A happy gardening 2016 to you all.
We have all been taken aback by primroses and daffodils blooming in the villages before Christmas, and roses and lavender in flower for eight months in succession! Rather than worry about your garden, enjoy it in the knowledge your plants will still perform as the year progresses and it is surprising how things right themselves by spring. If you haven’t mulched yet, do that in early spring when there is no frost on the ground. It will help those plants that have been working extra hard in the unseasonably mild weather.
At Gardening Club we ended our year well. In November we had the excellent Terry Heard at our meeting, who demonstrated the workmanship that results from his coppicing. It was one of our most interesting ever talks and we learnt much about the work of the woodsman, as well as enjoying a display of the vessels and baskets Terry makes. We particularly liked the making of besom brooms he demonstrated and several of us bought one to take home. If ever you get the chance to see Terry at work at one of the country or agricultural shows he attends, we can recommend him highly for both his skills and his entertaining presentation.
We rounded off the year with two special events in December. Firstly our annual Christmas Supper with wonderful food, (thank you Wendy), some quizzes and a raffle. We had great fun. Secondly our final trip of the year to Westonbirt Arboretum where the trees were dressed in a beautiful lighting display and choristers sang to us. We decorated pine cones, drank hot chocolate and mulled wine (not together!) and had a lovely festive time. It actually stopped raining for our whole trip – the only time in days.
Consider joining the Gardening Club to inspire you for a good year in your own garden, to hear excellent speakers, to go on trips to beautiful gardens and to meet gardeners happy to share their experience. Come along as a visitor if you would like to – the first Thursday in the month 7.30 in Edington Parish Hall – lots of information on our pages on the Edington Village website (edingtonwiltshire.org.uk)
We look forward to seeing members and visitors old and new at our next meeting on 4th February, when Alan Power will talk about his work as Head Gardener at Stourhead. Later in the year we will also be visiting the garden. See you there……
Sandie Lewis
Club Secretary