Here are a few of my favourite things

Talk:  Good Garden Plants Part 2 by Pat Inman

We were delighted to welcome back Pat Inman who gave us an illustrated talk.  Her presentation was a virtual catalogue of plants which do well and look good in our gardens giving us flowering time, height and spread, hardiness and aspect. Our wish lists for plants has now trebled.   

Display Table 

Alma’s stunning pot of Iris Lady Beatrix Stanley

Gill brought a pot of Iris Painted Lady, and examples of what is presently in her garden including Cyclamen coum, Geranium Spring Fling showing its spectacular foliage, Pulmonaria, Sarcococca and various Snowdrops

Judith brought a tray of Watercress from Morrisons which she will try to grow on.  This sparked of a discussion about Watercress.  We learnt that it can clear ponds, especially if there is running water, but take care of Watercress growing in the wild, particularly if sheep are nearby, as it can harbour parasites such as tapeworms.

 Marjorie brought one of her many Orchids and offered the offsets to members

 

 Ann’s pretty arrangement includes Hamamelis, Aconites and Cyclamen coum

Not exactly Display Table material but picture this, if you will!  Jenny told us of research done in a Californian university which shows that sitting for too long can age women. 

 

 Wendy then told us about the publication Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam Nelson which describes half hour long exercises to be carried our twice weekly to replace fat with muscle and reverse bone loss.  Wendy went on to demonstrate a couple of the exercises and all Friday Forum members, men and women, joined in.  Definitely a missed photo opportunity.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strong-Women-Young-Miriam-Nelson/dp/0553588737

Next Meeting

3^rd February – Friday Forum AGM, Free raffle and Gardeners’ Question Time, so please have your questions ready.  Any diseased leaves, bugs etc in plastic bag or jar please!

Good garden plants

Talk:  Good Garden Plants by Pat Inman

This week, Friday Forum welcomed back Pat Inman of the Hardy Plant Society  http://www.wyhps.co.uk  who spoke to us this time about good doers for our gardens accompanied by descriptions and slides of over 40 plants.  Pat gave us a handout giving the names of the plants she discussed and I am sure this will serve as a shopping list for many of us.   

Pat ended her presentation with this witty poem:

The Computer Swallowed Grandma

The computer swallowed grandma,
Yes, honestly it's true.
She pressed "control" and "enter"
And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,
The thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus
Or been eaten by a worm.

I've searched through the recycle bin
and files of every kind:
I've even used the Internet,
but nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Jeeves
My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative,
Not a thing was found "online".

So, if inside your "Inbox",
My Grandma you should see,
Please "Copy", "Scan" and "Paste" her
And send her back to me!

Author: unknown

Display Table

 Dorothy brought a pot of Iris Harmony and Crocus named, of course, Dorothy

 

 Carol’s Daphne Jacqueline Postill has been in flower since the end of December and has a gorgeous fragrance

This is the result of propagation by Gerry who took the plantlets from under the leaves of Celia’s ailing fern

 

 Pat’s Helleborus Penny’s Pink

This attractive little tableau is made up of Janella’s Snowdrops S. Arnott which were originally from Derek’s garden plus a porcelain mug, a pretty watercolour and a picture painted and sewn on silk all decorated with snowdrops.

Ann’s jug contains Hamamelis mollis and Aphrodite, Sarcococca hookeriana Purple Stem,

Iris Katharine Hodgin, Gordon and George, Crocus tomassiniansus,

Cyclamen coum, Narcissus Tête à tête, Hesperantha coccinea and Mrs Hegarty (pink),

 Galanthus S.Arnott and flore pleno, Helleborus atropurpurea,

Pulmonaria, Eranthis hyemalis.

Notice Board

 

 

Janella took a straw poll to see who had taken part in the Big Bird Survey and whether the general feeling was that the count in our gardens was lower which we attributed to the windy and wet weather.

The new programme is out for Dalesman tours and excursions, some of which are to gardens.  See www.dalesmanholidays.co.uk

Members were reminded that fees for 2016 are due. 

Jenny brought us up to date on matters arising from the Paxton meeting.  The Autumn show went well, although the numbers of exhibitors were down.  Paxton are looking to construct a permanent ramp to the front door and there is a leak which will be fixed when the weather improves.

The AGM for Paxton is in April and the committee would like more people to attend.  If you can suggest how to increase attendance or would prefer a different day or time of day, please let Graham or Jenny know.

Ann recommends a visit to Harlow Carr where the Winter Walk is currently a stunning sight.

Next Meeting

19^th February:  Friday Forum AGM, free raffle followed by a forum so bring your questions, gardening tips and interesting/problem plants.

Behind the scenes at Chelsea

Talk: Behind the scenes at Chelsea by Pat Inman 

Dynamic Pat is Secretary of the Hardy Plant Society and has been involved with horticulture for 30 years, leading teams to winning medals at Chelsea.

Their first stand, True Yorkshire Grit – hardy plants for tough places, consisted of strong vertical and horizontal lines symbolising the skyline of contemporary Leeds. A wide variety of plants were displayed to demonstrate some of the challenging situations that hardy plants are capable of thriving in such as Hot, Dry and Stony, Dry and Shady and Wet and Boggy.

We learned how, after 18 months of sourcing funds, submitting the brief and design, they had to loan a huge polytunnel for all the plants (some loaned from gardens of members), cope with the harsh winter of 2009 and transport a load of plants down to Norfolk to get them into flower in time for the show. Form filling was demanding, a rota system had to be devised for passes into the grounds and   every item they would be needing including compost had to be brought with them.  The team overcame problems such as having to work through the night and the heat and humidity causing the verbascum to lose its colour.

Once there, the team had to adhere to all the regulations of the showground from the precise dimensions of the stand, hi viz clothing not to mention having to dissemble the whole display and leave it as they began.  Plants were sold off in the final frenzy but those on loan had to be returned to their owners.

It was a wonderful experience which paid off as the stand was awarded a silver medal.

The team entered again in 2013 when they could draw on past experience and brought along loads of plants to sell off on the final day which made a significant contribution to the expenses.  

Hardy Plants attained Silver Gilt for the Bridge of Time  

Thank you Pat for a wonderful insight into what goes on behind the scenes at Chelsea.

Display Table

 Brian’s chrysanthemum balou

 Cineraria to brighten up the garden

Gill brought examples of plants still flowering in her garden in mid-November including

Primrose, redhornet crab apple, fatsia,  saxifraga fortune, Osteospermum, corydalis, hesperentha and viburnum

 

 Ann’s Fascicularia Bicolor, a Bromeliad from Chile which has pale blue flowers, attracted a lot of interest from members.

Notice Board

Norma brought her ceramic poppy from the display at the Tower of London.

Carl requested the green tops from plastic milk containers of semi-skimmed milk for charity.

The cleaning blitz of Paxton Hall was effective and the Bring and Buy sale was a financial success which will be repeated next year.

Subscriptions for 2015 has been increased by £1 and can be paid from now.
Friends of Paxton meet regularly on the first Monday of the month from Midday.  An hour or two or your time to help maintain the premises are always welcome.  If another date is more suitable for you, please let us know.  

Dates for your Diary

Next Meeting:  5^th December – Yorkshire Wildlife

Christmas Party:  19^th December.  This year we will again be taking part in James' Xmas Quiz and we will be making festive displays.