flower called the Ingenious Mr Fairchild after the title of the book by Michael Leapman

 This is a spike from Judith’s Eucomis Sparkling Burgundy

Some autumnal colour from Kate’s garden including Hydrangea Limelight and the fragrant Viburnum bodnantense Dawn

 Ann’s still got lots of colour and interest in her garden.  She brought Amicia zygomeris, aconitum Spatlese, Clematis Freckles and Mme Julia Correvon, Liriope muscari, Tricytris Empress, the striking  Centaurea John Coutts, Nerine bowdenii, Hypercium olympicum and Hesperantha coccinea

Gardening Matters:

I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling:
 The Glory of the Garden:
“Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing, ‘Oh, how beautiful’ and sitting in the shade
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.”

Notice Board:

Saturday 17^th November is Paxton Late Autumn Show.  If you can support this by providing cakes or a donation, Dorothy will appreciate it.

Next Meeting: 

16^th November - Harvest Forum.  This year, as well as the Bring & Buy, we are having a Brexit Bash when we ask you to bring a food/drink item from an EU country.