"Autumn ... the year's last, loveliest smile" William Cullen Bryant

 Seedheads

 Presentation:  Sarah Hopps on Evergreens, Stems and Seedheads

 Evergreens that blend with pink and purple

 Sarah Hopps 

Sarah, a frequent guest speaker to Friday Forum, entertained us with her ideas and tips for using evergreens, ornamental stems and bark and seed heads to enhance our gardens. Sarah also showed us slides of a range of gardens where they have been planted to great affect. We were also able to purchase some of the mentioned plants and take cuttings of the examples displayed.  

Display Table

 

Ann brought Campanula Bowles Mauve, Corydalis ochroleuca, Magnolia liliiflora nigra, Borage laxiflora, Aconitum spatlese, Alstromeria Indian Summer and Ceratostigma Desert Skies

Kate brought Helenium ‘Sahin’s Ear;y Flowerer’ which is still in flower since July, Helianthemum ‘Lemon Queen’, Salvia ‘Mystic Flowers’ and ‘Amistad’, Hesperantha ‘Pink Princess’ (Wilfred H Bryant), Anemone ‘Dreaming Swan’, Digitalis ‘Falcon Fire’ and a Hudrangea flower head

 John brought this plant which he grew from spores of a plant given to him in 1990s by the caretaker of one of the oldest houses in Northumberland

 Dorothy’s Sunflower is an offshoot from a 9ft multiheaded Sunset one grown from seed an had a very wide stem

Judith brought Corokia, the wire netting bush

 

She also brought this enormous leaf from Comfrey Knitbone, so called as it is supposed to heal broken bones naturally

Judith also brought Cosmos and Senecio Vera Vera 

 Suzanne brought Anemone Honorine Jobert and Anemone September Charm, Geranium sanguineum, Salvia Pink Lips, Verbena bonariensis, Liriope muscari, Hydrangea macrophylla, Fuchsia magellanica, the evergreen ferns Polystichum makinoi and Polystychum tsussinense which grows best in shade, has dark red fronds with purple tinged ones in spring

Next Meeting

1st November: Forum - Gardeners’ Question Time

Harvest Forum

 

Autumn Solstice Table

Norma produced a lovely display of Autumn flowers, leaves and berries for our Autumn Solstice display which was added to by our members.

Harvest Baking Competition
The winners at our Harvest meeting baking competition were: Victoria sponge - Suzanne W; Fruit scones - Norma; Savoury scones - Liz; Shortbread – Carol

 

Thanks were given to Suzanne T who kindly agreed to be our judge.

Quiz

There was also a Cheese Identification Quiz and the winners were: Sue and Norma. Well done to them

Display Table

Carol brought in a fern frond that was part of a plant given to her by our friend Jenny - a reminder of a friend sadly missed.

 Kate brought in: Rosa ‘The Fairy’, Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’, Phlox Franz Schubert, Rudbeckia deamii, Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ which has been in flower since the beginning of July, Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ and Aster frikartii ‘Monch”.

 Ann brought in an unusual coloured flowering cactus and an Autumn basket comprising: Arum itialicum marmoratum, Hedera helix ‘Buttercup’, Ruscus aculeatus - Butcher’s Broom, Euonymus planipes, Crocosmia seed heads, Tropaeolum ciliatum berries, Cones and conkers, Hypericum.

 

Katherine brought in her Corokia plant that she acquired from the newest addition to the Perennial group of gardens, Mona’s Garden. Katherine met Mona last year on a holiday to Sicily and became friends. She was lucky enough to be invited to visit Mona and her beautiful garden in central London where Mona holds the national collection of Corokia. Home – Mona's Garden (monasgarden.co.uk

Next Meeting

18th October - Sarah Hopps is speaking about Evergreens, Stems and Seedheads.   There will also be plants for sale.