“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” ― Lewis Grizzard

Friday Forum held its AGM and free raffle this week.  Minutes have been emailed to members.  Our Chairman, Kate, the committee and all members were thanked for their valuable contributions to the group.

Members were asked to bring in the Acer seeds which were given out with instructions from Peter Williams last Autumn.  Although they were kept in the fridge for the stipulated amount of time, only one member managed to get them to sprout!

Display Table

 (Left)Ann’s Orchid Spiranthes 'Chadd's Ford', 

(Right) Dorothy brought a posy of Bellis perennis, the whiteRibes alpinum, Iris reticulata. Cyclamen coum, Muscari, Helleborus niger plus other hellebores, Pulmonaria, Galanthus nivalis. This would make a pretty Spring bed.

Chrisitine’s Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice' aka Bog rosemary 

Norma’s Skimmia, Hellebore plus Hellebore seedlings

Judith’s Coleus

Next Meeting

There will be no meeting on Good Friday.

April 21^st: Mini Spring Show.  We encourage all members to have a go.  More details and sent by email.

“Friends, like flowers, make life more beautiful.” ― Michele Farabee

Presentation by Suzie Rush: Picked at Dawn, the On Growing Story.

With a background of studying art and working in a garden centre, Suzie started growing her own flowers first in a walled garden in Thirsk before taking on a much larger hayfield in Kilburn. Passionate about flowers and reducing carbon footprints, Suzie took us through the process of growing and tending her flowers which are then made into arrangements for weddings and events. Suzie will only use the flowers in season and has now diversified into flower arranging workshops and supplying well rooted plug plants. We were all interested in how her business developed through perseverance and hard work, especially as she has only used the media to publicise her services.

HOME (pickedatdawn.co.uk) is her website and About - Picked at Dawn (substack.com) keeps you up-to-date with her news.

Display Table

Ann brought Mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, and told us an amusing tale, details of which can be found here.The plant that can kill and cure - BBC News , 
Narcissus cyclaminens, olsynium douglasii sisyrinchium (grass widow), scilla biflora and corydalis malkensis

Maggie Y brought an assortment of daffodils: Snow Baby, Minnow, Tête á Tête and Jetfire

Kate brought Pachyphragma, Brunnera Jack Frost, Pulmonaria Blue Ensign and various Primulas including Primula marginata, the Silver-Edged Primrose

Gill E brought Primroses, Chionodoxa, Cardamine, Lonicera fragrantissima, Pulmonarias, Snowdrops, Cyclamen and Scilla

Gill J’s Iris reticulata