Peter Beales Roses, Simon White. October's meeting

 For October's meeting we had a fantastic talk from Simon White of Peter Beales Roses. Simon, accompanied by his wife, travelled from Norfolk to be with us. They also brought lots of roses and other garden products for us to purchase and he generously donated two roses for our raffle. Simon is the president of the Norfolk and Suffolk Horticultural Society and has been with Peter Beales Roses since 1981.

 Simon told us they plant the rootstock, which is grown from seed, in the Spring. The planting is now done by machine into fields. They rent fields from the farmer next door so that they can operate a system of rotation to reduce the risk of disease. In June/July they take a stem of the rose bush they wish to grow and graft it to the rootstock by hand. They have to anticipate which roses will be popular that year.

 When planting your rose at home, good soil preparation is important. Simon recommended that you purchase good quality horse/farmyard manure, but make sure it is well rotted or put it on your compost heap for 6 months. Fresh manure will burn the roots. If you have to plant a rose where one has been before then get a very large box. Dig a big hole and sink the box into the ground. Fill the box with new compost and manure and plant the rose into this. This allows the rose to establish itself before its roots come into contact with the original soil. Use bonemeal or mycorrhizal (e.g., Root Grow). Plant the rose at least one inch lower than it is in its pot so that the graft is below soil level. They are thirsty plants and need watering. Feed with a high Potassium feed.

 Prune in February and don't be scared. A good hard cut back is best. You can even prune into the hard wood. They are strong plants. Try to prune stems just above a bud (branch bud not flower bud), and ideally a bud which is pointing away from the main plant so that you create a goblet shape to the bush. When pruning a climbing or rambler rose, prune the vertical branches to create horizontal branches. These are what will flower. When deadheading, don't just remove the bloom, remove the stem down 4-5 leaves below the bloom. This promotes new growth. If you need to spray against diseases, use different sprays so the plant doesn't become immune. For an organic spray use skimmed milk diluted 50/50 with water.

 

 

Pond Life, Frances Dismore. September's meeting

 

We were very grateful to Frances Dismore, one of our own members, for stepping in at the last minute and presenting us with a fantastic talk about wildlife and in particular pond life.  

Frances’ talk covered both making a pond in our own gardens, even if just a tiny one in a upturned dustbin lid, and also making a freshwater habitat in the Tottenham Marshes.  Frances told us that if you create the right environment where the wildlife can live, breed and feed they will come.  One example was that water voles had repopulated the Tottenham marshes.  In her own garden she realized that mason bees need mud to make their nests.  A bog garden is useful for this.  Frances also told us that amphibians are an ‘indicator species’.  They are like the canaries in the mine they tell us about the health of the environment.  Unfortunately toads have declined by 75%.

Frances gave us tips on how to create our own wildlife garden.  Ideally if possible the pond should be 70 inches at the deepest end, sloping up to the other end.  If you have room, also create a bog garden at one side.  Dragon flies like perches at 45 degrees, so you can put a log at an angle.  To help naturally prevent duck weed use barley straw (used for pet bedding) tied up with string but leaving long bits sticking out.  If you want to plant yellow flag iris (they are very attractive) plant them in a bucket sunk into the ground next to the pond so that it can’t stray and take over your pond.  The same applies to purple loosestrife .  Frances’ top tip was to decide what wildlife you want to attract and then work backwards identifying what the wildlife want to live on and create the right environment to attract what you would like to see.

 

 

All Things Citrus, Michael Saalfeld. August's meeting

 

At the August meeting Michael Saalfeld provided a fascinating introduction to all things citrus. He grows over 100 plants in his greenhouses and poly-tunnels back in Buckinghamshire. But beware - as the plants cannot have a minimum temperature below 4^o in the winter this requires lots of expensive electric heating! There is only one variety of citrus that is winter hardy in the UK, Citrus Trifoliata (Flying Dragon), though it’s very bitter fruits cannot be eaten and it is used mainly as rootstock for growing other citrus. Michael told us that you can see one at Middleton House Gardens, but be careful it has very vicious thorns!

Genetics have shown all citrus fruit can be traced back to 3 original varieties – the mandarin, the pomelo and the citron – originally growing in southeast Asia. Varieties now encompass everything from the common oranges, lemons and grapefruit to the less familiar kumquat  and Bergamot Citron, which is used to flavour Earl Grey tea.  Citrus can also be easily hybridised, creating all sorts of crosses such as Ugli fruit and tangelos.  Michael brought some tasters of a variety called ‘Yuzu’ which is widely used in Japanese food and comes in various forms including sweets and candied.

Michael’s talk touched on the mystery of how citrus ended up growing in Australia, which has its own 6 native varieties. He told tales of his sometimes hazardous trips to Australia to track down, photograph and help map the locations of these plants.

Finally, don’t expect quick results if trying to grow your own citrus plants from seed – they will grow easily  but may take up to 20 years to fruit! And a top tip is to repot any citrus plants bought from the garden centre as these have a tendency to die. Change to a very free draining soil and water frequently, though never leave the plant standing in water.

 

 

The Summer Show is Back! Saturday 23, July 2022

Our flower show returned last month with a spectacular opening by Karen Bellamy, the Mayor of Waltham Forest. The Mayor was joined by Martyn her husband, as her Consort. The Mayor was the first to make paper flowers, a new attraction at the show run by Veronica, many thanks Veronica. It was wonderful for the club to have a show once again, more importantly it was a success with over 70 visitors, which was pretty good after a two year gap.

We had a great choice of plants for sale, top quality bric-a-brac, wonderful display plants along with Bonsai and a big selection of homemade cakes.  Our thanks go out to all the members who brought plants for display and for sale as well as the home bakers, Karen, Danny, Barbara Humm, Gillian and Nina, thank you for your plants and cakes. This all involves hard work so is much appreciated by the club.

A big thank you goes to Pauline for running the catch a duck game, quack-quack! Also, thanks go to Nina for managing the raffle, to Patrica on the  bric-a-brac stall, Gillian for running tombola,  Jill on two craft and jewellery stalls,  thanks to Sue and Barbara for selling so many plants and Barbara also of being on the door. Of course to Chris and Jo for keeping us all going with teas and cake. 

Thanks to our sponsors; Matthew’s Nursery (www.matthewsplants.co.uk) for all the low cost and donated plants, and to Lancaster’s Garden Centre for their plant donation.

Special thanks to the Waltham Forest Bonsai Club for supporting the show and providing an amazing selection of trees, some were just outstanding, and for offering advice and guidance to visitors. Additional thanks go to Jannet Thompson, from our local Police Community Support Team, for joining us.

 It was a great day with a wonderful atmosphere and gave us all chance to catch up with each other.  Thank you, to everyone who was able to support the show, it was your hard work that made the day such a success.

 

Sensational Succulents, Nina Lewis, July's meeting

 Nina Lewis returned with her brilliant talk on succulents from around the world. Nina showed us the amazing different varieties of succulents and provided top tips on how to care for these usual plants which can be found in so many different forms. 

Nina told us about the importance of providing plenty of light to get the best from our succulents. When indoors especially during the winter they need to be close to a window, in the summer they will benefit from being outside with about six hours of sunshine and they need to be introduced to this amount of sun over a few weeks. Succulents will not cope outdoors with all day sun or when temperatures are above 25C.  

Succulents need a compost that is free draining, so add horticultural grit, and they benefit from clay pots rather than plastic. Nina was asked how to get the best out of Christmas Cactus (which is a succulent). Nina told us that they need watering and feeding just as they start to come into flower and for about a month after.  Good Luck with your succulents.

 

 

Plants That Changed The World! Michael Holland, June's meeting

 

Did you guess a plant that changed the world ? I certainly did not but Michael Holland, our expert ecologist speaker last month did. Michael’s talk was an absolute eye opener to the importance of plants in our world and the role they play in our daily lives. We tend to take the natural world for granted but as we now know the world needs protecting from the technologies that we have developed.

Michael told us that there is an estimated 500,000 different plants in world, and as gardeners we know about different plant varieties, but that is a huge number of plants. Michael explained the importance of algae, which I have never thought much about other than I regarded it as a problem in a pond I once had, but algae changed the atmosphere of the world giving rise to land plants and providing half of the worlds annual oxygen supply so think about that next time you clear any algae from your pond.   

I found Michael’s talk most engaging, providing wonderful slides and he explained complex issues in a straight forward way. If you would like to know more about how plants have changed the world and the way they affect our lives then you many be interested in Michael’s book, I ate Sunshine for Breakfast, published by Flying Eye Books. Our thanks go out to Michael for a brilliant evening.

 

 

Moore and Moore Plants for Shade, Lynne. April's meeting

At last I know what to plant in that shady part of my garden, thanks to Lynne from Moore and Moore Plant Nursery. It was clear that Lynne has an abundance of knowledge on plants, especially shade lovers. One of Lynne’s key-points was that there is no right or wrong way to plant up a bed of shade loving plants, its all about what works for you. Lynne’s talk included a huge selection of slides featuring plants of every shade of green.

Lynne reminded us of the importance of giving new plants a good start, planting them in a good compost, Lynne recommends peat free Melcourt Sylvagrow with John Innes, and water regularly until the plant is established. One of the plants which I particularly liked was the Athyrium Ghost Ferm with its purple stems with whitish colour changing to silver green in the midribs. Ghost will thrive in shade but does need soil that retains moisture, this plant grows 90cm tall.

Moore and Moore nursery is based in Billericay although you can place an order online at; mooreandmooreplants.co.uk  Lynne has provided us with a very useful leaflet with cultivation advice and four lists of plants showing which conditions they thrive in best, copies are available electrically and in paper copy. Our thanks go out to Lynne for a most enjoyable evening.  

 

 

The Birds and The Bees, Andy Sands, May's meeting

 Our thanks go out to Andy Sands for his spectacular presentation on British Birds and Bees last month. Everyone one of Andy’s photographs captured an amazing shot, full of detail and colour, he certainly pays attention to detail. Andy  told us how he has been interested in natural history since a child and now travels across the UK photographing wildlife. Andy’s knowledge of his subjects was also very impressive, telling us about their habitats, migration patterns and their nest building skills.

It was interesting to hear that photographers often place their own natural perch, this could be tree branch or fence post, in the area they expect the birds to be. This helps to obtain a better shot and at a distance close to the photographer.

Andy’s photographs of bees were equally as impressive as the birds, I never knew there were so many species. The close up pictures reveal the wonderful detail of the bees’ markings and their delicate wings. Andy told us how many bee species do not live in colonies but live solitary lives nesting in a variety  of places including trees and even the underground. Andy did mention that all bees have stings!

 

      

Life time career in horticulture, Steve Dowbiggin, March's meeting

 

What a fabulous start we had to our first meeting in the hall with Steve Dowbiggin’s fascinating talk on his life time career in horticulture. Steve’s talk  was appropriately titled; Started at 13 and Still Going Strong. Steve’s family were self sufficient Essex Crofters and all the family had to do their bit, so from an early age Steve was learning how to farm and grow vegetables. At 13 his mates all had paper rounds but Steve could drive a tractor and grow potatoes!

One of Steve’s amazing stories was about him having to drive a nine ton lorry from the farm in Essex to Covent Garden market when he was only 16! Steve had no trouble with this task and his reward was an extra £10, which  was a real bonus in the 1960s. Steve’s early experience in horticultural and farming soon landed him the role as a Farm Manager before going on to work at Capel Manor where he remained for 35 years and became the CEO.

It was wonderful to hear Steve’s experiences and stores of working on fund raising with the Duchess Devonshire. Steve is a natural speaker and makes a great connection with his audience, he certainly kept us entertained throughout the evening and I was most grateful for Steve being able to present his talk at such short notice as our original speaker cancelled a few days before. Thank you Steve for great evening.

 

 

Beautiful Butterflies, Dr Ian Bedford, February's meeting

 

A big thank you goes out to Dr Ian Bedford for his fascinating talk into the world of butterflies and moths. Ian, a respected entomologist who is well known for his TV and radio shows, has been studying butterflies, moths and insects since a child. Ian shared his amazing acknowledge of butterflies telling us about their intriguing lives, the difficulties they are facing due the destruction of their habit and climate change. Ian also told us what we can all do to make our gardens wildlife and butterfly friendly and help make a difference to their future.   

I was amazed to hear about the Painted Lady Butterfly (pic) who’s yearly life cycle involves flying from North Africa to Europe and the UK, what a spectacular migration.  As a thank you for supporting his talk, Ian has offered our members a 15% discount at the The Garden Superstore https://www.thegardensuperstore.co.uk  Simply add the discount code BEDFORD15 when purchasing goods.

 

As gardeners we know the importance of having insects in our gardens, Ian certainly emphasised this and told us how to attract butterflies and moths. Ian’s top three plants to grow are;  Buddleias (good varieties are Pink Pagoda, Sugar Plum and Summer House Blue), Perennial Sunflower Helianthus x laetiflorus) and Perennial Wallflowers (Erysimum). As Ian said give them the plants they like and they will come!  

I am sure you will all be keen to play your part in planting a butterfly friendly plant (of course three will look even better). To further this I am asking all our members to take a pledge to plant a butterfly friendly plant. Take the pledge by completing the form at the end of the Newsletter, your name will entered into a free draw and the first 5 members drawn will win a butterfly friendly plant, the next 10 members drawn will win a pack wild flower seeds. Please ensure that you return your pledge by April.  At the end of the summer you are invited to provide photos of your plants, prizes will be on offer to the best plant displays.    Good luck to you all.

 

 

Best Wishes For 2022

 A big welcome to all our members to the start of our gardening club year. This year we are looking forward to having our usual events that we love so much. We are planning to hold our flower show on Saturday 23 July, so please note this date in your diary as its your support that makes our show a success. We will also be looking to run an outing or two this year. The committee is keen to know how interested members are on an outing so could you please let any committee member have your views. 

Our club meetings, after this month, are all planned for Unity Hall with a superb selection of speakers who will be presenting some most unusual gardening topics, six of the speakers are new to the club. This year’s speakers list is now available for details.     

It will be good for everyone to meet up again next month, the committee looks forward to seeing you all in the coming year. 

The Magical Mike Marandi, December social

 

It was good to see those members who were able to come along to our Christmas Social. We were treated to a lively evening from Mike Marandi with a great selection of songs from the past to the present. Mike who first performed for us in 2015 was on top form once again with his nimble moves soothing tones.  One of Mike’s most popular songs was his Tom Jones number which was a great success and was very much appreciated by his fan club.   

In addition to our musical entertainment there was a great buffet for all to enjoy. A very big thank you goes out to Nina who purchased all the food for the club and thanks also to all those who helped to set out the buffet and clear away at the end.