So who was Joseph Paxton?

 

In celebration of 50 years of Paxton Horticultural Society moving into our current premises and 25 years of Friday Forum, what better way to mark the occasion than an illustrated talk  by John M Sheard FRICS, a former manager of the Bolton Abbey Estate,  entitled ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’.

You can find out more about the history of our society at  https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/ 

 Eileen brought some photos and documents of earlier days

 John M Sheard FRICS, a former manager of the Bolton Abbey Estate,  gave an excellent presentation entitled ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’.

We learnt how Sir Joseph Paxton (1803 – 1865), last of 9 children of a farm hand from Milton Bryan, Bedfordshire, worked his way up to a notorious gardener, architect and MP.

In his early 20s, he became head gardener to the 6^th Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth where, on his first morning, he met his wife Sarah.  He constructed huge water features and rock gardens, innovative glasshouses and a model village. 

Paxton embraced the new technology of the day and built wonderful parks such as Birkenhead, which became the model for New York’s Central Park, and the People’s Park in Halifax.  He became fascinated by business and became a director of the Midland Railway and perhaps best known for designing Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Sir Joseph Paxton was committed to promote welfare for the working classes.  Originally sited in Hyde Park, Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham and Paxton wanted this to serve as a pleasure gardens for ordinary people.

Display Table:

Derek brought his Canna, one of many he grew from seed collected from a plant in his hotel garden in The Canary Islands.  Derek’s flowered this year, giving him more seeds, as did the Cannas of other members who acquired a plant from the same batch.  Let’s hope they overwinter.

Just look at the colour of Jenny’s Geranium Bloomtime

 Jenny reminded us of Celia’s talk on Thomas Fairchild https://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.com/2018/09/autumnthe-years-last-loveliest-smile.html  and  brought this flower called the Ingenious Mr Fairchild after the title of the book by Michael Leapman

 This is a spike from Judith’s Eucomis Sparkling Burgundy

Some autumnal colour from Kate’s garden including Hydrangea Limelight and the fragrant Viburnum bodnantense Dawn

 Ann’s still got lots of colour and interest in her garden.  She brought Amicia zygomeris, aconitum Spatlese, Clematis Freckles and Mme Julia Correvon, Liriope muscari, Tricytris Empress, the striking  Centaurea John Coutts, Nerine bowdenii, Hypercium olympicum and Hesperantha coccinea

Gardening Matters:

I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling:
 The Glory of the Garden:
“Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing, ‘Oh, how beautiful’ and sitting in the shade
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.”

Notice Board:

Saturday 17^th November is Paxton Late Autumn Show.  If you can support this by providing cakes or a donation, Dorothy will appreciate it.

Next Meeting: 

16^th November - Harvest Forum.  This year, as well as the Bring & Buy, we are having a Brexit Bash when we ask you to bring a food/drink item from an EU country.

 

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower - Albert Camus

Presentation:  Kew through the seasons by Ken Matthewman

 Ken, who describes himself as a horticultural maniac, has been gardening since a child and rose from a humble indentured apprentice with Castleford Borough Council to working at Kew Gardens.

Ken’s illustrated talk gave us a real insight into Kew along with its history.  Beginning as a 12 acre totally flat, sandy river floodplain, it now spans 300 acres of landscaped gardens, with research facilities and a gallery of Marianne North’s paintings.  Also to be found here are trees from every species, a new state-of–the-art alpine house, and the Palm House, originally built in the 1840’s from steel and glass.  Ken advises that a full day should be set aside for a visit to the gardens, where every plant is labelled and new bedding schemes are always being trialled.

Display Table

Marjorie and Brian’s Coleus plants grown from “babies”

 

 Ann brought Dahlias from her garden: the pink Merckii which she’s had for 20 years, the larger flowered australis and the red coccinea and gave us the history of the plant.  Coming from the Aster family, Dahlias have been with us for about 200 years, when Spanish botanists discovered them growing on the sandy hillsides of Mexico.  Toward the end of the 18^th century, Spanish settlers sent some to the Botanic Gardens in Madrid where the plant was named by Abb′e Cavanille in honour of the Swedish scientist and environmentalist, Andrea Dahl.

 Ann found a new-to-her plant at The Arium nursery.  Lindernia grandiflora,  perhaps not aptly named, but also known as  Blue moneywort False pimpernel and Angels Tears

 Margaret H asked for identification of this plant which she grew from red berries.  Anyone?

 Still in flower, from Gill’s garden comes a container filled with Oxalis, SunflowerLemon Queen, Aster Alma Potschke, Liriope,  the yellow climbing Dicentra scandens,  Tricyrtis (toad lily),  Alstroemeria selina, Eupatoria and Persicaria

Gardening Matters

Have a look at someone else's "display table".

https://honeypotflowers.wordpress.com/2018/10/20/mid-october-in-the-flower-garden/ 

Notice Board

Gill has ordered stocks of tulip bulbs again this year for purchase at the next meeting.

Next Meeting

2^nd November: A celebration for the 50^th anniversary of the Society moving into our current premises.  John M Sheard FRICS, a former resident Land Agent of the Bolton Abbey Estate, will give a talk on ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’ 

16^th November:  Harvest Forum – Brexit Bash and Bring & Buy.  Further details to be advised.  

  

The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here’s to October ... A A Milne

Recreating the flower catalogue of 16^th century Holland
In the 16th century, flower bulbs were so rare and expensive that it was more economical to commission a painting of an arrangement than to own fresh blooms. “Some flowers were purposely placed facing backwards and sideways…they were not crowded in the vase – the aim was to make each bloom clearly visible.”
At this time, Dutch plant sellers were bringing back exotic specimens from their journeys all over the world.  In order to publicise these plants, paintings were commissioned of flower arrangements containing one of each specimen.  The images in these paintings were not always a true representation; often details such as length of stem were exaggerated and, because they were painted over a long period, would portray favourite varieties from different blooming seasons.  
So, in true Friday Forum “try anything once” fashion, a display was made up from one of each type of flower brought in from Judith’s garden.

 

From that to these .....

 after 3 minutes

 after 5 minutes

 after 7 minutes

 .... and complete

 work in progress

 I think you will agree that the end result was rather attractive.   

Display Table

 

Gill’s display contained Physostegia (the obedient plant), Astrantia, Osmanthus and Corydalis

 

 Kate’s posy of roses contained the yellow Chinatown, Blush Noisette, rosa Le Fairy, Rosa Mutabilis which goes from apricot to rosy pink, Lady of Shallot and Gertrude Jekyll, which are still in bloom in October

 

James’ prize-winning Aeonium Schwarzkopf.  James told us there are 35 specimens of succulents which come from Madeira and the Canary Islands where they grow on sloping, rocky ground.  Can be out outside in winter and can grow up to 7ft tall.

Ann brought a pot of containing Kirengeshoma palmate, Tithonia rotundifolia, Desfontainia spinosa, Berberis  Linearifolia Orange King, Dahlia Flaxton, Alstromeria Indian Summer, Persicaria affinis Superba, Fat Domino, Golden Arrow and J.S. Caliente, Sphaeralcea coccinea, Crocosmia Star of the East, Hedera helix Buttercup, Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Liriope muscari and Euonymus elation

Notice Board

Congratulations to Kate and Carol who were both awarded Gold plus for their gardens by Leeds in Bloom. 

 

Next Meeting

*please note changes to published programme*

19^th October:  Presentation – Kew through the seasons by Ken Matthewman 

 2^nd November: A celebration for the 50^th anniversary of the Society moving into our current premises.  John M Sheard FRICS, a former resident Land Agent of the Bolton Abbey Estate, will give a talk on ‘The Life and Achievements of Joseph Paxton’

16^th November:  Harvest Forum – Brexit Bash and Bring & Buy