Return to Paxton Hall

 Talk on Herbs by Martin Fish

The first guest speaker since our return was the well-known, expert gardener Martin Fish, who spoke about herbs.  It was also the first face-to-face talk he has given since the Covid restrictions and quipped that Friday Forum has been his best audience this year!

As always, his talk was both interesting and entertaining. We heard about the medicinal and culinary properties of the various herbs, their uses, how to grow and care for them and propagation methods.  Martin also demonstrated how to plant up a herb pot for over winter.

Best tip was surely stripping leaves from Rosemary twigs and use for kebab sticks on barbeques.

Display Table

Peter’s Stapelia, a succulent which took 5 years to flower. We initially thought that the flower was a feature of the plant pot.

Ann’s display of berries included Ivy Hedera Buttercup, Butcher’s Broom Ruscus aculeatus, Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum, Molly the Witch Paeonia daurica mlokosewitschii, Paris polyphylla, Cornus alba (grown for its winter stems) euonymus planipes Spindle and Arum Maculatum

Butcher’s Broom got its name from how butchers used it to clean their chopping boards.

Sue G’s vase contained Heleniums (Sahin's Early Flowerer, Red Army and Bandera) kniphofia, Anemone Wild Swan, Crocosmias (Severn Sunrise, Limpopo and Okauranga) Tritonia, Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica in blue and white, Asters (frikartii Monch and amellus 'Rudolph Goethe)Persicaria Orange Field and Verbena  bonariensis.

 

Kate’s jug contains Lythrum ‘Lady Sackville’, Phlox ’Graf Zeppelin’ and ‘The King’, Anemones ‘Honorine Jobert’ and ‘Pamina’, Goldsturm’, Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’, Aster frikartii Monch, Kirengeshoma palmate and Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’ which turned out to be bright red!

Caroline brought some alstroemeria blooms from a plant which came from a visit to the garden of Martin Fish to check its name:  ‘Summer Break’

Jenny showed us how the flowers of this Hydrangea hang upside down after being pollenated by bees

 

Amanda brought some wildflowers from a patch she has sown in her lawn and which has attracted many different insects

Next Meeting:  17^th September at 1.30 pm - A forum and group discussion about late flowering perennials.

  

Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went on a FF day trip – despite the rain

Heavy rain was not going to discourage a coach load of intrepid garden lovers. 

First stop was Greencroft, Sally and David’s garden in Littlethorpe, near Ripon. This is a stunning garden with a surprise round every corner.  From a blank canvas, David used his building skills and Sally with her eye for planting, to create this wonderful space.  Sally treated us to her delicious homemade cakes served by her two daughters. 

 Visiting a garden is like opening a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to find!

 

 An example of David's building and Sally's planting

 The ornamental pond 

 The wildlife pond complete with timber cabin

 An imaginative waterfall

 Walls built from cobbles from a nearby farm which was demolished 

 Interesting vistas at every turn

Being in Pottery Lane, we took the opportunity to call in to the pottery workshop where the history of clay was explained. 

Next was a visit to The Manor House, Home-on-Swale, Thirsk.  Steve showed us round his garden and served us tea and cake in his lovely house.  Judi came home to find 47 pairs of muddy shoes in her hall and visitors eating their packed lunches in every room!

 Steve explaining about the garden

 Mostly original path edging

 

 

 This tiny apple tree is bearing loads of fruit

 

With the rain falling ever heavier, we arrived at Thornycroft in Rainton, near Thirsk which is Martin and Jill Fish’s garden.  Martin is well known for his columns in magazines and broadcasts on tv and radio while Jill uses the garden produce in her cooking.  Homemade jams, pickles and her book Gardening on the Menu were on sale and we were all able to sample her delicious baking.  From an empty, lawned garden, Martin and Jill have created this wonderful garden.

 Patio for use of the holiday cottage The Bothy

 Impressive entrance

 Innovative water feature

 Circular bed

 Charming new summer house

 Martin risking electrocution as he addresses us in the pouring rain

 The prolific kitchen garden

  …… and cake 

 

Despite the dreadful weather, Janella’s excellent organisation of the day and choice of gardens, the convivial company and the scrumptious cake meant that we had a lovely day!

Next Meeting

6^th September:  Presentation – People, Plants and Places by Peter Williams