NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2025
Next Meeting
Wednesday February 5th at 7.45pm in the Sport Pavilion OX49 5BZ
Speaker: Timothy Walker
At our first meeting of the New Year Timothy Walker will return to talk to us about “Euphorbias”. Timothy is one of our best speakers, and he has a passion for Euphorbias. So we can expect to learn a lot from him. There are Euphorbias for all parts of the garden.
December 2024:
The last time we met was our Christmas social with wine, Christmas nibbles, tea and coffee. Thanks to Maggie and Pam. Sandy Primrose entertained us with his talk: “Frankincense Myrrh and the Incense Trail”.
SNOWDROPS:
Weather permitting Jo Dudley is thinking of visiting Wellford Park to "see" the snowdrops on Wednesday 12th Feb. If anyone is interested in going with her please contact Jo, [email protected] or speak to her at the meeting to arrange transport.
Don’t forget more locally, St. Botolph's Church, Swyncombe will be holding their usual snowdrop teas on weekends 8/9th, 15/16th and 22/23th of February from 2-4pm. There will be books and snowdrops for sale too. The churchyard can of course be visited at any time to view the snowdrops.
GARDEN VISITS:
We are already starting to organize garden visits to offer you as the most popular gardens do get booked up.
CHIVEL FARM, we have booked a visit for Thursday 29th May. A group of us went a couple of years ago in August and it is a magical garden with lots of colour themed beds. More details will come later so put the date in your diaries.
Hughenden Horticultural Society, via Jo Dudley we have received an invitation from them to join in the three coach trips they are offering this year to Sezincote House and Garden, Cambridge University Botanic Gardens and Barn Farm Plants with The National Herb Centre. Their flyer with the details is attached. If you are interested contact Diana Dove directly, her details are at the bottom of the flyer, mentioning Jo. You can also contact Jo.
BENSON GARDENING CLUB has sent us an invitation to a talk on Thursday 6th March by James Alexander-Sinclair, a Vice President of the Royal Horticultural Society and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers, The Principles of Planting - a romp through various planting styles and where best to use them. At Benson Parish Hall, Sunnyside, Benson at 7.45pm, door opens 7.15pm. Visitors pay £12.00.
Tickets are available either at Derrys Den, High Street, Benson or by emailing them at [email protected]
CHANGES TO GARDEN WASTE COLLECTIONS. For those of you who live in Oxfordshire, SODC are introducing a new permit scheme for garden waste collections this year and there are actions you’ll need to take to continue receiving garden waste collections. From 1 April 2025, you must purchase a new annual permit. This will replace your direct debit.
What you need to do:
- From late February, visit the council’s website www.southandvale.gov.uk/GardenWastePermit to make a one-off, annual payment for your garden waste collections permit.
- When you get it in the post, stick your permit to the lid of your brown bin.
WEBSITE:
Don’t forget our club website has a list of all the speakers for the year and copies of our newsletters and subscription and visits forms - http://www.watlingtongardeningclub.co.uk
It also has various links, including to Benson Gardening Club and Bledlow Ridge and Lacey Green Horticultural societies whose meetings we can attend as guests.
Next meeting:
Our March meeting is on Wednesday 5th when Chris Day’s talk titled The Productive “Cut Your Own” Garden will tell us about making a patch for a cutting garden.
