Dear Members
First of all can I warmly welcome our new Members who came to the February meeting and wish them a happy, enjoyable and interesting time with West Bergholt Gardeners. Most of us are still learning so I do hope you pick up some useful tips to help you with your own garden.
Did you enjoy our last speaker, Mick Lavelle, who certainly gave us the best comprehensive gardening tips for a particular month we’ve ever had?!! I think we shall be seeing him again in the future!
2023 Garden Trips
Our 2023 garden trips – I will have all the booking forms available again at our next meeting on 20th March so please come and see me to book……..
Firstly, the visit to Ulting Wick to see the Tulips on 24th April at 2.30pm. Just to remind you this is a self drive trip so we only pay the £12 entry for a short talk by Mrs Burrough, a wander around plus tea/coffee and cake! I have put a booking deadline of 31st March but if this is a problem for any reason, please let me know.
Secondly, the RHS Wisley trip on Monday 12 June. I only have 13 confirmed seats booked so far! This is a wonderful chance, everyone, to spend a day out at Wisley with no driving, lots of treats (gardening and otherwise!) and for just the cost of the coach at £20 for Members and £25 for non Members, its a bargain!! Please remember, I will be offering seats to the WI and Flower Club after our meeting this month.
Secret Garden
Thirdly, we have another self drive trip lined up for you which I will keep a secret at the moment but tell you to keep Friday 30th June free! The owners tell us that their gardens are particularly good that month, so we’re quite excited! They will welcome us with a tea or coffee on our arrival at 2pm and then give us a conducted tour followed by a chance to wander around on our own or sit and take it all in before we have cake with tea/coffee later in the afternoon. We have arranged this trip to support the National Garden Scheme which is a wonderful organisation, giving their income to charities every year – please look at their website. Our hosts are only charging £10 but please bear in mind that you can always donate an extra amount to such good causes on the day.
Whilst mentioning the NGS and in aid of it, Beth Chatto’s gardens will be open tomorrow, 11th March, at a cost of £13.50 pp. They will be open from 10 – 5pm and we hope the weather will be kind to everyone!!
Cactus Mart
We’ve had an invitation from the Chelmsford branch of the British Cactus & Succulent Society to their Cactus Mart at Rawreth Village Hall (nr Wickford) on Saturday 22 April and David will have a poster to hand at our meeting if you would like further details. Admission is £3.
To brighten us all up after the rather cold, miserable weather this week, Simon White is coming to whisk our thoughts towards warmer times and visiting Gardens in East Anglia at our meeting on the 20th. We have seen Simon before as he works for Peter Beales Roses and he will be bringing some plants with him for you to peruse!
On that note, we hope you will all come along in 10 days’ time to gain some ideas for garden visits IN ADDITION (!!!), of course, to the ones we are planning! I will have my booking forms at the ready!!
Take care everyone,
Shirley
On behalf of your Committee