Gardening in a changing climate

Cathy (right) and Georgina

Cathy Kitchingman and business partner Georgina Bordewich gave a presentation on gardening in a changing climate which gave us all food for thought. Friday Forum visited Cathy’s beautiful garden, Prospect House in Burton Leonard, last year but they are making changes in view of the wetter winters and hotter summers we are experiencing.

Cathy and Georgina gave us many tips and planting ideas on how to build in resistance and adapt to cope with the changes for our consideration.

If you would like to visit Prospect House, the NGS open day for 2026 is on May 24^th. They also run workshops

Display Table

Judith brought this pot of Nerines which have been more successful than growing them in the ground, although exposing the top of the bulbs may help

 

 Derek brought some home grown chillis. “Viper” had no bite at all but the Scotch Bonnets were the real thing!

 Judith also brought this yellow rose “Buff Beauty”

 Kate brought a yellow Dahlia “Bishop’s Children” grown from seed, Symphotochum “Prairie Purple”, Salvia Amistad, Helianthus “Lemon Queen”, Erysimum “Bowles Mauve” and Caratostigma willmottianum

 Sue brought Asters: Barrs Pink, Samoa, Monch, Alma Potschke and unknown purple and white ones, Persicaria amplexicaulis “Black Field” and “Orange Field”, Bidens aurea, Penstemon “King George” and “Wedding Day”, Nerine bowdenii, Hesperanthus coccinea huttonii baurii, Helenium “Sahin’s Early Flowerer”, Catananche and Fuchsias “Genii” and “Delta’s Sarah”

 Amanda brought a pot of Salvias: Wendy’s Wish, Black and Blue with its green foliage, Nachtwinder, Devon Cream and Cera Potosi.

 

                                                           A pot of Nemesia

 

                     and a pot of the scented, climbing Petunia “Tickled Pink” and Alstromeria

Next Meetings:

7th November: Forum -Celebrating the poppy. Please bring anything relating to the poppy; art work, poetry etc. Member Ann Bell will talk on the medicinal uses of the poppy.

21st November: Presentation -Ben Preston (Cliff Bank Nursery). A New Chapter

5th December: Forum - Making table decorations for Christmas

19th December: Christmas party Quiz and food. Crafts demonstration by Peter Blackwell

Harvest is a joyful time of gathering the produce of the land. Sunday Adelaja

 

Harvest Baking Contest

Members were asked to submit their entries which were judged by John Freer and then sampled by all the members.

Category 1: Savoury Scones - 1^st Prize went to Amanda

Category 2: Fruit Scones – 1^st Prize went to Amanda

Category 3: Fruit Pie – No entries

Category 4: Cake to include a vegetable - 1^st Prize went to Suzanne

Congratulations to all who entered. We certainly enjoyed sampling the produce.

Quiz

While the judging was taking place, Maggie had organised a quiz for us on famous cats from Bagpuss to Puss in Boots. Two teams shared first place and won prizes, some of which were kindly donated by Caroline and Chris.

Display Table

 Dorothy brought Polianthes Super Gold

 

Dorothy also brought homegrown Pears (which one 1^st Prize at the National Vegetable Society show)

Kate brought the foliage of Euonymus

 

Kate’s vase contained Mahonia “Soft Caress”, Anemone “Dreaming Swan, Rudbekia deamii, Persicaria bistorta Superba, Persicaria “Dikke Floskes”, Geranium “Ann Folkard”, Spirea “Katherine Havemeyer” and Hydrangea

 Judith brought Dahlias, Caryopteris, Aster “Little Carlow”, Nicandra physalodes, and Ricinus

John brought Dahlias, annual Rudbekia, Cosmos, Guillardia and Helichrysum all sown from seed 

Ann’s Clematis “Pink Dwarf”

Next Meetings

17^th October – A presentation by Cathy Kitchingham and assistant Georgina from Prospect House, a garden we visited last year, entitled Gardening in a Changing Climate

7^th November - Celebrating the Poppy. Ann Bell will be speaking about the role of the poppy in medicine. Please bring anything poppy-related to display or discuss eg handicrafts, poetry