Open Gardens 2015

In previous years West Bergholt Gardeners have opened their gardens to the public in aid of charity, most recently in 2014 where well over £3,000 was raised for teenage cancer charities. This year the organizers are taking a break, hopefully to be back reinvigorated next year, but for those still hoping to visit local gardens and get some ideas, we have recently received details of another similar event:

Coggeshall Hidden Gardens 2015

Sunday, 7 June 2:00 PM To 6:00 PM

This year Coggeshall is opening its garden gates so that you can visit walled gardens, kitchen gardens, tiny gardens, gardens that will delight and inspire you. There’s lots to do and see for young and old alike. Follow the children’s trail, visit the plant stall, enjoy a delicious home-made tea – a perfect afternoon out for the whole family! For more information visit the website at www.coggeshallopengardens.org.uk.

If You Can’t Make Coggeshall

There are some 23 Villages/Parishes running Open Gardens in Essex this year, a small sample includes some relatively local:

Walton-on-the Naze – 27th & 28th June – Various gardens open in Walton-on-the-Naze for the benefit of Walton in Bloom. Come and spend a wonderful day by the sea. Refreshments, tombola, raffle, plant sales and crafts for sale. – http://www.waltoninbloom.org/.
Chappel & Wakes Colne – 7th June – About 12 beautiful gardens open in and around the Essex Colne Valley. Lovely garden location for refreshments.
Earls Colne – 21st June – A number of gardens will be open to visit, all within easy walking distance with garden trail for the young ones. St. Andrews church and tower will be open for views across the beautiful Colne valley. Refreshments on sale. http://www.colnevalley.com.
Tollesbury – 27th & 28th June – Over twenty gardens will be open, from small courtyard gardens to larger gardens, from community gardens to gardens as yet unseen by the public.
Pebmarsh – 7th June – This Trail includes a variety of gardens. Snipelands is a stunning two-acre garden in a peaceful setting, on the outskirts of Pebmarsh, at 10 Mill Lane are mature shrubs, herbaceous borders, and a fern garden under trees whilst Matson Lodge is a 1½ acre garden developed for wildlife. http://www.redcross.org.uk/opengardens.

There are more listed at the Open Gardens website.

April 22, 2015

Flowers Contained by Helen Bird

helen-bird-arrangement — ‘It started with a twig’ by Helen Bird & Linda O’Neill

Flowers Contained by Helen Bird

The Colne Valley Flower Club met in the Orpen Memorial Hall on Wednesday 15th April. Demonstrator, Helen Bird, from Marks Tey was welcomed by the chairman, Jayne Lawson.

Together with a colleague, Helen was a Silver Gilt medal winner at the RHS Spring Show in 2014 with the ‘It started with a twig’ arrangement shown on the right here. Helen delighted her audience using a variety of containers with large and small arrangements of vibrant flowers and unusual foliage.

On 20th May there is the annual plant sale and members are encouraged to bring along goods to sell. Jenni Baker from Harleston will base her arrangements around the title ‘Half an Acre and the Rest’. The meeting begins at 7.30pm.

January 21, 2015July 26, 2015

Women’s Institute January Update

WI Craft with Flowers

The December meeting took on a craft theme. Members were advised by the Colne Valley Flower Club president, Pat Sharman, and with the aid of greenery, decorations and candles, individual Christmas Rings were made. It was a great success and even the less ‘green fingered’ ladies were pleased with their results.

Members provided savouries for the supper which followed and the evening concluded with a grand raffle so large that everyone received a prize. A fitting end to another enjoyable year.

St Petersburg

The president welcomed members and a visitor to the January meeting. Following the business, Susan Leng gave a talk on St Petersburg with slides.

The competition was My New Year’s Resolution, which were read out to great amusement and members voted with coins. These were collected for ACWW. The evening concluded with slides covering our many WI activities during 2014.

More details about the West Bergholt WI are on our webpage.

February 25, 2014May 8, 2015

Gardeners February Newsletter

West Bergholt Gardeners Association – February Newsletter

Some fifty members attended the first meeting in 2014 and enjoyed an informative talk by Eddie Harris upon his search for plants in South Africa.

Eddie appeared to have visited the area around Cape Town several times and was in no doubt of its attractiveness although Cape Town itself is prone to rain. He covered both the geography of the area as well as illustrating the plants that flourished in the climate, and undercover in one of the largest conservatories in Cape Town itself.

The local population considered the plant collector as mad as they viewed many of the plants as weeds. Exploring further inland and the mountainous regions to the west was always difficult as only dirt tracks existed off the main roads. Palms and Aloes grow to considerable size while more minute pebble flowers are to be found on the ground. (Such pebbles plants can be purchased in the UK). When visiting Worcester he discovered a Reptile Farm and “enjoyed” seeing snakes of all sizes, from a respectable distance. All in all a wide ranging talk on his subject.

Club News:

Summer Coach Trip to Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, Bucks.

19th June . Depart Orpen Hall, West Bergholt 8.30am. Visiting the House, Gardens (Including the Aviary garden, and the water garden) and the wine cellars. Over 300,000 visitors come to Waddesdon every year to see the house, shops, restaurant café, wine cellars and plant centre.

TICKETS £25 (National Trust Members £12.50) deposit £12.50. phone 01206 241256

Next Months Speaker

Geoff Hodge who will talk to the Club on the subject of LUSCIOUS LAWNS – LAWN CARE FOR PERFECT LAWNS.

In view of the affect of the last two months wet weather the Association is sure that Geoff’s talk will be well received by members who suffer from moss and mud on their lawns at this time of the year.

17th March 7.00 for 7.30

All are welcome to the Association’s meetings – small charge for non-members.