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
