Our Christmas talk and Social evening is on 7th December 2023. Janette Merilion will entertain us with a talk on Christmas Crackers (not the kind you pull). There will be chat, nibbles and festive refreshments. Do come along and be part of the anticipation of an exciting year of gardening for you and the club.
Please take a few minutes to read this important message from your Committee.
It is the time of year when we are putting our gardens to bed for the winter and it is also approaching the time of year when your Committee has to account for what they have been doing over the past twelve months at the annual AGM in November.
This month we have a very important message to all members regarding the future of your Club. The Club can not function without an elected Committee in place and as several members are standing down at the AGM we need people to fill these roles – Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and Speaker Secretary. The future of IDHS is in jeopardy and we desperately need your help to make sure that the Club can continue. If you value what the Club brings both socially and horticulturally then consider whether you can spare a few hours a month to help. Please come forward and contact any Committee member or you may know someone who may be interested that could be contacted. It would be sad to see the end of such a successful club that has prospered for so many years and that so many people have enjoyed being part of. We must emphasis what a serious position we will be in if there is no response.
The future of the Club is in your hands…
At the next meeting on Thursday 26thOctober we have Tim Woodland coming to speak to us about Planting Bulbs in the Autumn. This will be very timely and Tim will have bulbs for you to buy as an extra temptation. We look forward to seeing you then. If you have been busy dividing plants in your gardens then please consider putting some by for the annual plant sale next spring.
Your Committee
Please note a change to the programme. Our speaker for 26th October is Tim Woodland. This is the talk that would have been for September but Tim was unable to attend.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
regarding Furzey Garden Visit tomorrow
Due to the lack of numbers wishing to attend we have sadly had to cancel our outing to Furzey Gardens .
Anyone who has paid in advance will be refunded as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
We are very sorry but the organised trip to Knoll Gardens which was due to take place 5th September 2023, has unfortunately had to be cancelled due to lack of bookings.
We look forward to seeing our members at the Show on Saturday.
Your Committee
Ibsley & District Horticultural Society
Many of you will be very busy in your gardens, tending your precious plants and vegetables and trying to keep on top of the weeding and watering but we hope that you will allow yourselves an evenings rest and find time to come to the club meeting and Summer Social which is next Thursday, July 27th.
All we ask is for everyone to bring along a plate of nibbles which can be shared around and we will provide the drinks. Mike Webber will be on hand to entertain us with a garden quiz and there will be the usual monthly members competition so that you can bring a pot plant, a single bloom, a vase of flowers and a fruit or vegetable and see if you can get some points which are added up at the end of the year. It is really pleasing to see that there are more participants every month so do join in.
On Tuesday 5th September we have another special garden visit planned for you. A guided tour around Knoll Gardens at Wimborne will be unmissable as you will be able to see spectacular ornamental grasses, shrubs, rare trees and perennials all of which have been established over the past 25 years by the present owner.
Four days later on September 9th will be our main event of the year – the Annual Show. We still need volunteers to help Di Barnaby and her team and if you can’t help out on the day maybe you could donate some plants, bric a brac or unwanted garden sundries to sell at the Show on the Club’s behalf. We are also calling on all cake makers to bake for us so that visitors can enjoy a good selection on the day.
As previously requested in last month’s newsletter, if you are in possession of any cups that you won at the 2022 show then please can you return them as soon as possible – either at the next club meeting or to any of your Committee members who are listed on the back of your membership cards. The cups have to be checked to see if they are in need of refurbishment so do get them back in the next few weeks.
Some of my greatest gardening pleasures come at this time of the year. Opening the back door and hearing the birdsong that fills the air is one and it is easy to imagine that they are singing for joy but of course they are not. They are busy finding mates and defending their territory. Watching them foraging for food and nesting materials uses up more time than I care to imagine. As an untidy gardener I kid myself that I am providing lots of insects for the birds to eat and plenty of hiding, resting and nesting spaces in my slightly overgrown hedges but I will cut the hedges once the nesting season is over.
The emergence of lilac blossom is another pleasure as it takes me back to my childhood and my grandparents garden where their lilac hedge was a profusion of blooms and the heady fragrance filled the air. Scents for me provide a powerful aid to memories. Purple lilacs are supposed to symbolise the first emotions of love whilst the white represents youth. They make excellent cut flowers so you can bring that amazing scent indoors.
At our recent Committee meeting we discussed ways to encourage more of you to our meetings especially the ones in the winter. It is understandable that coming out in the dark on a cold, wet winter’s night is not pleasant, but we still have speakers and the hall costs to pay.
We wondered if for a couple of winter meetings it would help if the time was changed to an afternoon meeting instead of the evening. We need to know your thoughts on this and if you would support the club. We don’t want to go into more detail until we have your views so please get in touch in what ever way you are comfortable with.
As you may know, the plant sale was a success but it does not have to end there because if you have any plants surplus to your requirements you can always bring them along to our monthly meetings and they can be sold on behalf of the club.
We are also busy arranging the annual Show which will be held on Saturday September 9th so keep your eyes open for the show schedules which are being distributed locally. Di Barnaby, our Show Organiser, is looking for 15 volunteers to help on the day. It is a good way to get to know people and give help at the same time.
Back to the birds! Our speaker for this month is Stephen Oakes who will introduce us to Birds in Your Garden. He will also be bringing along some bird food for us to buy. I am sure that it will be an interesting talk so do bring along friends and family. we need your support more than ever and any feedback is always welcome. Please bring something for our club competitions too. Last month I quickly went out to my garden, picked some flowers that were blooming, popped them in a vase and got second place! No flower arranging skills required.
Happy gardening
Your Committee
Ibsley and District Horticultural Society
April Newsletter
Where has this month gone? I am sure that time is speeding up and the list of things to be done grows longer by the day. Thank goodness for the longer evenings and dare I say in the warmth that is felt when the sun breaks through. I am at the shall I / shan’t I moment as to whether to put out my precious plants and seedlings and to get the vegetable plot going.
Thanks to our wonderful plant sale last weekend, I now have a bit more space in my greenhouse although I did buy more plants as I couldn’t resist the amazing variety that our members produced on the day. I wish to thank everyone for their support and especially the committee for all their hard work. Two people who were incredible and who made the day happen were Bren Ings and Di Barnaby. They deserve a huge thank you from all of us.
I love to wander around my garden each morning to see what may have appeared overnight and to listen to the birds singing. I have had a couple of lovely surprises recently which happens to me from time to time as I am not an “organised” gardener. I forget where I have planted things even though I do try to label them. Yesterday I found a clump of arisarum proboscideum or mouse plant. It is a relatively small clump forming gem with glossy arrow shaped dark green leaves. The delight is in the spring if you carefully part the leaves, you find cream and purple flowers that look just like a tiny mouse tucked up with a long curling tail. I also discovered that I had a fritillaria acomopetala flowering which is a tall bell shaped purple and green fritillary which I have never managed to grow before. I love the snakeshead fritillaries that are becoming established in my garden and hope that this different variety will do the same.
It was great to see more people at our March meeting so hopefully this trend will continue for our next meeting – this Thursday (27th)
The talk should be really interesting as our speaker is Kelvin Mason from Sparsholt College on composting and recycling in our gardens. This topic is very much on trend at the moment and could be helpful in making savings in today’s economic climate.
We would love to see you and also any entries that you may have to take part in our club competition. Bring along a pot plant, single bloom, bunch of flowers or a vegetable or fruit to enter. It all adds to the fun.
You can also get some zinnia seeds from Di Barnaby to grow for our annual show.
Bring a friend along too as we are a friendly bunch and they would be made very welcome.
Good gardening to you all and we look forward to seeing you soon.
From your Committee
Ibsley & District Horticultural Society
March Newsletter
Spring greetings to you all
Isn’t it great that the days are drawing out and we can at least see positive signs that our gardens are coming to life. I have loved going out to see my snowdrops, but the cheerfulness of the daffodils is a pure joy.
Energy is returning to the garden, the pace of growth is quickening, and the greening up is beginning in earnest. I love seeing the fat buds unfurl and the cherry, camellia and magnolia blossoms that fill our gardens and streets.
I have sown some seeds and potted up plants that I have divided and these I will be taking along to our Plant Sale on April 22nd. I hope that all of you have been doing the same as we need your support to make it a success. If you have a lot of plants to sell, then please book a table or you can share a table with others. Terry Ings (01425 653834) is in charge of booking tables so please get in touch with him to book your spot.
Also get your family and friends to come along as you won’t find better plant bargains this year. The plant sale is also a good place to sell any garden related items so bring them along as well. Please don’t forget to bring bags along for all of those plants that you will be tempted to buy and remember that it is cash only sales as we have no facility to take cards. I will be raiding my piggy bank on the day so the date to remember is April 22nd!
Before the plant sale we have both our regular monthly meeting and on April 20th there is a trip to Hinton Ampner near Arlesford. This is a beautiful National Trust house and a garden that will be full of spring interest. Details will be given at our meeting on March 30th so do come along and find out what is being organised for you.
The Club has missed some of our regular members during the winter months and we are hoping that with lighter evenings we will be seeing you again. This month our talk will be on climbers by Martin Young who as well as being able to give advice will also be bringing some plants with him to sell.
This will also be our annual seed swap evening so bring along any seeds that you wish to swap. You may have some special seeds that you have gathered in your garden and that you would like to share. I have some Allium seeds that I hope will grow this year. If you have seeds to swap then bring them along and for a small donation you may find some others that catch your eye. Please try and bring an entry our monthly competition as well.
We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting on March 30th.
Your Committee
Your new membership cards for 2023 are ready and you can pay and collect your card at the meeting or should you prefer, we are offering alternatives. The cost this year is £10 per person and can be paid by cash or cheque (payable to IDHS) either at a meeting or sent to Mr Alan Milburn at 65, Parsonage Barn Lane, Ringwood, BH24 1PT
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