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.