Description of what the club does :-
Edington & District Gardening Club aims to enable like minded gardening enthusiasts to share and enjoy all aspects of gardening.
We include monthly speakers, outings to gardens – usually guided tours, and social get togethers.
We have a Flower & Produce Show every year open to the village, and support the Edington Fair.
More information about events can be found by clicking on the list of events on the right.
Contact name :- Jacky Hiscock
Contact phone number :- 01380 830133
Meeting frequency :- First Thursday in the month
Normal meeting time :- 7.00pm
Normal meeting place :- Parish Hall, Edington
Latest news:-
Spring must be in the air, 25 people attended the meeting to listen to Jackie Hames talk all about fruits – soft, bushes, trees, citrus, all kinds. We were not sure whether Rhubarb was fruit, but this was also discussed! A little history was included from Alfred the Great, Romans, and the Victorians who gave us our passion for fruit. In general, over winter mulch and feed in the spring and summer to help give the best crops.
Jackie brought along some of her plants to sell from Bratton Center preventing her wild fieldmouse from eating them!
Next month is our 20th Birthday, so there will be cake! Cheese and drinks as well as speaker Alex Learmont, from the Hawk and Owl Trust talking about the Shapwick Nature Reserve.
For further information about our meetings and visits ring 830133.
After welcoming a new member to our meeting this month, details were given of planned trips for the remainder of this programme, and for the new programme starting in June.
Visits to local snowdrops at Lacock, bluebells at Clatford Woods, Exbury Gardens, Abbotsbury, Forde Abbey, and the Taunton Flower Show should keep us busy.
Matt Simpson from Horningsham gave us an insight to his business which is now moving from the walled garden to another site but is still in Horningsham. Simpson Seeds is well known and specialises in seeds, harvesting their own. Matt is now making his own chilli sauces in small batches. Members couldn’t resist buying some bottles. He is also experimenting with hydroponics and showed us how to make a simple, cheap system using a square 17litres tub with bars set just below the top, covered and then a 10l pot placed on the top with a wick wrapped around the plant reaching into the tub below, which is filled with water. Nutrients are added weekly. Yellowing of plants indicate underfeeding. Interestingly mistreated peppers are hotter than well fed ones!
We hope to visit Matt at Keepers Yard in August.
Next Month, March 7th, Jackie Hames, from Bratton Plant Center has kindly filled in last minute for us.
The topic is the same, as advertised – Soft fruits and fruits.
If you would like more details about the club, please check on the village web page. If you would like to come along visitors are most welcome.
Jacky
(830133)
Christmas came a little early at our November meeting when Pam Lewis came along to give us a talk and demonstration on wreath making, 12 of our members joined in with the practical workshop and ended up taking home their wonderful wreaths. Pam is a very talented lady and has been a long-standing member of Devizes Flower Club. Our own club visited her wonderful garden in Marston a few years ago.
December will see members meeting at a local restaurant for the Christmas social this time, which has already been booked. There is no meeting in January, although the committee will be meeting to discuss next year’s programme (from June – May.) If anyone would like us to include a particular speaker or visit, please contact one of the committee members.
It will be our 20th birthday next year, so we hope to make it a very good year!
I would like to wish all our members and supporters a very Happy and Prosperous New Year and that you all enjoy the festive Christmastime.
Keep gardening!
Jacky
The intriguing talk ‘Crayfish on the lawn’ showed us how gardeners see more than most in the garden when down on our hands and knees! Together with lovely slides, Joff showed us what an eclectic variety there is to be seen especially at ground level. Not just beautiful combinations of flowers but also the moths, beetles, fasciations, snails, and fungi. We were treated to a poem by Pam Ayres about ‘The Last Hedgehog’, spoken by Pam Ayres herself (Joff tends her garden!). Yes, we did also see a crayfish on the lawn, one of the invasive American varieties, probably dropped by a passing bird!
Enjoy the last of the late summer sunshine,
Another successful show was held in the Parish Hall on Saturday 2nd September, the entries certainly brightened up the Hall. Thank you to Mercedes for her article and pictures in the September E-News.
Thank you to all those who came along, either entering a class or just marvelling at the entries and enjoying tea and cake.
This is always a social event for the village and judging by the chatter this is just so!
Thank you to the committee and other helpers stewarding or in the tearoom and for the lovely cakes made for consumption! And to those who stayed to put everything away including the marquee.
Congratulations go to Liz Pike who retained both trophies (Best Gross and the Silver Salver best 10 nominated).
On October 5th Joff Elphick will give a talk ‘Crayfish on the lawn’.
As a student Joff worked for Mary Keen while studying horticulture at Pershore under Chris Beardshaw. He writes a weekly blog and produces podcasts and talks about his work as a professional gardener.
We always welcome any guests to come along and join us and see what we are up to.
For more details ring 830133.
Jacky