“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop

Presentation:  In (and around) Dublin’s Fair City by Peter Mathers 

 Peter’s talks are always interesting and today’s was no exception.  This time we were treated to a tour of some of the gardens Peter visited when he visited the WAFA World Flower Show, “A Floral Odyssey”, in Dublin.  This area favours gardeners as the climate is mild and wet due to the Gulf Stream and rarely suffers from snow or frost.

The gardens Peter visited include:

The historic Kilruddery House and Gardens with its canals http://www.killruddery.com/

The former garden in Dublin of Helen Dillon before she downsized, where the entrance  charge was an additional  2 euros  to walk through the house to benefit from the best view of the gardens.  

Hunting Brook Gardens in Co. Wicklow owned by Jimi Blake who teaches gardeners and travels the world taking cuttings from endangered plant species http://www.huntingbrook.com/

Nearby is his sister’s garden.  June Blake’s garden http://www.juneblake.ie/cms/  is more open plan with its prairie planting and water features.

Also in Co. Wicklow but nearer the sea is Corke Lodge http://www.corkelodge.com/ with its gothic architecture and mostly green planting with little splashes of colour and Mount Usher Gardens http://www.mountushergardens.ie/ in the Robinsonian style with a river flowing through it and nearly 300 specimen trees.

Our virtual tour ended with a taste of The National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and the rose garden at Powerscourt gardens on the estate owned by the Slazenger family.

A really delightful presentation and enjoyed by all!

Display Table

Carl talked about his fig tree which has given its best performance to date.  Reasons being, the embryo figs begin to develop in September and weren’t killed off by frost last Winter and all the sun we had this Summer.  There was also one of Carl’s amusing anecdotes, but you had to be there to appreciate it!

Derek brought in plants grown from seed:  Beaucarnea recurvata - Pony Tail Palm

Dragon tree (so called because of its red sap)

 Canna

 Carol’s Echeveria which grew to this size from a tiny baby plant from James F

 

 Anyone?  This plant bought at  the South Wales garden was identified as a type of Impatiens

Gill’s container with Kirengeshoma, Malva, a white rose, Thalictrum, the honey scented Itea Ilicifolia and Hydrangea

 Kate brought Gaura Whirling butterfly, Salvia Amistad, Phlox Franz Schubert, Agastache Blue Fortune, Verbena, Penstemon, Geranium,and the dwarf Cosmos Xanthos

Kate’s  Streptocarpus Christina

Ann’s posy contains Clematis Triternata Rubromarginata, Persicaria, Anemone, Thalictrum Hewitts double

 Last but not least, an assortment from Judith's garden

Gardening Matters

10 highlights from the grow your own blogs

https://sharpenyourspades.com/2018/09/04/10-highlights-from-the-grow-your-own-blogs-august-2018/

Notice Board

Paxton Early Autumn Show is on Saturday 22 September.  Cakes can be brought to the meeting on 21 September.  Please see Dorothy regarding donations/offers of help.

Next Meeting

September 21^st:  A short talk by member Celia Latham Brown

  

  

“Parks and playgrounds are the soul of a city.” ― Marty Rubin

Presentation:  Municipal Marvels by Peter Mathers

We heard a fascinating talk by Peter, who took us through the history of the public park from its inception up to the present day.  He gave us an illustrated guide to many of the parks from the earliest one in the world at Birkenhead which opened on 5 April 1847, designed by Joseph Paxton, to the most recent in Birmingham, a roof garden at the public library opened in 2013.

He reminded us that we all have happy memories of being taken to the park at an early age and that today the councils are finding funding difficult for these wonderful areas which are mainly free to the public and rely more and more on volunteers.

 Burnby at Pocklington

 Sewerby nr Bridlington

 Valley Gardens Harrogate

 Queen's Park, Hull - a former dock

I’m sure Peter has encouraged us to add some of these parks to our places to visit list and look at others in a new light.

Display Table

Sue G’s fragrant Abelia Grandiflora

 Judith’s Ipheion

 Carl brought Sedum to illustrate how long lasting these flowers are.  Those at the front of the vase were picked a month ago, whereas those at the back of the vase were picked that day

Ann’s garden still has a wide variety of flowers at the beginning of November: Amecia zygomeris, Fatsia Japonica, Dahlia Australis, Persicaria Fat Domino, Rudbeckia, the annual Titohnia rotundfolia, a red Hesperantha, the pink Hesperantha Mrs Hegarty, Fuchsia and Saxifrafa fortunii.

The Hesperantha Mrs Hegarty' was named by Sir Frederick Moore, the Director of Glasnevin Botanic Garden, after the lady who discovered a chance pink seedling in her garden in County Galway in 1914. She was persuaded to show her plant at the RHS show in London in 1919

Notice Board

There is still a need for a membership secretary.  Can you help?

Dorothy informed us that this year’s plant sales have raised over £800!  Dates for next year will be decided soon.

If anyone has any recommendations/offers of gardens to visit in 2018, please let the committee know.

Dates for your diary

Next meeting:  17^th November – Friday forum’s Gardeners Question Time