Beating the Winter Blues

Talk by Brian Denison:  My Garden; its history and plants

We were indeed fortunate to welcome Brian to our Friday Forum.  His illustrated talk on his own, stunning garden left us both awed and inspired.  Featured on the Anglian TV series Britain’s Best Back Gardens and winner of Yorkshire Life Magazine’s Garden of the Year 2009, Brian told us he thinks about his garden all the time and the slide show displayed his skilful use of plant combinations and colour association.  Brian is proficient in Niwaki, a Japanese term for style shaping of trees, including cloud pruning.  A useful list of recommended plants was distributed.

Forum and Display Table

 Judith's Amaryllis

 Early Spring flowers

 

Norma sent in a photo of her lovely, resilient miniature bedding cyclamen which were bedded out in late October and  are still looking fabulous. 

She says that they probably wouldn't have lasted as long if we had suffered heavy frost but they have certainly been value for money over the last two or three months and brighten up the garden during this dark wet windy spell we are going through.

Just to update you on the squirrel prevention debate, applying Vicks to Janella’s Camellia didn’t work.  She may try TCP next time!   All tips welcome.

Jill narrated the classic poem Spring is Sprung, of which there are many versions, in NewYorkese.  Some say it dates from 1940, attribute it to Ogden Nash, Spike Milligan or the the Marx Brothers. 

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where the flowers is,
The boid is on the wing, but that's absoid,
Because everybody knows that the wing is on the boid!

Margaret told us of a cyclist she had encountered with a container of large, early snowdrops attached to his bike.  While waiting for the traffic lights to change, as you do, the cyclist told Margaret that the snowdrops were Mrs Macnamara, named after Dylan Thomas’ mother-in-law, Yvonne Macnamara.  

It’s amazing what we learn!

Has anyone you know paid loads of money for a snowdrop bulb?

Notice Board

We have the opportunity to visit Pat Clarke’s garden on 15^th August, not Littlethorpe on that date as previously mentioned.  

Paxton Committee:  As Jenny is not currently able to attend (we wish her a speedy recovery), if anyone else is able to stand in for her, this would be appreciated.

Dates for your diary

Next Friday Forum Meeting:  7^th February – AGM and Tour de France yellow bedding scheme

Please note The meeting scheduled for 21^st February has now been changed to a talk on The Sex Life of Plants by Ben Emmett

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 3^rd February 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.

Advance warning of Paxton Plant Market to be held on Saturday 31^st May:    Please be considering planting and growing on for the sales table and if you can help on the day from 10 am.

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

First footing

At this meeting of the Friday Forum, members discussed a range of topics:

·         What’s in the garden on New Year’s day – a surprising  number of plants.

·         Plants received as Christmas presents and what to do with them plus whether or not to cut off the leaves of hellebores.

·         Jill showed us that Summer and Winter clematis were flowering together in her garden

·         Ann had spotted lily beetle and a green caterpillar had been found curled in a leaf on an upstairs balcony.  We all agreed that squirrels were a nuisance and we were told of an Australian gardener who used TCP on branches to deter possums and  considered if this could work on squirrels.

Gardening resolutions for 2014

Members were asked about their New Year gardening resolutions and it was felt that they could apply to the majority of us:

Plant to attract more bees and butterflies, find a better species of aster, remember to feed, plant out from pots more quickly, continue to eradicate convolvulus, label plants, stake plants before they topple over, Chelsea chop and above all BE MORE RUTHLESS and Pat Clarke was cited as being ruthless to create her wonderful garden at Mews Cottage, Harrogate.

What items have put on your list for 2014?

 Quiz

Here is a link for a Quiz on well–known Gardens from the Telegraph, on which I scored only 50%.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/10544248/Quiz-can-you-identify-these-famous-gardens.html

Cover the country in yellow

RHS and Welcome to Yorkshire are going to encourage people to grow sunflowers and other yellow plants to celebrate the Tour de France next July.   Friday Forum is addressing this in the7th February meeting but you can get some ideas from this link http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/tdf/rhs/RHSTurningYorkshireYellow.pdf

Notice Board

Sadly Doreen Brown passed away in December.  Doreen was a founder member of the group and a keen photographer.

Clare Beard who spoke to the Forum in December on Lineham Farm thanked us for the donations received from her visit.

Margaret sold off some lovely pieces of costume jewellery, the proceeds from which were donated to Friday Forum funds.

 Dates for your diary

Friends of Paxton are meeting Monday 6^th January from Midday.  An hour or two or your time to help maintain the premises are always welcome.

Next Friday Forum Meeting:  A talk by Brian Denison entitled My Garden; its history and plants

We have an exciting programme of garden visits for this year; more details will follow.

16 May:  Beacon Hill House at Langbar near Ilkley

20 June:   Horticap  nr Harlow Carr with its garden, nursery and tea room

18 July:  Day trip to Rewela Cottage, Skewsby YO61 4SG, lunch at Helmsley then Terrington House with its famous summerhouse decorated with shells.

15 August :  Greencroft, Littlethorpe , near Ripon.

Annual Membership Fees for 2014 of £11.00 are now due

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

The Christmas “Do”

Quiz

Everyone enjoyed trying to name the everyday articles photographed from different angles (if you call a porcupine quill an everyday item).  Prizes were awarded for the four teams with the highest scores.

The quiz was followed by the drawing of the raffle and afternoon tea with mince pies.

The Holly and the Ivy ....

Attractive festive displays were produced from a range of flowers, foliage and accessories.

 

 This was a new idea for most of us; a festive hanging basket for outside.  A tripod was used for the construction process.

 

 

 

Dates for your Diary

There is an exciting programme of activities for 2014 on the main Paxton website

Next meeting is on 3 January 2014

Friends of Paxton is meeting on 6 January at midday and would welcome any contributions of time and effort to help maintain the Paxton site.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 Leeds Market

 

Annual Membership Fees for 2014 of £11.00 are now due

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

Champions; winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half. (Bum Phillips, American Soccer Coach)

Lineham Farm

Clare Beard told us about this residential facility which gives the opportunity to schoolchildren from inner city schools or with physical or learning disabilities to enjoy a wide range of activities in a rural setting.

 

The farm was set up as the charity of a former Lord Mayor of Leeds, Denise Atkinson, and relies on council and Lottery grants and donations from various businesses.  The farm currently hosts 24 children each week during term time and in the holidays other groups visit, such as children from Chernobyl.  It was evident from the video that the children benefited from their stay and enjoyed the activities on offer which include art, crafts, animal care, orienteering, mountain biking, archery and climbing.  The staff are real champions.  Click on to www.linehamfarm.co.uk if you want to know more or adopt an animal on the farm.   

Table Display

Forum members never fail to provide interesting examples of the pride or the problems of their gardens.  Here are some from this week’s meeting.

 Fragrant, winter blossom

 Eye-catching wreaths made by Gill

 Margaret brought along this stunning Christmas cactus, which gained her 2nd prize in the Late Autumn Show

 

Champion flower arrangers

At the final flower arranging class of 2013, trophies were presented for two categories:

Congratulations  to Avril  for scoring the highest number of points overall and ...

 Avril is holding the rose bowl she was awarded, now filled with her festive display 

Catherine was awarded the beginner’s cup

If you are interested in joining a class next year, including absolute beginners, please contact Kath (details on the Paxton website at the end of the post).

The Paxton Late Autumn Show

The November show proved successful and profitable.  Exhibitors came from as far as Hull, Scarborough and even Wendover in Hampshire, as this was the last flower show of the year.  Full details will be posted on the Paxton website.

Dates for your diary

December 20th:         At the next and final meeting for 2013 of Friday Forum there will be a Christmas Quiz, hands on festive flower arranging (please bring some materials) and, of course, mince pies.  

January 6th                Friends of Paxton meet at Midday

  

Annual Membership Fees for 2014 of £11.00 can now be paid

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

 

 

 

A fruitful Friday

  Autumn at Harlow Carr

Bulbs

The growing season may be coming to a close, but Friday Forum is still going strong.  Last Friday Judith led a useful and interactive discussion on the A-Z of bulbs, where members added their tips and favourites. 

The Tulip Purissima was recommended as a good doer and, for permanent planting in the ground, they should be planted 8” deep.

A range of bulbs were described and discussed, some of which were new to me.

 

 A display of bulbs from our mini-show last Spring

Hardwood cuttings

Norma gave us a tutorial on hardwood cuttings of roses, hydrangea and other suitable candidates.  Before putting them into a deep container of sand, she dipped them in hormonal rooting powder which sparked a lively debate on to use or not to use which was inconclusive; only time will tell. 

Late Bloomers

Although we are in mid-November, the display table was laden with examples of flowers and foliage still on show in members’ gardens.

Graham brought a pot of Chrysanthemum “Boulou White” which he recommended as a good dwarf plant.  He also told us about Markham Grange Nursery and Steam Museum in Doncaster, which hosts the Northern Chrysanthemum Show.  Have a look at the site which looks interesting at  http://www.markhamgrangenursery.com/

Another member brought in a pot of beautiful autumn-flowering saffron crocuses (crocus sativus) whose red stigmas give us the saffron which flavours our food. 

Flower Arrangements

Judith explained how to make a festive Pot et Fleurs  display and Gill exhibited her  Continental display of a variety of foliage from her garden set on a flat container . 

Fungi

Joyce brought us a sample of fungi from her tree stump, which she had spoken about in an earlier meeting.  After consulting with the RHS, it was confirmed that it was Dead Man’s Finger( Xylaria polymorpha), a very fitting name for it!

Unfortunately there are no photos to show you.

Dates for your diary

November
23rd          Late Autumn Show at Paxton (see last post for full details)
December
2^nd             Friends of Paxton meet at Midday
6^th             Next meeting of Friday Forum with guest speaker Clare Beard of Lineham Farm www.linehamfarm.co.uk

Annual Membership Fees for 2014 of £11.00 can now be paid

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they havegrown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home

 

 

 

Now it's November

Gardens of Yorkshire

Tony Cleaver:  Popular speaker and talented flower arranger

There could be nothing better on a damp, grey afternoon than a talk by Tony Cleaver on a selection of large and small gardens from all over the Yorkshire region.  The presentation was illustrated by stunning photos which took us through the year; some shots of the flowers entailed Tony lying full length on the ground on a duvet!  That’s dedication.  We learnt about the history of the gardens and heard many anecdotes.  Tony even told us who provides the best afternoon tea!  I have a list of gardens I aim to visit next year at the time they are in their prime.  Maybe we can even go on a Friday Forum trip.

Get gardening to live longer!

Jill brought to our attention a recent article in the Guardian.  Read it here, and let us know your thoughts.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/oct/28/gardening-exercise-cutting-heart-attack-risk-diy-60-plus

Display Table

Considering that we are now in November, there was a colourful display on the table from the gardens of various members.  Plenty of ideas for Autumn interest in our gardens next year.

Reminder for the Late Autumn Show of the Paxton Horticultural Society

Going by the last show which was a very lively and successful event, we are anticipating great things at the Autumn Show.

This will take place on 23^rd November with the judging of the Chrysanthemums, Fruit and Vegetables, Flower Arranging, Pot Plants and Cookery and Crafts classes at 12 noon.  The show will then be open to the public from 2.00 – 4.30 pm when there are refreshments and a tombola.  Contact Graham Wheatley on 0113 2563055 for further details.

Update

·         The Bring and Buy sale proved profitable and we are grateful for Margaret and Carl for the jam and cream they provided for the celebration cream tea.

·         Membership numbers are being maintained.

·         Friends of Paxton are meeting at midday on 4 November, but if anyone can’t make it but is willing to offer their DIY or caretaking skills at another time, please let us know.

 

Next Meeting

 

We will discuss bulbs of all kinds; not just tulips and daffodils.  Contributions of tips and advice from members will be invaluable.  We are also going to cover hardwood cuttings and perhaps flower arrangements for the Christmas season.  There will be something for everyone!

The annual  Membership Fee for 2014 of £11.00 can be paid from now until end December

 

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have
grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home 

 

  

Party time at Paxton Friday Forum

As we celebrated the 20^th anniversary of Friday Forum, some time-honoured members shared their reminiscences.

Celia Latham Brown, herself a stalwart member, read out from notes supplied by Gerry Vernon, who set up the group.

We learnt about the origins of Friday Forum.  It was at the time that the television programme “The Good Life” resulted in a rise of the popularity of gardening and it was thought that such a group could help new gardeners. 

Margaret Denton, first Chairman of the group recounted a visit to Prince Charles garden at Highgrove.    Stringent identification and police checks were carried out, visitors were counted on and off the coach and tea was served in china cups accompanied by Highgrove biscuits.  Nobody has admitted to taking any cuttings!

Margaret’s husband Carl was the first treasurer and we can see his careful bookkeeping.

 

The celebrations continued with a cream tea

 

 

The Bring and Buy Sale was a success; bric-a-brac, plants and other produce were snapped up including Marjorie’s scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies, for which she has kindly given us the recipe:

Peanut Butter Cookies

3oz margarine

1oz lard

6oz plain flour

3oz brown sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp bicarb

3oz peanut butter (2 good tablespoons - use the chunky peanut butter) 

Cream the marg, lard and egg, add sugar, peanut butter then the rest of dry ingredients.

Take a teaspoonful of the mixture and form into a ball.

Press down a little onto a baking sheet.

Bake at gas mark 5 for about 10 minutes.

Wild about Gardens Week

It's RHS Wild About Gardens week from 25 – 31 October.  Have you made your garden more wild-life friendly?  If you would like more tips to try this website:  http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/ 

Links

I have added links to a few of my favourite gardening blogs to the Blog List.  Do you have any to recommend?

Dates for your diary

The next meeting of the Friday Forum will be on 1^st November.  We welcome a return visit of the entertaining speaker Tony Cleaver who is giving an illustrated talk on Yorkshire Gardens.  Non-members and members of other Paxton groups are cordially invited.

Friends of Paxton will meet on 4^th November at midday.  Volunteers to assist with the maintenance of Paxton Hall are much appreciated.

 

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home