GARDEN CLUB
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Jenny Fraser’s garden on a June evening
The Eaton Residents Gardening Club
OUR TEAM
Glynis - main speaker organiser and point of contact 506029 or 07833 526 213
Jacky - a very able assistant
Mark - who runs the website and finances
Roy - projector lender and operator
Aubrey - chief subs taker
Annie - invaluable help whenever required.
We are always looking for suggestions for club nights - speakers, demonstrations or visits. If anybody has any suggestions, we would love to hear from you! Just complete the Contact form here.
OUR TEAM
Glynis - main speaker organiser and point of contact 506029 or 07833 526 213
Jacky - a very able assistant
Mark - who runs the website and finances
Roy - projector lender and operator
Aubrey - chief subs taker
Annie - invaluable help whenever required.
We are always looking for suggestions for club nights - speakers, demonstrations or visits. If anybody has any suggestions, we would love to hear from you! Just complete the Contact form here.
GARDEN CLUB PROGRAM FOR 2022
11th May - Dr. Anne Edwards. Topic: Conservation work particularly managing Ashwelthorpe Lowe Wood, an ancient woodland, in conjunction with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
8th June - Estate Garden Visit. It's June, the night's are light, it should be warm and Kathleen and les have offered to host a garden club meeting in their own garden
Saturday 9th July: Estate Open Gardens in celebration of the Queens Jubilee. See here for further details
Wednesday 6th July: Estate Garden visit: Once again, Jenny will welcome us to her garden.
10th August: Richard Bearman. Provisional - An outsider visit to Grapes Hill Community garden, an amazing community garden in the centre of the city. Might just be a cheeky trip to a local pub afterwards?
14th September: Social event. Catch up with garden life, bring in your produce/horticulture for show and discussion. stop afterwards for refreshments. Culinary offerings for the evening would be much appreciated! Wine supplied by the club
12th October: Helen Mitchell and Sarah Scott - Friends of Eaton Park
9th November: Julia Paul. Julia will be talking about the Hedgehog charity, Hodmedods. We all love hedgehogs, especially when they eat the slugs!
14th December: Christmas Social! No speaker, just chatter and cheer prior to Christmas. Small plate culinary offerings would be appreciated, wine supplied by the club. Entertainment most welcome, have your star turn! Gordon will probably organise a quiz and Dick will read from the 'Boy John' letters
8th June - Estate Garden Visit. It's June, the night's are light, it should be warm and Kathleen and les have offered to host a garden club meeting in their own garden
Saturday 9th July: Estate Open Gardens in celebration of the Queens Jubilee. See here for further details
Wednesday 6th July: Estate Garden visit: Once again, Jenny will welcome us to her garden.
10th August: Richard Bearman. Provisional - An outsider visit to Grapes Hill Community garden, an amazing community garden in the centre of the city. Might just be a cheeky trip to a local pub afterwards?
14th September: Social event. Catch up with garden life, bring in your produce/horticulture for show and discussion. stop afterwards for refreshments. Culinary offerings for the evening would be much appreciated! Wine supplied by the club
12th October: Helen Mitchell and Sarah Scott - Friends of Eaton Park
9th November: Julia Paul. Julia will be talking about the Hedgehog charity, Hodmedods. We all love hedgehogs, especially when they eat the slugs!
14th December: Christmas Social! No speaker, just chatter and cheer prior to Christmas. Small plate culinary offerings would be appreciated, wine supplied by the club. Entertainment most welcome, have your star turn! Gordon will probably organise a quiz and Dick will read from the 'Boy John' letters
COMPLETED MEETINGS IN 2022
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Wednesday 11th May 2022
Dr Anne Edwards gave a very interesting and well received talk about conservation work in Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood an ancient woodland run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This woodland may well go back to Neolithic times and the discovery of flint axe heads suggest that Bronze Age people inhabited the area around 2000 BC. The photograph shows Anne with a beautiful book she has written. It encompasses the history, conservation work, all of the wood’s inhabitants, and is full of wonderful photographs covering every aspect of a year in the life of the woods. |
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Wednesday 13th April 2022
Dr. Jo James, a friend of Jenny’s whose garden we are to visit on the 6th July, shared her personal experience of participating in RHS courses. The basic course (which is entry level 2) sounded interesting and achievable involving a world with which we are all familiar. Higher Levels 2 and 3 – a younger me (with time on my hands) would have loved to delve into the world of horticulture more deeply, however as Jo pointed out the courses are flexible and you can choose the route you wish to take.
Dr. Jo James, a friend of Jenny’s whose garden we are to visit on the 6th July, shared her personal experience of participating in RHS courses. The basic course (which is entry level 2) sounded interesting and achievable involving a world with which we are all familiar. Higher Levels 2 and 3 – a younger me (with time on my hands) would have loved to delve into the world of horticulture more deeply, however as Jo pointed out the courses are flexible and you can choose the route you wish to take.
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Wednesday 9th March 2022
Well, what a good turnout. I really didn’t know what to expect being our first speaker date for two years and with the latest Covid scares circulating, so I was really pleased. Kathy Gray from Norfolk Plant Heritage gave an excellent presentation titled The Plant Hunters and everybody found this an informative and interesting discussion with our intrepid plant hunters being brought to life by their amazing personal stories. Many thanks to Kathy. Glynis |
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COMPLETED MEETINGS IN 2021
Mark & Anne’s Open Garden
Another warm summer’s evening saw many members of the garden club visit Mark and Anne’s garden on Welsford Road. The borders were a riot of colour, and although not all of the Dahlias were out, several were in full bloom. Once again the wine flowed and a fun time was had by all!. Many thanks to Annie Kerridge for the photographs.
Another warm summer’s evening saw many members of the garden club visit Mark and Anne’s garden on Welsford Road. The borders were a riot of colour, and although not all of the Dahlias were out, several were in full bloom. Once again the wine flowed and a fun time was had by all!. Many thanks to Annie Kerridge for the photographs.
Jenny’s Open Garden
Well the evening could not have been more perfect, miraculously we had two hours of sunshine in a very dull day, and Jenny’s garden just gets better and better with the addition of a hot bed which I understand wasn’t finished until the day before our visit. Prosecco, beer and wine flowed and chatter and laughter filled the garden. Thank you so much.
Well the evening could not have been more perfect, miraculously we had two hours of sunshine in a very dull day, and Jenny’s garden just gets better and better with the addition of a hot bed which I understand wasn’t finished until the day before our visit. Prosecco, beer and wine flowed and chatter and laughter filled the garden. Thank you so much.
Completed event in 2020
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Wednesday 11th March: Simon White from Beales Roses
Many thanks to Simon who brought along a multitude of roses and other plants for sale to the meeting, as well a variety of gardening implements and miscellanea, which created much interest after the talk. We discovered a lot about pruning roses, and for me one of the most revelatory was just how brutal you could be pruning a rose and it would still survive, so come Autumn our rose bushes will be severely cut back. |
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Wednesday 12th February: Barry Cooke from Arkscape. - Lawn care and more
What a brilliant evening time passed in a flash - who would have thought that lawn care could be so interesting. Barry’s talk encompassed the beginnings of his business to compounds in fertiliser! It was relaxed, friendly, funny and informative with quizzes at the end of the evening which got everybody talking and laughing.
What a brilliant evening time passed in a flash - who would have thought that lawn care could be so interesting. Barry’s talk encompassed the beginnings of his business to compounds in fertiliser! It was relaxed, friendly, funny and informative with quizzes at the end of the evening which got everybody talking and laughing.
completed events in 2019.
Wednesday 11th December: Garden Club Christmas Social
Well what a brilliant evening. Gordon did a super quiz to start the evening which got everybody chatting; Dick read out one of his ‘Boy John’ letters, extremely funny letters which were written in dialect and depicted life in Norfolk in the forties and fifties, and Chris read one of his own amusing poems.
We then got down to the serious business of eating and drinking! An array of food and beverages was on offer – with members bringing along a delicious selection of culinary offerings to put on the table. It was an informal, light hearted, chatty event which was enjoyed by everyone.
A Happy and Healthy New Year to all.
Cheers
Glynis
Well what a brilliant evening. Gordon did a super quiz to start the evening which got everybody chatting; Dick read out one of his ‘Boy John’ letters, extremely funny letters which were written in dialect and depicted life in Norfolk in the forties and fifties, and Chris read one of his own amusing poems.
We then got down to the serious business of eating and drinking! An array of food and beverages was on offer – with members bringing along a delicious selection of culinary offerings to put on the table. It was an informal, light hearted, chatty event which was enjoyed by everyone.
A Happy and Healthy New Year to all.
Cheers
Glynis
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Wednesday 13th November: Richard Hobbs is a gardener, naturalist, traveller and speaker on Radio Norfolk’s Garden Party Saturday programme, who certainly entertained us well. I would like to say I remembered just a few of the Latin names mentioned during the course of his talk but ..... Mr Hobb’s talk was a delight and walked us through the pleasures of a garden in spring. His talk was enriched with hints and tips on growth and maintenance and supported by beautiful photographs of flowers and plants all of which grow in his garden.
On sale afterwards were bulbs and plants which were much appreciated by our club. |
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Wednesday 9th October: Dr Anne Edwards gave a talk entitled 'The Work and History of the John Innes Centre'. This was an excellent and very informative talk delivered by an exceptionally good speaker. Dr Edwards answered a wide ranging variety of questions afterwards which were fascinating and informative in equal measure.
The photograph is of Dr Edwards holding a Tiger Moth hairy caterpillar which was discovered on the floor of the room whilst we were setting up. None of us had any idea of where it came from and so it remains a mystery, Dr Edwards put it safely outside. We hope to welcome Anne Edwards back. |
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Wednesday 11th September: Our popular club harvest festival - "How does your garden grow?" A see and tell event. As ever, this produced a wonderful selection of garden and kitchen produce.
Wednesday 10th July: Jenny's Open Garden: Jenny welcomed us to her breathtakingly beautiful garden. This is the second time we have visited Jenny’s garden which is gradually being transformed. It was a very relaxed social event and a joy to wander around Jenny’s large and very interesting garden. A big thank you to Jenny for her hospitality.
Wednesday 12th June: Thanks to Lesley and Mike for giving us a great talk on their visit to China to see their son who lives there. It is always so refreshing to hear of life in a foreign country from a non-tourist point of view, showing photographs of local life and horticulture. Green tea leaves were given out fresh from a tea plantation they had visited, and also some Chinese sweets. Many thanks.
Wednesday 8th May Chris Higgins: Chris entertained us all with anecdotes and chats about life in a pub and to keep the talk loosely relating to the gardening aspect, he gave a short history of brewing, bringing along hops to smell and beer from Norfolk Brewhouse to taste! Needless to say much enjoyed!
Wednesday 10th July: Jenny's Open Garden: Jenny welcomed us to her breathtakingly beautiful garden. This is the second time we have visited Jenny’s garden which is gradually being transformed. It was a very relaxed social event and a joy to wander around Jenny’s large and very interesting garden. A big thank you to Jenny for her hospitality.
Wednesday 12th June: Thanks to Lesley and Mike for giving us a great talk on their visit to China to see their son who lives there. It is always so refreshing to hear of life in a foreign country from a non-tourist point of view, showing photographs of local life and horticulture. Green tea leaves were given out fresh from a tea plantation they had visited, and also some Chinese sweets. Many thanks.
Wednesday 8th May Chris Higgins: Chris entertained us all with anecdotes and chats about life in a pub and to keep the talk loosely relating to the gardening aspect, he gave a short history of brewing, bringing along hops to smell and beer from Norfolk Brewhouse to taste! Needless to say much enjoyed!
Wednesday 10th April - Julia Stafford Allen - National Garden Scheme gave a talk entitled 'Private Gardens on Public View' including the history of garden visiting including the foundation of the National garden Scheme. Julia Allen’s very interesting talk encompassed a history of garden visiting including the foundation of the National Garden Scheme in 1927. It is always fascinating to listen to the origins of our national institutions, how one small idea can turn into an enormous operation covering 3,500 privately owned gardens and benefiting mainly nursing and health charities raising £3million in 2019 alone.
Wednesday 13th March: Speaker. Zanna Foley-Davis, Freelance Horticulturalist, gave a talk entitled 'Horticultural Squit!' Zanna is a freelance horticulturist and former Head Gardner at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. She gave a very lighthearted and amusing talk on her subject, Horticultural Squit. It encompassed many quirky ideas to help in the garden, one of which was using old tights to tie back plants to trellising etc, the idea being they do not damage the plant and they are very stretchy but strong. Many more ideas followed! An evening much enjoyed by all, delivered by an entertaining speaker.
Wednesday 13th February: Dr. Ian Bedford gave us an excellent talk on ‘Garden Bugs – Cohabit, Conserve or Control’ What are the good and bad bugs and what do we do with them! Ian kept the audience enthralled by his slideshow and talk on bugs. Who would have thought that these ‘pests’ could have been so interesting. Even though he is Head of Entomology at John Innes he pitched the evening perfectly not throwing in too many Latin names that would have got us ’simple’ gardeners scratching our heads.
We rounded off the evening with an appropriately fashioned cake and a glass of wine to celebrate Annie’s 70 something birthday
Wednesday 13th March: Speaker. Zanna Foley-Davis, Freelance Horticulturalist, gave a talk entitled 'Horticultural Squit!' Zanna is a freelance horticulturist and former Head Gardner at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. She gave a very lighthearted and amusing talk on her subject, Horticultural Squit. It encompassed many quirky ideas to help in the garden, one of which was using old tights to tie back plants to trellising etc, the idea being they do not damage the plant and they are very stretchy but strong. Many more ideas followed! An evening much enjoyed by all, delivered by an entertaining speaker.
Wednesday 13th February: Dr. Ian Bedford gave us an excellent talk on ‘Garden Bugs – Cohabit, Conserve or Control’ What are the good and bad bugs and what do we do with them! Ian kept the audience enthralled by his slideshow and talk on bugs. Who would have thought that these ‘pests’ could have been so interesting. Even though he is Head of Entomology at John Innes he pitched the evening perfectly not throwing in too many Latin names that would have got us ’simple’ gardeners scratching our heads.
We rounded off the evening with an appropriately fashioned cake and a glass of wine to celebrate Annie’s 70 something birthday
completed events in 2018
Wednesday 10th October: Robert Maidstone talked about gardening with wild flowers
Wednesday 14th November: Neil Rout spoke on “Gardening in Malawi” (loosely), an illustrated talk
Wednesday 12th December: Christmas Drinks and Nibbles
Wednesday 12th September: Our annual Club 'Harvest Festival' was once again well attended with a lovely selection of produce from allotments and gardens, and homemade treats like jams and chutneys
Wednesday 14th November: Neil Rout spoke on “Gardening in Malawi” (loosely), an illustrated talk
Wednesday 12th December: Christmas Drinks and Nibbles
Wednesday 12th September: Our annual Club 'Harvest Festival' was once again well attended with a lovely selection of produce from allotments and gardens, and homemade treats like jams and chutneys
Wednesday 8th August 2018
The garden club members met at Jenny Frazer’s garden where we were treated to Prosecco and nibbles while we admired Jenny’s herbaceous borders which led us into her greenhouse full of succulents. We were in awe of her beautiful new kitchen too.
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The group of 20 Garden Club members then made their way to Christine and Ralph Palmer’s hidden gem of a garden. Further sustenance was provided with Christine’s delicious home made cakes and Ralph served us with further liquid refreshment. The weather was absolutely superb and at the end of the evening we were treated to fantastic sunset.
Wednesday 13th June: Club members visited Elm House Garden in Saxlingham Nethergate. The owner, Lyn Woodwark, gave us a guided tour of the gardens and provided tea, coffee and cake for our visit. Club members were also treated to some very funny antics by Lyn's 3 goats.
Wednesday 9th May: Barry Furness talked about volunteering on the North Norfolk Railway
Wednesday 11th April: Ray Mitchell gave a very interesting talk based on a beginner ‘s guide to cactus and succulents. He also provided plants for members to buy.
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Wednesday 14th March
Nineteen members enjoyed a very interesting evening presentation from Julie Brociek-Coulton, the Competition Organiser for The Friends of Norwich in Bloom.
The organisation promotes horticulture for the benefit of the public generally and especially those who live in or visit the City of Norwich by providing or encouraging the provision of flowers, shrubs, trees or landscapes in places visible to the public. She showed a slideshow and gave a very informative overview to the organisation and answered many questions from the floor. The evening was finished off by tea, coffee and cakes
Nineteen members enjoyed a very interesting evening presentation from Julie Brociek-Coulton, the Competition Organiser for The Friends of Norwich in Bloom.
The organisation promotes horticulture for the benefit of the public generally and especially those who live in or visit the City of Norwich by providing or encouraging the provision of flowers, shrubs, trees or landscapes in places visible to the public. She showed a slideshow and gave a very informative overview to the organisation and answered many questions from the floor. The evening was finished off by tea, coffee and cakes
Wednesday 14th February: Kathryn Coddington from Veg-it-up talked about how to get your five-a-day in lots of tasty ways
completed events in 2017
Wednesday 8th November: Club photographic evening - gardens and plants. Club members brought along a variety of plants to talk about - from Avocados to Salvias. There was also a slide show of gardens, plants and wildlife.
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Wednesday 11th October: Lesley Swindells gave a talk about Herbalism
Wednesday 13th September
Our annual 'Harvest Festival' Once again, a evening full of colour, lovely home made food and excellent produce from members allotments and gardens.
Wednesday 16th August:
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On a warm August evening, Club members visited a fabulous garden on the estate owned by Dave and Bev. The back garden was planted with many interesting trees, shrubs and perennials, including many Japanese Acers, Palms and some superb specimen sized Olive trees. The gently sloping garden was covered in a thick layer of gravel with various beds of trees and shrubs leading down to a raised brick circle and raised half moon bed with a Japanese them.
Bev provided members with some lovely home made scones and a glass of wine. After the visit, Annie and Aubrey invited everybody back to theirs for homemade cakes! |
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Wednesday 14th June
On a glorious summer evening 17 members of the Garden Club drove over to Dereham to visit Dale Farm. This is a 2 acre plant lover's garden with a large spring-fed pond. Over 900 plant species and varieties are featured in exuberantly planted borders and waterside gardens. These include a collection of 90 species and varieties of hydrangea. There is also a vegetable plot, fruit trees, naturalistic planting areas, gravel garden and sculptures. A very wonderful garden.
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Wednesday 10th May
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Jonathon Carrie was a delightful young man who told us a bit about the art and history of basket making. He showed us the simple tools that he uses and where and when he sources the willow for making his baskets.
Jonathon then proceeded to make a basket from scratch right through to the finished product. It was fascinating and the whole club was enthralled watching him. Lots of questions where asked and he very willingly and informatively answered these. The basket he made was sold to one of the club members. A really enjoyable and interesting evening.. |
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Wednesday 12th April
Local garden designer, Chris Deakin, gave a talk about designing and planting small gardens
Wednesday 8th March 2017
The club's speaker this month was Louise Chapman, Norfolk's 'Lady Mole Catcher'. Louise provided a very entertaining talk and demonstration with the help of Buddy her dog. Louise told the club about the life cycle of moles, how to recognise recently made hills, their breeding habits, and of course, how to catch them. At the end of the evening she provided a quiz to see how much club members had remembered. A really good, fun evening!
Wednesday 8th February 2017
We kicked off the new year with a great talk by the UEA Head Groundsman - Tom Everett. Tom's enthusiasm and love of his subject really shone through as it talked about looking after the huge UEA site and maintaining and improving it's bio-diversity. Tom has promised to take the club on a guided walk of the site during the summer - watch this space for details.
completed events in 2016
Wednesday 14th December
Once again, our Christmas 'party' was a great success with most members attending and a vast amount of cakes, nibbles, cheese, sausage rolls and dips being brought along for everybody to tuck into. A big thank you to all club members for your support during 2016
Wednesday 9th November
The Gardening club were treated to another great talk by Rosie Ward, this time entitled 'A Year in the life of a Market Garden'
Wednesday 12th October
Our annual 'Harvest Festival' yet again proved to be very popular with members of the club. As we have come to expect, the variety, size and taste of the many fruits, vegetables, cakes and jams was exceptional and everybody enjoyed a very broad selection of treats and most managed to take home something produced by somebody else' allotment, garden or kitchen
Wednesday 10th August
Seventeen members of the club met at the Wheatfen Nature Reserve at Surlingham for a guided walk by the warden, David Nobbs
Wednesday 20th July
Under a dark and threatening sky, members of the garden club met at Notcutts garden centre for one of our annual visits and talks. The garden centre is undergoing huge changes and we were shown round the site and given a tour of the new facilities. The sky went black, and then as the heavens opened, it was time to go inside for a glass of wine and some nibbles, followed by a Q&A with Nick.
Wednesday 13th April
Mark Templeman and Sandra Mellor provided a talk and demonstration on growing and propagating Auriculas. Between them, they managed to tease approx. 30 plants into flower and these were displayed on the night.
Wednesday 10th March
Professor Richard Hey gave a fascinating talk and slide show entitled 'Renovating the River Glaven'
Richard re-engineers, creates and renovates rivers all over the world, but his talk concentrated on a recent project of his to re-design and renovate the River Glaven in North Norfolk. It certainly made club members reconsider what they no about rivers and how they should be managed to maintain their environmental and ecological balance
Richard re-engineers, creates and renovates rivers all over the world, but his talk concentrated on a recent project of his to re-design and renovate the River Glaven in North Norfolk. It certainly made club members reconsider what they no about rivers and how they should be managed to maintain their environmental and ecological balance
Wednesday 10th February
Our first meeting of the year was a 'double header' Local resident and keen photographer Paul Nevens gave a slideshow of Alpine flowers, taken at home and on his many visits around the world. The pictures were excellent, and the background information on each plant and location was fascinating. After Paul had finished, Annie showed some of her many excellent wildlife photographs taken at Wheat Fen and in her own garden
Events in 2015
November - Wednesday 18th. Evening visit to Notcutts
Once again Steve and Nick from Notcutts Garden Centre invited us to an evening talk and demonstration evening. Nick gave a very informative talk to 20 members of our club on shrubs for winter interest and winter pruning tips. We were then given a very nice cup of mulled wine, some mince pies and shortbread. Then, there was time to wander round the Notcutts Christmas Wonderland and buy a few little treats for Christmas.
October - Wednesday 14th . Bee keeping. .
The club had an excellent talk by Henry Adcock about beekeeping and the development of his garden on Ipswich Road. The talk, accompanied by a selection of photographs and video provoked several questions from club members who all found the subject of beekeeping fascinating
September - Wednesday 9th: Club 'Harvest Festival' night
An excellent evening of home grown, cooked and baked produce bought along by the members of the garden club. Eighteen members attended and everybody got a chance to talk about their successes and failures during the year. We had a wonderful selection of fruit, vegetables, cakes and jams, plus a few plants, that we eaten, tasted and taken away on the night.
Our stall at the ERRA Community Fair
Wednesday 8th July - Matrix Gardening - Louise Crosland
Louise gave an interesting talk on the methods, plants and philosophy of matrix gardening. After her talk, we all walked round to her house to see the theory put into practice. A very pleasant summer's evening was complimented by a nice chilled glass of white!
Wednesday 10th June - Fairhaven Woodland & Water Gardens
Twelve members of the gardening club paid a visit to Fairhaven on a beautiful sunny evening. We spent a very enjoyable two hours or so wandering the woods and pathways and admiring the candelabra primulas, flag iris and rhododendrons, all lit by dappled sunlight. The evening ended with tea and cake in the restaurant.
Wednesday 13th May: Wild flowers in the garden, by Stephanie Lawrence
We were very pleased to welcome Stephanie Lawrence who kindly stepped in at the last moment to talk about designing a wildlife friendly garden. Using photographs and a garden plan, Stephanie explained how we can all make areas of our gardens more wildlife friendly, and the benefits this will bring
Wednesday 8th April: A talk on plants for shade and sun by Rosie Wood.
Another well attended evening in which Rosie provided a very interesting illustrated talk on her favourite plants for shade and sun
Wednesday 11th March - Bring a plant and talk about it
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The evening was well attended with 16 Eaton Rise residents, many who brought various size planters and plants. Aubrey Kerridge had to bring one of his exhibits on a small sack barrow. Vera Livingstone brought a small snippet from a New Zealand Daphne with a very strong scent.
Roy and Sandra Mellor carried one of the largest, softest geraniums from their home to the hall. They always can provide such interesting 'exotic' plants. Roy talked about one of his carnivorous plants, luckily there are no flies at this time of year to risk their lives whilst investigating the inviting nectar provided by the plant as a lure for insects to meet an untimely death ... |
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The evening moved along with most members producing either interesting plants or information and photographs of specialities from around their homes. It was great fun and there were many plants which we all must have thought 'I'd love to have one of those in my garden' We wrapped up the evening with tea and (appropriate for a garden club) carrot cake muffins. All in all a most successful evening with the members providing the entertainment. |
Visit to Notcutts Garden Centre - Norwich
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On Wednesday 11th February, 16 members of the club made the short trip to Notcutts Garden Centre on Daniels Road. We were met on arrival by Manager Steve Boon and pots of tea and coffee, plus a rather nice selection of cakes! After our impromptu tea, Steve told us a little bit about the history of Notcutts, and then took us through to the outside plant centre. This year, Notcutts are highlighting Heucheras and have planted up a roof garden on a shed roof. They are also selling plants in pots made of coir - the waste product from Coconuts, and these can planted directly in the ground where they will eventually break down. The labels are also made of recyclable material.
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Steve Boon - Manager
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After a brief talk on Begonias (did you know a gram of seed will produce over 30,000 plants?) we moved indoors to look at bird boxes and some advice on feeding birds. Then it was onto a demonstration on planting seed potatoes, where Steve very kindly gave everybody a 'goodie' bag of tubers, and then finally into the shop where we were given further details of the history of Notcutts. All in all, and very interesting evening and a big thank you to Steve and his team for their kind hospitality.
Notcutts website is here.
Notcutts website is here.
Gardening Club Christmas Celebration Wednesday 10th December 2014: A fantastic turnout of 21 club members who contributed lots of lovely nibbles - mince pies, cakes, nibbles, sausage rolls and much more. Lesley's Cooke produced her (in)famous Festive Quiz. which was a real brain teaser this year. Congratulation to Sue and John Bryce for winning this with a score of 22/30 - Well done.
David Nobbs of Wheatfen Reserve - 12th November 2014
A very interesting talk was given by David Nobbs based around the photographs of the late Norfolk naturalist, Ted Ellis. Ted took over 23,000 slides, recording the flora and fauna of Norfolk, each one dated and labelled, to provide a fascinating glimpse of all aspects Norfolk wildlife and plants. Ted wrote for the EDP for over 40 years, and many of his articles were written to accompany a particular photograph.
David, with the help of the original newspaper articles, talked about 80 selected photographs, each one showing a unique or unusual plant, insect, mammal or bird. A fascinating evening.
David, with the help of the original newspaper articles, talked about 80 selected photographs, each one showing a unique or unusual plant, insect, mammal or bird. A fascinating evening.
Gardening Club Harvest Festival. Wednesday 8th October 2014:
An evening of home grown and home made produce - fruit & veg grown in our member's garden, homemade wine , and cakes, jams and chutneys.
Talk on flower arranging.by Diane Blyth - Wednesday 10th September 2014
Diane provided an interesting talk on all aspects on flower arranging and a raffle was held for the flower arrangements at the end of the evening.
Will Giles' Exotic Garden - 27th August 2014
On a bright Wednesday evening 11 members of the Garden Club made the short trip over to Will Giles' garden just off Thorpe Road. We were met by Will and taken into the garden and were immediately hit by the huge plants - bananas, cannas and gingers and the riot of colour. The garden is extraordinary and it is difficult to believe that it sits in the heart of Norwich. Will explained how many of the more tender plants are dug up each autumn and brought into his large polytunnel. Considering how many plants are already growing there, we wondered where he found the room. The paths meander through the planting and there is a spectacular tree house and steps up to an arid garden full of succulents and cacti. We all finished with tea and biscuits in the little tea bar. A really interesting visit.
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Urban Jungle/Crete Lodge 25th June 2014
On Wednesday 11 members of the gardening club travelled to Costessey to look at two amazing gardens. The first was the Urban Jungle nursery and garden. This is set well back from the road, down a small lane, but opens up into a plantaholic's dream. The main greenhouse features a Koi pond (with enormous fish), lushly planted, with a small bridge over it. Many exotic climbers and beautiful Cannas and Gingers are also displayed and available for sale here. Outside, there are numerous plant areas with interesting perennials, shrubs and trees. The further you walk into the nursery, the more exotic and jungle like is the planting. Bananas and tree ferns stand in groves and the sweet smell of the Angel's trumpets hangs in the air. A great place which enticed several members to buy plants.
Next up was Crete Lodge. This is only a short drive away, up a long rough track and located at the top of the hills overlooking Costessey, Ringland and the Wensum Valley. We were met at the gate by Keith and Melissa Scott, the owners of the garden. You enter via a gravel driveway in front of the house and walk through into a densely planted tropical woodland, with ferns and exotic shrubs and trees. We were met by the couples enthusiastic Dalmatians as we walked through the garden. Once through the tree, the garden opens up into a terrace overlooking an amazing sight. Nestled in the hollow below the terrace is a swimming pond, surrounded by plants, seating areas and walkways. Everywhere you look, the are places to sit, cook or just marvel at the view. We followed Keith and Melissa around the garden where they explained about the planting and the on-going development. There are vast areas dedicated to alpine, desert and tropical plants, with a specialist arid house, a sunken garden with fish pond and many surprises at every turn. After a good look round, we settled into the main conservatory for a nice cup of tea and a well earned biscuit. A lovely evening enjoyed by all!
Click on a photo below for a full size version
Next up was Crete Lodge. This is only a short drive away, up a long rough track and located at the top of the hills overlooking Costessey, Ringland and the Wensum Valley. We were met at the gate by Keith and Melissa Scott, the owners of the garden. You enter via a gravel driveway in front of the house and walk through into a densely planted tropical woodland, with ferns and exotic shrubs and trees. We were met by the couples enthusiastic Dalmatians as we walked through the garden. Once through the tree, the garden opens up into a terrace overlooking an amazing sight. Nestled in the hollow below the terrace is a swimming pond, surrounded by plants, seating areas and walkways. Everywhere you look, the are places to sit, cook or just marvel at the view. We followed Keith and Melissa around the garden where they explained about the planting and the on-going development. There are vast areas dedicated to alpine, desert and tropical plants, with a specialist arid house, a sunken garden with fish pond and many surprises at every turn. After a good look round, we settled into the main conservatory for a nice cup of tea and a well earned biscuit. A lovely evening enjoyed by all!
Click on a photo below for a full size version
Wednesday 14th May:
Eileen Doyle gave a talk called 'Different types of gardens'
Eileen Doyle gave a talk called 'Different types of gardens'
Tuesday 8th April:
Tony Goode gave a talk and slide show entitled "The Sixty Minute Garden – Alpines for the time challenged!"
Tony Goode gave a talk and slide show entitled "The Sixty Minute Garden – Alpines for the time challenged!"
Friday 21st March
Kathy Gray came along to our club and gave an excellent talk entitled 'Parklands to Palm Trees. Backed by a superb slide show, Kathy took us on a virtual walk of some memorable gardens throughout England and Scotland, from Tresco on the Scilley Isles, to Logan in Scotland
Kathy Gray came along to our club and gave an excellent talk entitled 'Parklands to Palm Trees. Backed by a superb slide show, Kathy took us on a virtual walk of some memorable gardens throughout England and Scotland, from Tresco on the Scilley Isles, to Logan in Scotland
Wednesday 12th February.
Local resident Aubrey Kerridge gave a very informative talk on growing tomatoes at home.
Local resident Aubrey Kerridge gave a very informative talk on growing tomatoes at home.
11th December: Christmas Celebration!
We had a fun evening of food and drink at the United Reformed Church to finish our very enjoyable year of meetings. Many thanks to everyone that contributed. Keep watching this space for details of our programme for 2014!
13th November - Heritage Plants
Lesley introduced local resident Jan Paulger, who is an expert on Heritage plants and has a wide knowledge of plants in general. She came along to our meeting at the United Reform Church and gave a very interesting talk on plant heritage - what sort of plants are disappearing, why we should preserve rare species of plants, National Collections and plant conservation - all illustrated with slides.
If you are interested in finding out more about Plant Heritage, have a look at their website at: www.plantheritage.com
If you are interested in finding out more about Plant Heritage, have a look at their website at: www.plantheritage.com
9th October Halloween - Poison Garden
Dr Gordon Livingstone gave us a short talk on poisonous and medicinal plants, particular, the value of 'beneficial' plants and those which are "not so useful!" We also had a lot of interesting facts concerning the wider implications of the subject
11th September: Harvest Recipes/ Samples and Tasting
Around 20 people attended the meeting - a celebration of home produce, all from local gardens.
After a welcome introduction from Lesley Cook, people that had brought something along were encouraged to say a few words about how they grew it, made it or brewed it! We had a wonderful selection of vegetables from the allotment, a basket full of flowers and tomatoes, homemade wine and blackcurrant jam, tomatoes, cucumber chutney, redcurrant jelly, Chocolate cake, Courgette Polpette and a two large Apple scones.
After the brief talk about the produce, we all got the chance to try the food and wine and take away anything that took our fancy.
After a welcome introduction from Lesley Cook, people that had brought something along were encouraged to say a few words about how they grew it, made it or brewed it! We had a wonderful selection of vegetables from the allotment, a basket full of flowers and tomatoes, homemade wine and blackcurrant jam, tomatoes, cucumber chutney, redcurrant jelly, Chocolate cake, Courgette Polpette and a two large Apple scones.
After the brief talk about the produce, we all got the chance to try the food and wine and take away anything that took our fancy.
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