“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” — Humbert Wolfe

Presentation:

Your Garden and the World – Ruth Baumberg

Ruth, a prizewinning photographer, traveller and plant lover, entertained us with her photos of plants growing in their native habitat in such locations as Europe, North America and India. These were compared with species which grow in the UK and in Ruth’s own garden in North Leeds.

Display Table

Dorothy brought 2 roses, cascading Begonia illumination and Antirrhinum

Judith’s Dahlias: Murdoch, Bluetiful, (self named) Flaxton, Karma choc, David Howard and Bishops Children

Sue G brought Ivy in flower

Kate brought foliage and seedheads: Cotinus coggyria “Royal Purple”, Hydrangea macrophylla, Agapanthus “Navy Blue”, Sedum “Jose Aubergine”, Actea simplex “Brunette”, Lythrum salicaria “Lady Sackville”, Persicaria microcephala “Red Dragon” and Geranium wlassovianum “Lakwijk Star”

Next Meeting: November 3rd Presentation - Steven Halliwell:  Logan Botanical Gardens

Harvest Festival 2023

Harvest Festival

We had a lovely spread of sweet and savoury foodstuffs brought by our members.

There was also a Quiz compiled by Maggie Y and Kate where we had to name 14 unusual fruits and vegetables. The highest mark was nine, so we learned a lot.

Display Table

Kate’s Fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’, Ceratostigma willmottianum, Callicarp ‘Profusion’, Salvias ‘Amistad’ and ‘Magic Spires’, Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, Aster ‘Violet Queen’, Penstemon ‘Plum Jerkum’, Begonia grandis ssp. Evansiana ‘Claret Jug’ and w white form, Fagopyrum dibotrys, Rudbeckia deami, Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’

Judith’s Geranium Kelly Ann

Dorothy brought Heuchera, Fuchsia Thalia, Penstemon, Dahlias, Lavender, Schizostylis and Aster

 Judith’s jug contained Senecio viravira, which grows through Cotoneaster, Coleus and Eleagnus Quicksilver.

Katherine brought tomatoes, which have been late to ripen, Greek Basil and homemade Bramble jam.

 Ann brought Arum italicum, Hedera helix Buttercup, Euonymus planipes, Cotoneaster, Amicia zygomeris

Carol's Penstamon Just Jayne

Trevor’s Fuchsia Celia Smedley

Next Meeting: October 20th Forum – Your Garden and the World – Ruth Baumberg

“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant

 Presentation

Sue Dengan gave an interesting and very informative talk on willow weaving. Although Sue told Friday Forum that she is a relatively newcomer to willow weaving, she did a super job demonstrating her weaving skills. 

There was much enthusiasm and many questions asked as we went along.  Members were able to have a go themselves by plaiting four willow strands.

Display Table

Judith brought Verbena Bampton, Verbena Bonariensis, Orange dahlia, Tithonia (an annual)

Peter brought, in sealed plastic bags to keep fresh, Ginger (hedychium), Mimosa , Morning Glory (ipoemea)

Dorothy found this bargain at B&Q - three for £10. She left one at home as it was a bit run of the mill

 

Trevor's Dahlias grown from seed

Liz's flowers

Next Meeting: Oct 6^th: Harvest Meeting – Food and Quiz

Visit to Cliff Bank Nursery

The inclement weather forecast didn’t stop Friday Forum members from an enjoyable visit to Cliff Bank Nursery in Huby where we were shown round by owner Ben Preston.

The site has been a nursery for over 100 years, the last owner being the late Joe Maiden. Ben, previously head gardener at York Gate and now joined by partner Laura, previously a NHS nurse took on the site last year after it had been closed for about 8 years.

With his passion for plants, Ben told us about the challenges they had to overcome, Ben shared his future plans with us and we have no doubt that this enthusiastic couple will achieve their goals such as making a show garden of all the plants available in the nursery, a woodland walk and taking on an apprentice, just to name a few. Ben told us that one thing is certain, Cliff Bank will never become a garden centre but remain a plant nursery.

Everything at Cliff Bank is propagated from seed, cuttings and divisions and you will find a healthy selection of woodland plants, unusual perennials and ornamental grasses. Further stocks are grown in raised beds in the village nearby.

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The resident hens give eggs every day as well as keeping down the slug and snail population.  Ben and Laura also keep pigs which are useful for clearing rough ground and eat the windfall apples 

The polytunnel with its colour coded seeds

The very  old greenhouse where Ben showed us some before and after pictures.  All manner of objects have been found when clearing the site! 

We were given a tour of the nursery when Ben answered all our questions and gave us many tips on propagation.

A welcome drink and slice of delicious cake in front of the apple orchard.  An apple press is brought in at harvest time. There is an impressive view from the nursery over towards Harewood. 

The Nursery is open Wed-Sat 9am-4:30pm until Sunday 29th October. This allows Ben and Laura to attend plant fairs, details of which are on the website. 

https://cliffbanknursery.co.uk/

More details of the history is here:

The first of many……Welcome to Cliff Bank Nursery – 10th of October 2022 – Cliff Bank Nursery

Next Meeting: 15^th September – Willow weaving with Sue Dengan

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips

 Dahlias

Judith spoke about her love for Dahlias for their form and colour. Her preference is the Bishop series rather than the pompom shapes. Originating from South America, a friend of the Bishop of Llandaff brought the flower over in the 1920s and named it after the Bishop. Since then, there are many different “Bishops” including the Children.

Judith’s Dahlias: The orange Flaxton, the red Murdoch, the purple Bluetiful and the single yellow 

Judith recommended The Gardener's Guide to Growing Dahlias (Paperback) by Gareth Rowland and a Plant Lovers Guide to Dahlias by Andy Vernon 

From the discussion, we heard that some members had successfully sown Dahlias from seed, how some wrapped the tubers in newspaper until March and some bemoaned the attraction of slugs and snails so they grew them in pots. Valley Gardens in Harrogate and Golden Acre Park have a range of Dahlias well worth a visit.

Dahlias in Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Discussion

Suzanne led the discussion about plants that do well in our gardens in the extremes of weather we have been experiencing. She had recently visited Beth Chatto’s gravel garden which was started in 1990 and is never watered. A rainfall table showed that while July 2022 had zero rainfall, 2023 was the wettest on record. Here are found Mediterranean plants including Thymes, Lavender, tall Verbascum bombyciferum, Yucca, Eryngium, Stipa gigantea, Sedum telephium all growing happily.

Members agreed that this year, only the pots needed watering regularly. Others had noticed some plants flowering later and others earlier than usual with Agapanthus doing especially well.

Display Table

Sue G’s brought a Salvia,  the pink form of Amistad

Dorothy’s yellow bouquet: Cosmos, 2 x bedding Dahlias, French Marigold and Begonia

Dorothy’s Eucomis which is overwintered in the greenhouse

Suzanne brought the foliage of Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ with its flower, the rose pink Penstemon ‘Just Jayne’ with its streaked white throat, Erysimum Bowles mauve, Aster frikarta Mönch, Crocosmia Lucifer and Emily McKenzie/Orange Pekoe? and Spiraea Anthony Waterer

Judith Hellfire dark purple phlox maculata, Cosmos and a dark purple Anemone

Ann: Persicaria, Golden Arrow, J S Calienta and Fat Domino

Peter tested our knowledge on his contributions: Phlox zaluanskia, Asarina procumbens, Agastache, Stokesia, Passiflora, Freesia laxa, Fuchsia gartenmeister bonstedt, Heliotrope and Persicaria campanulata

Next Meetings

1^st September - visit to Cliff Bank Nursery

September 15th – Willow Weaving with Sue Dengan