Community, Parish Council & Village
Following their February meeting the Allotment Committee have published their minutes online on the village website. Find out about inspections, rents and more by checking them out. There is also a useful link to seasonal gardening tips.
February is when many gardeners begin the new growing year. Sowing seeds and seeing tiny green shoots appear is a perennial thrill.
But are you considering the design or redesign of your garden?
Come along to the February meeting of the West Bergholt Gardeners’ Association on Monday the 21st at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall. Hilary Thomas, Garden Designer, Lecturer, Writer will give a digital presentation on ‘Garden and Planting Design’. Visitors are always welcome; £3 entry.
If you love snowdrops (Galanthus) there are ample opportunities to visit magnificent displays in our region. Among some of the best are:
RHS FREE DAY – FRIDAY 4 MARCH
Experience any of the RHS’s four gardens for FREE. Our local Hyde Hall Garden at Rettendon opens its gates from 10am – 3pm when gardening staff will be on hand to offer advice on seasonal tasks. www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Hyde-Hall.
Members and visitors enjoyed an interactive quiz at the December meeting of the Gardeners Club, followed by a knife and fork buffet. The scheduled speaker was unable to attend at short notice.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 21 February, when Hilary Thomas, Garden Designer, Lecturer, Writer, will speak on “Garden and Planting Design”.
DON’T FORGET the summer outing to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, North Norfolk planned for Wednesday 15 June 2011. The coach will leave the Orpen Hall at 9.30am, stopping on route at Taverham Garden Centre. And depart East Ruston at 5.40pm. Cost is £18.50 for coach and entry. Non-members are also welcome. Further information obtainable from [email protected].
Joining our organisation is easy and inexpensive at £8 per year; visitor entry is £3 per meeting. For all details on the Association and its programme, contact Valerie Lofthouse, Chair at [email protected] or Terry Claydon, Treasurer (above).
– is the subject Ian Rose delighted his audience with at the Gardeners’ Association November meeting. Ian is a well established mycologist who has led and participated in numerous fungi forays across the British Isles. His talk was illustrated with a selection of slides featuring fungi in its many guises of colour, shape, and size. Location and smell, and importantly whether it was edible or poisonous were also useful facts noted. His extensive collection of pictures covered fungi ranging in form from ‘dry rot’ to the much prized ‘chanterelle’. Pictured right is the Cantharellus cibarius Chanterelle.
A day outing to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, Norfolk – http://www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk – has been planned for 15 June 2011, stopping off en route at Taverham Garden Centre. Cost £18.50 for coach and entry. Members and non-members are urged to book early so as not to be disappointed. Further information obtainable from the Treasurer at [email protected]
At the next meeting on Monday 13 December at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall members will welcome Maureen Sayer, a local florist, who will demonstrate on creating festive decorations using natural materials from the garden. A fork buffet will be served at a cost of £2.50 to each member. New members are welcome to join the Association at the December meeting.
Joining our organisation is easy and inexpensive. Membership subscription is value for money at only £8 per year. The Chair, Valerie Lofthouse, can be reached on 01206 855450 or [email protected] for details on the Gardeners’ Association.
Gardeners and farmers are never satisfied with the weather. Despite some long dry spells early in the season and then a wet period, it has been a good productive season for most of us at the allotments. The weeds seem to have been harder to control than ever but amongst them all everything from potatoes to cabbages and courgettes have cropped well. With all but the winter vegetables left to harvest plot holders can begin to turn their minds to next season. The manure has arrived and digging can begin.
Tips for the winter months:
A good internet link for further advice can be found at http://www.allotment.org.uk/garden_month/garden_october.php
Allotment Holders Site Committee
… was one of the questions members were asked at the October meeting of the West Bergholt Gardeners’ Association. Mike Logan-Wood, RSPB Lead for Chelmsford and Central Essex told his audience that UK’s shortest bird’s scientific name means ‘cave dweller’. Although difficult to attract to bird tables, the wren can be seen in the garden foraging in or clos
e to cover. They are more insectivorous than most other garden birds.
The speaker entertained members with his amusing and informative account, illustrated with slides, on the ‘secret lives of garden birds’ including the robin, sparrow, starling, blackbird, song thrush and dunnock.
A day outing to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, Norfolk has been planned for 15 June 2011, stopping off on route at Taverham Garden Centre. Cost £18.50 for coach and entry. Members and non-members were urged to book early so as not to be disappointed. Further information obtainable from the Treasurer at [email protected]
Ian Rose will be addressing me
mbers at the next meeting on 15 November at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall. He will present on ‘Fungi – edible and otherwise’, Visitors are also very welcome to attend; entry £3.
A ‘fungi forage’ in Hillhouse Wood led by Ian Rose, will take place on 4 November. This is organised by the Friends of Hillhouse Wood. For further information [email protected] or 01206 241684.
Joining our organisation is easy and inexpensive. Membership subscription is value for money at only £8 per year. The Chair, Valerie Lofthouse, can be reached on 01206 855450 or [email protected] for details on the Gardeners’ Association.
… seemingly alive and well on the River Colne!
West Bergholt Gardeners’ Association members shared the passion of Darren Tansley, Essex Wildlife Trust, in ‘The Search for Ratty’ when they learnt about his project on water vole restoration to the stretch of the River Colne between West Bergholt and Chappel. Darren’s presentation was followed by the Annual General Meeting when eight committee members were elected. This was the first meeting of the 2010-2011 programme of speakers and activities.
A day outing to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, Norfolk has been planned for 15 June 2011, stopping off on route at Taverham Garden Centre. Members and non-members were urged to book early so as not to be disappointed. Further information obtainable from the Treasurer at [email protected]
Mike Logan-Wood, Leader of the RSPB Chelmsford and Central Essex Group, will be addressing members at the next meeting on 18 October at 7.30 in the Orpen Hall. He will present on ‘Secret Lives of Garden Birds’. Visitors are also very welcome to attend.
Joining our organisation is easy and inexpensive. Membership subscription is value for money at only £8 per year. The Chair, Valerie Lofthouse, can be reached on 01206 855450 or [email protected] for details on the Gardeners’ Association.
The West Bergholt Gardeners Association have been getting out & about with 4 summer visits recently. The first in May, to the flagship RHS garden at Wisley, provided the opportunity to appreciate the huge diverse plant collection.
In June a party visited Olivers Gardens (the lake pictured right), Colchester for the National Gardens Scheme. Philip Morant’s description of the garden in his 18th Century ‘History of Essex’ was considered to be as apt today by the owner. A garden tour culminated in refreshments on the terrace.
Also in June members visited Cants of Colchester Rose Field. As Britain’s leading rose specialist, members received professional advice on propagation, maintenance and rose types. Splendid displays of colour and fragrances were most appreciated.
On a July evening Kings Seeds, Kelvedon, a leading supplier of vegetable, flower, herb and Sweet Pea seed since 1888, welcomed members. Our host informed us on his company’s interesting history and stages of seed production during a conducted tour.
Next meeting is on 20 September at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall. To find out more about the association visit the village website at http://www.westbergholt.net/gardeners.htm.
The next meeting of the Gardeners’ Association is on Monday 17 May at 7.30pm in the Orpen Memorial Hall.
If, as winter throws off it’s cloak (hopefully not just for a day or two), thoughts turn to gardening and flowers, why not meet fellow enthusiasts at these upcoming events:
Gardeners Association
The next meeting of the Gardeners Association is on Monday 15 March at 7.30pm in the Orpen Hall. ‘Succulents and Olive Trees’ is the chosen subject of Mark Macdonald from Todd’s Botanics.
Flower Club
The next meeting of the Colne Valley Flower Club is in the Orpen Memorial Hall Lexden Road on Wednesday 17 March at 7.30pm. Eve Regelous from Witham will arrange her flowers with the title ‘It’s a Land of Magic’. New members always welcome.
Find out more about these organisations at http://www.westbergholt.net/gardeners.htm