It was a full house for our 20^th Birthday. One visitor joined 29 members for a celebratory evening.

2 cakes, made by Maxine and David (thank you both), were soon demolished together with cheese on biscuits and a sparkly drink!

A special mention was made to those who had started the ball rolling in April 2004, Stella and Edward Callaway, me, Carol and Roger Mussell and Vera Tyler, George and Joy Fraser.

Our speaker for the evening, Alex Learmont, gave an excellent talk on the endeavours of Shapwick Moor in Somerset on the Avalon Marshes. Owned by the Hawk and Owl Trust, the 150 acres, formerly arable land, is managed by Alex together with 14 volunteers. It was bought in 2007 and is being transformed into meadow. Ruby Red cows are used to graze, and the grass is removed in late summer. Hedgerows have been planted, high and wide! and the Rhynes are cleared of vegetation and there are ponds and scrapes. The result has seen not only birds of prey increase, barn owls, buzzards, kestrels, sparrowhawks, marsh harriers, peregrine and other seasonal birds of prey, but the butterfly count has increased together with harvest mice, otters, and hares.

Check out the web site for more information hhtps://hawkandowltrust.org

Next month, MAY 1^st, WEDNESDAY, (due to the elections) is the AGM when subscriptions are due. The new Programme will be available, and the Schedules for the Flower & Produce Show being held on 7^th September.

The speaker will be Lynda Brown – Herbs, sowing, growing, harvesting, and preserving.

Visitors are always welcome.

Contact 830133 for further information.

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 20^th 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 7^th, 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 20^th 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,