In autumn, don't go to jewellers to see gold; go to the parks! ~Mehmet Murat ildan

Forum:

All members were given a letter of the alphabet to speak about a flower accompanied by a personal anecdote.  We laughed and empathised with the stories but I reckon Carl’s came out top.  When showing a child a pea pod and asking what it was, the child replied, “Is it a baby banana?”

Display Table:

Ann’s display contained Amicia zygomeris, Nerine bowdenii, Rosa Flaming Desire, Hesperantha Mrs Hegarty and Coccinea, Fuchsia Genii, Penstemon, Liriope muscari, Eucomis autumnale, Erysium Bowles Mauve, Corydalis ochreleuca, Persicaria Fat Domino and Golden Arrow, Itea ilicifolia 

Judith brought Abelia grandiflora, Salvia Amistad and the hardy Chrysanthemum Duchess of Edinburgh

 Gill’s bouquet which reminded her of a *tussie-mussie included Geranium nodosum, a late flowering clematis, fuchsia, chrysanthemum, Japanese anemone and Michaelmas Daisy

*We learn something new at every meeting of Friday Forum and this week it was the phrase Tussie-Mussie.  According to the dictionary, it is a small bunch of flowers or aromatic herbs or a cone-shaped holder for a bouquet.  It further transpires that in Victorian times meant protect the wearer from noxious odours produced by the poor bathing and sanitary conditions of former times.  It can also refer to the bouquet gathered by young servants from the garden of the Big House to take to their mothers on Mothering Sunday or to an offering from a young man to his girlfriend. See this link for more on the topic. https://www.ilonasgarden.com/victorian-tussie-mussie-bouquet-meaning/

 Carol brought the seedheads of Sinacalia Tangutica which reminded her of miniature silver Christmas trees

 Thelma’s Pointsettia from last year, still an attractive plant with its red stems although it won’t regain its red foliage

 Janella’s garden accessories from her recent trip to USA

 Judith’s attractive arrangement in a wicker basket contains pots of the winter cherry plant (Solanum Capsicastrum), conifer Goldcrest, heuchera and Helleborus niger and she will substitute pots of Narcissus ‘Tête-à-Tête’ later in the season

Gardening Matters

https://the3growbags.com/product/growbag-garden-notebook/

This garden notebook would make a welcome gift for any gardener (including yourself) and half the profits from all sales go to Cancer Research UK.

Notice Board:

Paxton Late Autumn Show will be held on 23^rd November and Dorothy would appreciate help in the kitchen. Judging is at 12 noon and Shows are open to the public from 2pm to 4.00pm.

Janella is working hard organising our day trip on 21 August to Southport Flower Show so put the date in your 2020 diary

Next Meeting

6^th December – Presentation by the personable Tracy Foster entitled “What have plants done for us?”

20^th December – Friday Forum Christmas Party

Tulips from Amsterdam?

Presentation on Tulips by Teresa Clements

Who better to give Friday Forum this talk than Teresa Clements, Secretary of the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society?

In her fascinating and informative presentation, Teresa explained about English and Dutch tulips, how they came to us via the silk route and about the early tulip societies in Wakefield.

Display Table

 Still flowering in her garden, Gill brought Winter Jasmine, Clematis Princess Diana and Lady Betty Balfour, Geranium nodosum, Hydrangea, Salvia Hot Lips, Fuchsia, Asters, Astrantia, Helenium, Jamaican Primrose

Kate’s Fern Polypodium cambricum Richard Kayse. Great for winter foliage, sterile so does not produce spores and propagated by division.  Was found by Kayse in Wales in the 1600s and thought to have died out until rediscovered in 1980s

Caroline has recently developed an interest in Salvias and her vase contains Amistad and Love and Wishes

Judith's Rosa Mutabilis

 Judith's Heucherella Buttered Rum

Margaret H was disappointed with these but, like a true gardener, will try growing them again, this time in a pot 

 

Ann brought an attractive arrangement of foliage from her garden which left us wondering if she has an arboretum!

Tetrapanax Papy Rifer, Pseudopanax, Ricinis communis, Ulvius wredei, Acacia pravissima, Acacia ‘Garnet’, Liriodendron tulipifera, Hedera Buttercup, Pittosporum Tom Thumb plus Jasminium officicinale variegatum and Rhodochiton atrosanguineum which has prettily intertwined

This is a photo of my winter container inspired by Judith who suggested an arrangement made up of pots which are easily changed as the seasons change.  Mine contains two cyclamen, Calluna vulgaris and the silver one which had no label.  I later saw a load of these in Tesco all labelled (wrongly) Sedum Herbstfreude!  It's actually Calopcephalus brownii

Next Meeting

November 15^th – Forum.  All contributions (questions, tips, anecdotes, future plans, ideas for our Christmas Forum) will be welcome at this meeting.