Sanderstead Horticultural Society

MAY  2011 NEWSLETTER

 

May always takes me by surprise. The garden up to April seems fairly tidy and under control and then bang!  May arrives and an explosion happens. Everything surges into growth particularly the weeds; now it’s a battle until about August when things slacken off again.  I am behind already as I have just been away on another Garden Lecture cruise, this time to the Canaries and Cape Verde down in the tropics.  I shared the lecturing with Matthew Biggs from Gardeners’ Question Time.  Matthew is like Tom Hart Dyke - full of enthusiasm and knowledge about all things horticultural.  He is keen to come and give us a talk about the Lobb brothers, two of the great plant hunters of the eighteenth century.  I will try and get him into our programme as soon as I can.

Shortly I will be sailing off again, this time to St Petersburg in Russia.  As this is my first visit, I have been researching a talk about the construction of the parks and gardens around the great palaces. It seems Peter the Great wanted to outdo Versailles with formal gardens and hundreds of fountains, while Catherine the Great hated fountains - she said “They tortured water.”  She wanted her gardens to look like the great English landscape gardens, particularly Stowe.  Though she never came to England she commissioned Wedgwood to make a 952-piece tea service decorated with 1,244 views of the most famous English gardens which included 48 images of Stowe.  Her tea-service is now in The Hermitage Museum.  After Russia I have the Mediterranean to cruise and to speak on.  So I fear my garden once again will be much neglected and this is the reason why I am always begging for more members to join the committee and help with running the shows.

Congratulations to Bill and Simon Lockyer for winning the Premier Award (higher than gold) for their display of auriculas at this year’s Harrogate Spring Show. The recent spell of warm weather is giving them problems for their Chelsea display as all of their plants are blooming earlier this year.  We wish them good luck and some cooler days.

Colin Jones, Chairman

 

COACH OUTING TO LULLINGSTONE CASTLE & HALL PLACE, THURSDAY 9^TH JUNE

Following the note in the April Newsletter, we have an outing planned for Thursday 9^th June.  In the morning we will visit Hall Place Gardens, near Bexley; it’s not too large and includes a sub-tropical greenhouse, cordoned fruit trees, herbaceous borders and some wonderful topiary.  There is a riverside café for light lunches, a pub within the grounds and there are plant sales.

We then go on to Tom Hart Dyke’s ‘World Garden’ for the afternoon, where we have a guided tour of the castle and garden. 

The cost will be £18.50 per person, to include garden entries and tour, coach and driver's gratuity.  The coach will leave Sanderstead library at 9.30 a.m.

If you would like to go, please complete the form overleaf and send it, together with your cheque for £18.50 per person, payable to SHS, to Brenda Bateman, 32 Lime Meadow Avenue, Sanderstead, Surrey.  CR2 9AR.  Please tick the box if you would like a phone-call to confirm receipt (landlines only please).

 

OUTING TO LULLINGSTONE CASTLE & HALL PLACE, THURSDAY 9^TH JUNE

 

Name(s)  ……………………………………………………………………………Telephone Number ……………………………………………

 

Address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

No of people  …………….        Cheque (£18.50 per person) £……….     Telephone Confirmation  YES/NO

 

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GARDEN OPEN FOR NSPCC

Andrea & Bob Winder are opening their garden at 15 Norman Avenue, Sanderstead, on Sunday 29^th May 2pm-5pm

 

ROAD STEWARD NEEDED FOR DOWNSWAY, currently 17 members.   If anyone feels they could take it on I should be glad to hear from you. Valerie Burley, 8651 5837.

REPORT ON APRIL TALK

Jacqueline Aviolet gave a highly entertaining talk on 14th April describing how she started a nursery; also her various activities at different times of the year and experiences at events such as R.H.S and other Shows. 

She specialises in hardy Herbaceous plants which she grows from seeds and cuttings, making a point of collecting those which have people’s Christian names.   She brought plenty of varieties for sale, and members readily took advantage of the opportunity to buy these and obtain advice on how to grow them.    

 The next talk will be in the autumn, on 13th October, when Brian Deaville will speak on “Plants For Chalk”.

                                                                                 Mary Early

MANURE AVAILABLE

Put real heart back into your soil!  High quality rotted horse manure in bags delivered to your door.  Telephone:  020 8660 6078.

RAINFALL Kathleen Davis recorded just 15mm of rain for the month of March.  So far, up to 20^th April, this month is dry!   John Morris recorded average high and low temperatures for March 2011 as follows:  50.6F (10.3C) and 39.3F (4.0C).  March 2010:  48.5F (9.2C) and 37.8F (3.2C) 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Saturday 7^th May Plant Sale at 14 West Hill, Sanderstead 2pm-3pm

Saturday 25^th June 2pm – Summer Show, Wettern Tree Garden, Purley Oaks Road

NEXT CIRCULAR:  1^st June (notes by 21^st May) to Brenda Bateman (8657 5280)

32 Lime Meadow Avenue, Sanderstead, CR2 9AR.  Email bateman456@btinternet.com

Delivered by your Road Steward: …………………………………………………………….. Tel:………………………………..