Society Christmas meal at the Royal Oak, Drimpton

This time of year is very much taken up with opportunities to enjoy Christmas meals with friends so, as a committee, we offered the suggestion to members that perhaps we change to a New Year meal after Christmas. Perhaps fearing an early-undoing of New Year resolutions to get fit, or shed a few pounds, members opted to stick with tradition. A jolly good decision that turned out to be - we enjoyed a wonderful evening last night at the Royal Oak, the food was very good, the company lively and fun and, except for those poor souls having to work the next day, we continued the evening chatting almost into the small hours.

The months ahead

The weather forecast today has been very much of conditions to wrap up for and also to batten down the hatches. Let us hope that, by the time the events listed below are under way that everyone will have come out the other side in one piece.

December 2013

That is our members traditional Christmas Lunch - but in the evening - work that one out. We are all looking forward to enjoying the hospitality of the Royal Oak.

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January 2014 - Wednesday 15th at 7:00 pm in Drimpton Village Hall

Our very popular Quiz and Puds (and more).

Teams of 4, with entry at £2.50 per person, to include the first pud.
There will also be savoury tastes and, of course, Bob's dastardly brain-teasers.

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February 2014 - A busy month

Potato Day

Saturday 8^th February 2014

10:30 to 2:30

Drimpton Village Hall

Great Food and Children's activities

Welcome to our 6th Annual Potato Day, with Pennard Plants offering a wide variety of Seed Potato varieties for sale, by the tuber or in bags, with information on type, cultivation and disease resistance for each one. Our Potato Day is organised for gardeners, by gardeners; you will find plenty of help, information and encouragement.

The Heritage Collection seeds, plus a selection of Garlic, Onion and Shallot sets, plus herbs, fruit bushes, rhubarb and more will be available. Potato Day is the only opportunity to enter our popular Potato Growing competition, (classes for young people and adults – weigh-in on Show Day, Saturday 9^th August)

Enjoy the renowned Drimpton food, with all day brunches, lunches and cakes, as well as warming drinks. As ever, the popular activities for young people will be here, so there's fun for everyone. Please join us, whether you are an experienced grower or just starting out on veggies, you will find this a friendly and useful event.

There is no need to book, but for further information please contact 01308 868843.

We are on Chard Road (B3162), Drimpton, between Chard and Beaminster. For SatNav: DT8 3RF

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Wednesday 19th February, 7:15 for 7:30 pm

The Society AGM and Social Evening - yes, more fun and food, once the serious business of agreeing a new constitution and electing a committee and officers has been concluded, hopefully successfully.

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Meetings coming up in October and November

On Wednesday 16th October

The Winter Garden, with Guest Speaker John Horsey

John is an experienced speaker on topics from Ponds to Alpines and Shade to the Algarve, so we should be treated to some expert and timely advice.

Wednesday 20th November

A World of Gardens, our speaker will be Graeme Mitchell

Inspiration from around the world right into out back garden

All meetings 7:15 for 7:30, at Drimpton Village Hall.
Visitors always welcome, for £1 entry (members free)

Traditional Woodland Crafts

On Wednesday 18th September we welcomed Terry Heard, who didn't just speak about TRADITIONAL WOODLAND CRAFTS, he entertained, demonstrated, showed a model of a coppice rotation and brought such a variety of tools, and the woodland produce that he creates with them, everything from tent pegs, to staves, brooms, poles and charcoal.

One of the best speakers we could have hoped for, he made a besom during the talk and that will be a star raffle prize next month.

Terry Heard with coppice rotation model

Terry explains coppicing and the sustainable products we can get from hazel

Annual Show - Pictures and winners

The 68th Annual Show, in Drimpton Village Hall, attracted over 70 Entrants showing a total of 540 exhibits, there was hardly space for any more, and fortunate that we had two marquees and a gazebo outside to host the steady stream of visitors through the afternoon.

Trophy Winners

The Society's Perpetual Challenge Trophy (Flowers and Vegetables)
Bill Howarth

The Martineau Cup (Flowers)
Bill Howarth

The Craven Cup (Best Flower Exhibit)
Bill Howarth

The Greenham Rose Bowl (Rose with best scent)
Michael Vickery

The Strawbridge Cup (Vegetables)
Bill Howarth

The Manor Cup (Best Vegetable Exhibit)
Bill Howarth

The Jubilee Cup (Organic Vegetable collection)
Bill Howarth

The Capewell Cup (Best Floral arrangement)
Barbara Wright

The Baker Cup (Homecraft)
Kate Hesketh

The Drimpton Salver (Best Baking Exhibit)
Frances Franklin

The Knorr Cup (Preserves)
Christabel Pilz

The Collard Cup (Best Handicraft exhibit)
Louise Hesketh

The Diana Sprent Trophy (Best Art exhibit)
Anne Cater

The Lyminster Cup (Best Photographic Exhibit)
Trevor Cherry

The Society's Cup (Young exhibitor under 9)
Jemima Leivers

The Clapton Cup (Young Exhibitor 10 to 15)
Georgia Hedditch

The Dummet Cup (Young Person's heaviest potato crop - 315g)
Matthew Medley

The Shepherd Cup (Adult heaviest Potato crop 4765g!)
Rosemary Clayton

Not just a load of flowers

68th Annual Show

Drimpton Village Hall

Saturday 10th August at 2:15 pm

Annual Flower Show, Drimpton

The Flower Show has been bringing together people from Drimpton and our neighbouring villages for decades. It's not all about flowers and vegetables. If you cook, paint, create or make things, you will find classes to enter or just enjoy viewing. All age ranges are catered for, there are even classes for families.
This year, the prize money has  been increased, there will be teas and tasty treats as well as a raffle and the weigh-in for the Potato Competition.

If you join the Society on the day entry is free!

Key dates and times

Entries by Wednesday 7th August please,  then bring exhibits to the hall on Friday evening or Show Day before before 10.45am.
Spare Schedules from Brian - Post Office Yard or view online: Schedule
Open to the public at 2.15pm on  Show Day,  Saturday 10th August.
Presentations at  4.30pm by  Becky Groves of Groves Nursery.

Flower Show, Drimpton Village Hall

To go with your newly dug potatoes?

From a friend and neighbour of the Garden Club:

A’FEARED

OF FISH

No need at all, they don’t all bite.

Come along to the Free Fish Cookery workshop

at the Village Hall Drimpton, 

meet some fishy old friends & some less endangered species.

Saturday 3 August 10.30 - 1 pm.

• Learn how best to deal with whatever comes out of the sea that morning, steam, microwave, grill, bake, whatever suits the fish!
• We eat what we cook for lunch
• No need to book but places are limited so if you want to get in, get in touch with  Tony Gibbons

A’FEARED

OF FISH

The Garden in Summer - overgrown? Hear what our guest speaker has to say.

The next evening meeting: Wednesday 17th July, 7.15 for 7.30 pm

The speaker on 17th July is Malcolm Mills and the title of the talk is:

Managing an Overgrown Garden. 

This talk has been prepared specially for us and moves on a bit from the original title of The Garden in Summer - what have people been telling the Gold Club about our gardens?

The Gold Club speakers are always amongst the best we have, so even if you have a tidy garden (does anyone?) it should be entertaining.

The Garden in Summer

Next Meeting: Wednesday 17th July

We have had some lovely days (yes, and some not so good ones) and summer really does feel as though it has arrived. Timely then, that our guest speaker, from The Gold Club - they are always good - has the topic "The Garden in Summer"
The meeting will be at Drimpton Village Hall, Wednesday 17th July, 7:15 for 7:30 pm. All welcome!

Summer Show - On Saturday 10th August

What could be more fitting to follow that, than the Summer Show - On Saturday 10th August. The Show opens to the public at 2:15, and that's the day lots of people join the Garden Club - you'd be most welcome too.
If you think you may like to enter the show, hopefully you will have had a Schedule, with an entry form on the back. If not, don't worry, there is a copy here and there is also a link to that from the village website, under Groups and Clubs. Whatever your interest, in the garden, the kitchen, workshop or behind the lens, there should be an entry class to suit you - and the prize money has been increased this year!

Outing to Corton Denham House gardens

On Monday 17th, on a day when the sun at least attempted to come out, we enjoyed a trip out to be given a tour of the gardens at Corton Denham House, in the beautiful border land between Dorset and Somerset.

Summer Show 2013 - Schedule

Summer Show 2013

Just click here to see the full Schedule

June Meeting

Wednesday 19th June. 7:15 for 7:30pm

Plant Combinations and Associations

Our guest speaker, Philip Gamble, will guide us through partnering colours and finding good foliage matches, even the veggie gardeners amongst us should find this interesting!

On his website, Philip describes the talk as: "An adventure in taste. Ideas & examples to help develop your options & increase your excitement for plant grouping. More than just colour."

Apologies

If you arrived here looking for the Soggy Day Gardener posts, that was my fault - getting mixed up! They are now where they should be.

Edible Britain

No not a chocolate bar in the shape of the British Isles (I could manage that though) - but an initiative of the RHS. We have been invited by the RHS to take part in their Edible Britain campaign and we have seeds from them.Edible Britain is the theme of Britain in Bloom 2013, which will see community gardening groups create 2,000 edible gardens in public spaces around the country. A total of 30,000 packets of seeds, such as chives, dill, parsley, carrots, coriander, spring onions, red frills mustard, edible flowers such as nasturtiums and marigolds, and much more, will be distributed to 2,000 gardening groups.

Stephanie Eynon, RHS Community Horticulture Manager, said: “Britain in Bloom isn’t just about pretty hanging baskets brightening up gloomy streets, it’s about improving the environment, enhancing lives and bringing communities together through gardening. ‘Edible Britain’ will see new public herb and vegetable gardens planted across the UK, bringing access to tasty produce to thousands.”

Clapton,Wayford & District Horticultural Society will be taking part with pots of edible plants at Drimpton Village Hall and Clapton Village Hall 

Members have the seeds already (Mustard Oriental Ruby Streaks, Carrot Nantes 5, Spring Onion White Lisbon Winter Hardy, Radish Scarlet globe, Spinach Cello F1, Parsley Moss Curled 2 and Lettuce, mixed) and once they are thriving (hopefully) in pots outside the 2 village halls people can just go and taste and try for free.

(See below for May and June meetings and events)

"Swap, Share, Schedules"

"Swap, Share, Schedules"

The April meeting is a great opportunity for members, friends and visitors to swap and share all sorts of things: plants, seedlings, cuttings, surplus seeds, pots, containers, gardening books, tools, you name it: if it's anything to do with the garden and you fancy swapping, bring it along. If you have nothing surplus, but wish to buy and donate to Society funds, that's fine also, there will be all sorts of things for you to browse.

The evening will also be the first opportunity to see the Schedules for the 2013 Summer Show, and the prize money has gone up!

A Reminder

If you picked up a potato for the Potato Competition, hopefully it has nice tough little shoots on it now. Plant it in your container and then keep an eye on the forecast till mid-May, in case of frost.

Advance Notice

The Big Lunch, in the village hall, or outside if we get a summer this year: Sunday 2 June 2013, make a diary note and sow some lettuces, they'll be ready for your sandwiches.

Struggling towards Spring

On a walk the other day, surrounded by sodden fields, damp roads and with the hint of a sprinkling of snow on the hills in the distance,  it was difficult to believe that Spring officially starts this week with more daylight than darkness. Still, there have been some sunny periods as well haven't there, to entice us gardeners outside!

Netherhay, looking towards a sprinkling of snow

March Meeting

Our meeting on Wednesday 20th March 2013 welcomed Lucy Jones speaking on the topic:

"Weeds as Medicines" 

Sometimes I receive some positive comments about a speaker as people are leaving the meeting, but I have rarely had so much positive feedback, including emails, and even a request to see if Lucy could do a Part II, as I've had after last night's meeting.

Lucy spoke with great enthusiasm, openness and from an apparent great depth and breadth of knowledge. I felt quite mean having to draw the discussions to an end, it seemed possible we could have still been there at midnight.

Not only did we have a swift overview of some of the Tibetan and western training she has undergone, and a glimpse of a "Roman" cream she made to take to an "Ancient Archery" session, but we also learned not to be quite so quick to condemn everything we regard as weeds to the compost bins.

When the hedge flails haven't got there first, Lucy gathers Viburnum opulus or Cramp Bark to strip off the bark. The leaves and roots of Dandelions are not to be ignored, neither should nettles. Cleavers shouldn't just be something to annoy us dog walkers (or our dogs), chickweed is to be welcomed and the yarrow, of everything else she told us about, we were warned not to forget, as its ability to stem bleeding could prove life-saving.

Thank you Lucy.

You can follow Lucy on Twitter @myrobalanclinic and here: Lucy's blog

Potato Day 2013, Drimpton

Saturday 9th February woke to a cold drizzle, yet that didn't deter people from near (Drimpton, Greenham, Winsham, Marshwood, Hewish, Crewkerne) and far (Weymouth, North Perrott, Colyford, Cerne Abbas and Verwood) from visiting our 6th annual Potato Day. 

It's not all about potatoes, even though there were more than 80 varieties to pick from in Pennard's colour coded tubs. There were heritage seeds, onions, fruit bushes, rhubarb, asparagus, garlic, apple trees and more. Not to mention, though I shall - some delicious food: cakes, soup, baked potatoes, mini shepherd pies and more cake. On the stage there was fun for anyone who didn't mind a bit of paint on the fingers, creating flowers for the panto scenery using potato printing.

Drimpton Potato Day, Heritage Seeds

Drimpton Potato Day, Colour coded tubs of seed potatoes

There were people, lots of us, pondering, selecting, chatting, advising, querying and generally setting up a buzz of enjoyment in the village hall.

Drimpton Potato Day, Potato Printing

Drimpton Potato Day, Butterfly

The next gathering of people alive with fun and excitement in the hall will hopefully include the cast and audience of the pantomime, being busily rehearsed right now, for performances on 23rd March. The potato prints created on 9th February will form part of the scenery for the panto.

We issued questionnaires to everyone who came yesterday, hopefully the answers will help us to keep improving Potato Day here in Drimpton and, with the help of Pennard Plants,  continue to make this a great day, made by gardeners for gardeners and anyone who loves the beauty of growing plants, creating art and sharing food and conversation.

Potato Day Saturday 9th February

Potato Day

Saturday 9^th February
10:30 to 2:30

Drimpton Village Hall ( DT8 3RF )
For food, fun and advice

Welcome to our 6th Annual Potato Day, with Pennard Plants offering dozens of Seed Potato varieties for sale, by the tuber or in bags, with information on type, cultivation and disease resistance for each one. Our Potato Day is organised for gardeners, by gardeners; you will find plenty of help and information.

There will also be Heritage Vegetable seeds, a selection of Garlic, Onion and Shallot sets, plus herbs, fruit bushes, rhubarb and more. There will also be an opportunity to enter our popular Potato Growing competition, (classes for young people and adults – weigh-in on Show Day, Saturday 10^th August)

There will of course be the renowned Drimpton food, with all day brunches, lunches and cakes, as well as warming drinks. As ever, the popular activities for young people will be here, so there's fun for everyone.

Don't let last year put you off –

there are tasty blight-resistant varieties!

Potato Day Saturday 9th February

There will be all the usual fun, advice, potatoes, plants, seeds and delicious Drimpton Food

10.30 am to 2.30 pm

Drimpton Village Hall

DT8 3RF