Newsletter April - June 2023
Now that the weather is improving and the days are getting longer, I hope you’re all managing to
get all the jobs done in the garden. What a busy time of year this is!
For those of you who entered and attended the Spring Show on 25 March, I’m sure you’ll agree that
it was a great success, despite the late season and the non-appearance of the tulips! We have two
more shows still to come – on 12 August and 7 October – and it would be lovely to see all of you
there.
Programme 2023
We’ve already enjoyed a couple of our monthly meetings this year and have an interesting
programme lined up for the rest of the year. At our next meeting, on 5 April, we have a talk by Jane
Allison from Mayfield Plants on 'A Country Walk' and the competition is a vase of wild flowers.
Then on 3 May we have Pip Smith, who used to be head gardener at Wollerton Old Hall, with
‘Tales from a Former Head Gardener’, and the competition is a vase of herbaceous flowers. We’ll
also hold our annual plant sale at that meeting, so please bring along any spare plants, cuttings
and seedlings (labelled with the plant name please) – we’d very much appreciate your
contributions. On 7 June, our speaker is Judy Popley on 'Gardens Worth a Visit' and our
competition is a photo of a favourite garden.
Garden Trail
This year we are excited to announce the return of our Garden Trail – this will be on Saturday, 17
June. You can view a selection of members’ gardens, and tea and cake will be available. Leaflets
(which also act as your entry ticket to the gardens) are £5 per person and will be sold at the June
meeting, as well as at Susan and Keith Reading’s garden (8 Grangeside, Upton) on the day – there
will also be a plant sale at this garden. Please note this event is for members and their family and
friends, and is not open to the general public.
Trips
This summer we have organised two trips. The first, on Saturday, 15 July, is to Inglewood, a private
garden in Heswall, which is a ½ acre garden with stream and large koi pond, and features shrubs,
acers, conifers, rhododendrons, herbaceous plants and a hosta border. This will be a self-drive trip.
The second is on Saturday, 5 August, when we will return to RHS Garden Bridgewater and see
how the garden has developed since our visit last year. This is a coach trip, leaving from St
Columba’s church car park at 9.30 a.m. That weekend is also Bridgewater’s Summer Bulb
Weekend, which features colourful displays, expert advice and a range of stalls by specialist visiting
nurseries. Tickets for both trips will be available at our monthly meetings.
Special evening event
And last, but by no means least, we are delighted to have Adam Frost, of BBC Gardeners’ World,
coming to talk to us at our meeting on 1 November. This event is the Pat Turner Memorial Lecture,
and we’d like to thank Pat’s family for so kindly making a donation to our society in her memory.
Tickets will be £5 for members and £15 for non-members, and will be available at our monthly
meetings.
The committee looks forward to seeing you at many of these events – it promises to be an
enjoyable year.
Helen Gardiner
Treasurer
Now that the weather is improving and the days are getting longer, I hope you’re all managing to
get all the jobs done in the garden. What a busy time of year this is!
For those of you who entered and attended the Spring Show on 25 March, I’m sure you’ll agree that
it was a great success, despite the late season and the non-appearance of the tulips! We have two
more shows still to come – on 12 August and 7 October – and it would be lovely to see all of you
there.
Programme 2023
We’ve already enjoyed a couple of our monthly meetings this year and have an interesting
programme lined up for the rest of the year. At our next meeting, on 5 April, we have a talk by Jane
Allison from Mayfield Plants on 'A Country Walk' and the competition is a vase of wild flowers.
Then on 3 May we have Pip Smith, who used to be head gardener at Wollerton Old Hall, with
‘Tales from a Former Head Gardener’, and the competition is a vase of herbaceous flowers. We’ll
also hold our annual plant sale at that meeting, so please bring along any spare plants, cuttings
and seedlings (labelled with the plant name please) – we’d very much appreciate your
contributions. On 7 June, our speaker is Judy Popley on 'Gardens Worth a Visit' and our
competition is a photo of a favourite garden.
Garden Trail
This year we are excited to announce the return of our Garden Trail – this will be on Saturday, 17
June. You can view a selection of members’ gardens, and tea and cake will be available. Leaflets
(which also act as your entry ticket to the gardens) are £5 per person and will be sold at the June
meeting, as well as at Susan and Keith Reading’s garden (8 Grangeside, Upton) on the day – there
will also be a plant sale at this garden. Please note this event is for members and their family and
friends, and is not open to the general public.
Trips
This summer we have organised two trips. The first, on Saturday, 15 July, is to Inglewood, a private
garden in Heswall, which is a ½ acre garden with stream and large koi pond, and features shrubs,
acers, conifers, rhododendrons, herbaceous plants and a hosta border. This will be a self-drive trip.
The second is on Saturday, 5 August, when we will return to RHS Garden Bridgewater and see
how the garden has developed since our visit last year. This is a coach trip, leaving from St
Columba’s church car park at 9.30 a.m. That weekend is also Bridgewater’s Summer Bulb
Weekend, which features colourful displays, expert advice and a range of stalls by specialist visiting
nurseries. Tickets for both trips will be available at our monthly meetings.
Special evening event
And last, but by no means least, we are delighted to have Adam Frost, of BBC Gardeners’ World,
coming to talk to us at our meeting on 1 November. This event is the Pat Turner Memorial Lecture,
and we’d like to thank Pat’s family for so kindly making a donation to our society in her memory.
Tickets will be £5 for members and £15 for non-members, and will be available at our monthly
meetings.
The committee looks forward to seeing you at many of these events – it promises to be an
enjoyable year.
Helen Gardiner
Treasurer
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