Wednesday 5th October at 7.45 in the Sports Pavilion OX49 5BZ
Speaker : Carolyn Foster
Carolyn Foster from the Berkshire Hardy Plant Society will be talking about “Ornamental Grasses in the Garden” which should be very interesting as grasses are so fashionable these days – and perhaps she will convert those few of us who are not yet quite convinced! You may remember that Carolyn stepped in at short notice for our June meeting, giving an informative talk titled “Gardens to Visit Near and Far”, with beautiful slides.
GARDEN VISIT: a date for your diary for next year. We have arranged another visit to St Timothees, near Maidenhead, on 23rd March 2023. The visit in June this year was so successful and some members could not make it so we thought members would like to see the display of Spring flowers and bulbs. We will give more details nearer the time, but wanted to let you know well in advance.
Last Month: We held the AGM at the beginning of the September meeting – Caelia kindly agreed to remain as Chair for another year and the committee members were re-elected. Christine Smith joined the committee. The financial report was approved. It was agreed that the annual membership fee would rise from £18 to £22. Guests will now pay £5 per meeting. These increases reflect the increased costs which we have to pay for speakers and their fuel costs. After the AGM Richard Harvey, A professional photographer, showed us a selection of beautiful images of Cotswold gardens, reminding us how lovely that landscape is. There were general views of specific houses in their garden settings, interspersed with close-ups of individual plants, flowers and trees. His commentary, including opening times and entry prices, was very informative and made several of us keen to visit or revisit these special places.
September’s visit to Crockmore House garden, near Henley, was very enjoyable. Rain threatened, but didn’t arrive until teatime, which was served indoors - delicious homemade scones and cakes. The garden had been designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole, then further developed by the owner and it included many ornamental grasses, mixed with carefully selected perennials to maximize summer interest. Members seemed to think it was an interesting garden, but many had ideas for potential improvements!
Annual Subscriptions Subscriptions are due this month - £22 – a membership form is attached - please either complete a bank transfer, bring your completed cheque to the meeting or post it to Jacqueline Dulake, Wyckham House, Lewknor OX49 5TH Bank Details for tansfers: Watlington Gardening Club, Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-98-56, A/C no. 00496266
Plant Table We shall have a plant table, probably the last one this year, so please bring any spare plants to sell – it really helps our finances.
Upcoming Meetings On 2nd November Chris Day will give a talk on Growing Foliage and Flowering Houseplants Successfully, also Orchids
2nd December will be our Christmas Social and the speaker will be Tea Break gardener Katharine, talking about Snowdrops – Galanthophilia and What all the Fuss is About
Benson Gardening Club has sent information about their October meeting - on Thursday 6th October Nick Bailey will give a talk entitled Revive Your Garden, how to bring your existing garden back to life or revive a newly acquired shabby garden. Nick is a regular presenter on Gardeners World, as well as writing many books and articles. Tickets are £10, just turn up and pay at the door, Benson Parish Hall, Sunnyside, Benson, OX10 6LZ, 7.45 pm, doors open 7.15.