Welcome to the blog for Friday Forum, a gardening group which is part of the Paxton Horticultural Society in Leeds, West Yorkshire. We hope that both members and non-members will enjoy reading it and we look forward to receiving your comments.
Monday, 16 March 2020
Postponement of meetings until further notice
Saturday, 7 March 2020
Houseplants
Presentation: House Plants
Friday Forum’s member Eric Wells spoke about the benefits of keeping plants in our homes, where to situate them and how to look after them. Many of us who find it hard to keep houseplants alive will go home and choose a better spot for our plants, water them (being careful not to overwater them) with tepid water, feed them, split them and repot them when necessary using a peat based compost, adding vermiculite or pearlite for drainage. We learnt how to maintain our plants when we go on holiday and how to control any pests.
Whether we choose houseplants for their flower, fragrance, greenery or culinary uses, we now know how to care for them.
 | ||
Ann’s variety of slow growing Sansevieria or
Mother-in-Law's Tongue. The large one is
Sansevieria masoniana and the small one in the background is Ann
|
 | ||
| and Haemanthus Albiflos |
 |
| Margaret's houseplants |
 |
| Derek grew this Beaucarnea recurvata (Pony Tail Tree) from seed he procured from a flower in a hotel foyer in Lanzarote |
 |
| The name escapes me |
 |
| Abutilon |
 |
| Carol’s Cactus and succulent |
Display Table
 |
| From her garden, Kate brought Narcissus Jetfire, Chaemomeles, Pittosporum Tom Thumb, Epimedium rubrum, Pulmonaria Blue Ensign, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Skimmia japonica, Veronica Georgia Blue and Euphorbia characias |
 |
| Judith’s hardy Begonia with its lovely foliage |
 |
| Caroline’s pot of Iris reticulata Harmony |
 |
| Carol’s Echium Black Prairie |
 Jenny’s Trachystemon orientalis, commonly
known as Abraham-Isaac-Jacob, grows in shade and has rough leaves which get
larger as the season progresses | ||
|
 |
| What a garden Ann must have! Her container has Narcissus Tête-à-tête, Bright Jewel and Jetfire, Leucojum vernum vagneri, Fritillaria meleagris, Corydalis he red George Baker and malkensis, Cardamine, Hellebore, Cyclamen coum, Iris unguicularis and Iris reticulata Polar Ice, Crocuses Romance and Vernus, Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White and Mandrake |
Notice Board
Reminder of the forthcoming Paxton AGM
A heads up that Friday Forum Spring Mini Show is coming up on April 3rd
  |
| Surprise! Happybig birthday Judith |
Next Meeting
20th March – Presentation by Tracy Foster entitled Influences that have shaped our Gardens
Saturday, 22 February 2020
Design Tips for Small Gardens – Mary Swan
Presentation: Design Tips for Small Gardens by Mary Swan
Mary, who is a garden designer and lecturer in horticulture, gave us a workshop on garden design using illustrations from courtyards in Marrakech to our local York Gate garden in Adel. We learnt key design tips including landscaping, texture and colour. We then had to undertake an exercise in teams which involved putting the theory into practice, which proved quite difficult.
We spent an enjoyable and informative afternoon and will look at our gardens through new eyes.
We have the opportunity to visit Mary’s own garden later in the year.
Mary also gives workshops locally.
Display Table
 |
| Kate’s Crinodendron Alf Robbins which bears white flowers |
 |
| Dorothy’s Crocus chrysanthus Advance |
 |
| From her garden, Ann’s bouquet includes
Galanthus nivalis, Leucojum vernum, Iris unguicularis, syn. Stylosa, Iris reticulate,
Crocus tomassinianus, Narcissus tête-à-tête, Corydalis malkensis, Puschkinia and Hepatica x Ballardia |
 |
Gill’s posy has
Hellebore, Brunnera, Cardamine and Sarcococca
|
 |
| Carol's Spring posy includes Pulmonaria Angustifolia and Sissinghurst White, Bergenia, Viburnum Tinus and Dawn, the attractive Heather Golden Starlet and the still flowering Fuchsia microphylla |
Gardening Matters
Janella told us about the Ring-necked parakeet which was feeding in her garden but are mainly found in south-east England.
Many members agreed that the frogs are now very active in their ponds.
Notice Board
Garden centre trip: The Fuchsia Society has opened its annual trip on 19th April to non-members. For the cost of £10, the coach will leave Paxton at 8.30 am stopping at Reighton Nursery, Hunmanby at 10.30, the Piebald Inn
http://thepiebaldinn.co.uk/
(decide your choice of lunch) and Deans Nurseries returning to Paxton by 5 pm.
If interested, please contact Julie of WY Fuchsia Society on 07736456414
Friday Forum day trip to Southport Flower Show on 21st August: If you or your friends want to book, full details are on the Garden Visits page.
Next Meeting
6th March – Forum on Houseplants.
Houseplants are quite the trend. Member Eric will give a talk but please bring in any ailing, thriving, interesting, unnamed houseplants of your own.
Saturday, 8 February 2020
I like gardening — it's a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself. — Alice Sebold
Friday Forum AGM 2020
Judith informed us that this was her 16th Friday Forum Annual General Meeting and last Chairman’s Report for as she is standing down from her post.
Judith was thanked by the members for all her hard work, dedication and for the knowledge and humour she brought to the role.
 |
| Judith being presented with card, voucher and David Austin Rose Rhapsody in Blue |
We were reminded how Friday Forum was formed back in the early 1990s and, I think we can agree, still flourishing.
Kate and Janella will step up to the post and members were asked if they could undertake various other roles.
The AGM was followed by a cryptic quiz, courtesy of James, and a free raffle with garden-related prizes.
Display Table
 |
| Margaret H’s 6 x petal snowdrop Godfrey Owen |
Margaret’s kokedama. This lovely word that trips off the tongue
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/making-kokedama-moss-balls.htm The art of Kokedama literally translates from “koke” meaning moss and “dama” meaning ball. What is Kokedama? It is a form of Japanese garden art that is centuries old and tied into the practice of bonsai. from the sphere. Kokedama is the practice of taking the root ball of a plant and suspending it in a mud ball, which is then coated with soft green moss. It is a living planter as well as a distinctive display piece. They may be fixed to a piece of driftwood or bark, suspended from a string or nestled in a clear, attractive container to itself.
If you fancy a try: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-make-a-kokedama/
 |
|
Judith’s Begonia Angel Blush with its
serrated leaves
|
 |
| Judith’s Hippeastrum |
 |
| Judith’s Euphorbia Frosted Flame |
 |
| Kate’s well dispayed Hellebores |
 |
| Kate’s dark-leaved Ajuga Black Scallop |
 |
Kate’s evergreen Korean Rock Fern Polystichum tsus-simense
|
 |
| Gill’s vase of foliage which includes the attractive, evergreen fern polystichum Bevis and variegated Fig |
 |
Gill’s variegated Dianella which bears blue
berries
|
 |
| Dorothy’s Iris reticulata Joyce and Irish Garden |
 |
| Jenny’s found this flowering Petasite (Butterbur) with its large, circular leaves in the boggy part of the local park The Hollies |
 |
| Jenny’s rather large Eucalyptus gunnii has now flowered |
Caroline brought the Quiz and Puzzle Book by RHS to our notice, which would make a nice gift (for oneself)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHS-Gardeners-Quiz-Puzzle-Book/dp/178472632X
Another good idea from Janella to help wildlife is this credit card sized bee saviour card with three cells of sugar solution which will fit neatly in your wallet, purse or pocket so that you can revive an exhausted bee when out and about.
https://saviourbees.co.uk/campaigns/bee-saviour-card/
Notice Board
Reminder – reserve your place on our Friday Forum day trip to Southport Flower Show. See our Visits 2020 page for more details.
Next Meeting
21st February: A presentation by Mary Swan “Design Tips for Small Gardens”
Saturday, 18 January 2020
Colombia - Biodiversity Hotspot
Presentation: Colombia – Biodiversity Hotspot by Barbara and Peter Murphy
We were able to experience some of the plants, trees, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals which exist on the huge conservation areas in the cloud forests. There are 3,800 species of butterflies, stunning orchids (the national flower of Colombia is the orchid Cattleya trianae) and exotic birds.
 |
| Humming bird |
Display Table
 |
| Ann’s Hamamelis brightens up the room |
 |
| Carol’s container: Garrya Elliptica, Hamamelis Arnold Promise, the fragrant Sarcococca and Daphne Jacqueline Postill, Grevillea rosmarinifolia Jenkinsii and a Hellebore bud |
 |
Judith’s display
demonstrates how to add a touch of seasonal colour by placing a few pots in an
attractive basket or container. The pots
can easily be changed as the season progresses
|
 |
| From her garden, Gill brought Winter Aconite, Jamaican Primrose, Geranium Spring Fling, Sarcococca, Ipheion Wisley Blue, Veronica, Primrose and Snowdrops |
 |
| Norma brought 100%
recyclable pots from Moorland Nurseries near Knaresborough (which also has a
good café) http://moorlandnurseries.co.uk/ |
This year is the International Year of Plant Health.
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/2020-international-year-plant-health
Janella can now confirm our annual day trip to Southport Flower Show on Friday, 21st August. The cost is £30, which includes entrance to the show. Cash or cheque to Friday Forum to secure your place. See more details on Garden Visits 2020 page on this blog.
7th February: Friday Forum AGM plus free raffle and quiz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)