It’s show time!

Malvern Vale

Saturday, 20^th August

10.30am – 4.30pm

Programme

Staging 10.30am – 12 noon

Judging 12noon – 1.30pm

Viewing 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Refreshments

Plant sales

Raffle

1.30pm -3.00pm

Presentation of Awards 3.00pm

Dismantle and clear room 3.15pm – 4.00pm

July Meeting

Royal Three Counties Show June 2022

Just over thirty members enjoyed a private tour of the gardens at Madresfield Court, led by David Butt the Head Gardener. David started the tour at the front of the Court and gave a brief history of the house and its owners. The Lygon /  Beauchamp family have owned the Court for hundreds of years. The house is said to be the oldest in continuous ownership by one family, and the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited – he was a friend of the family and regularly visited the house.

David then showed us the tulip trees and the ginkgo trees before we moved into the formal gardens beside the moat. The statue of Mercury which has for many years been banished away from the house has recently been renovated and returned to its original location. It was apparently too risqué for Edwardian ladies. A new fountain is planned which should be spectacular. From this point we could see the cattle grazing on the estate, Gloucester Drive which has hosted motor rallies for many years and the several kilometres of newly planted wildflower strips.

We passed through formal gardens and Caesars Lawn (named after the busts of Roman Emperors), to see the first of the wildflower meadows. David is clearly very keen on improving the biodiversity of the estate and the meadows have a very impressive range of flowers and orchids. We then passed hidden, sunken roads which allow estate workers to reach the gardens unseen from the house.

We then ended our tour back at the Court and moat. Everyone had really enjoyed the two hour tour and David was given a round of applause. He achieves all this work with four staff, most of whom are currently ill so he is almost managing the work almost single handed. We made a donation to Perennial at his suggestion as they are supporting one of his team.

Flowers

‘Je dois avoir des fleurs toujours et toujours’.  (I must have flowers, always and always!’)  Claude Monet.

It is appropriate that flowers are the theme of this quarterly newsletter, for Spring blossoms are now everywhere to be seen, as trees, shrubs, flowering bulbs and herbaceous plants are showing off their glorious colours.  Predominantly yellows of primroses, daffodils and forsythia and dare I say – dandelions, blues of anemones, grape hyacinth, vincas and pinks of magnolias and cherry with the bright greens of new growth.  Bright colours to cheer our spirits after dull winter days with the promise of more riches to come!  It’s a busy time for the gardener!

Flowering plants have always had great importance in human lives.  We have depended on many for our food as well as livelihoods and some for our physical well-being and mental health.  We have also come to love them for their beauty in colour, scent and form.

Significant events in our lives are marked with buttonholes, bouquets, bunches, posies, wreaths and even a single rose.  Celebrations, special occasions, milestones in our lives from birth to death feature flowers in some form or other.

Most countries have a national flower.  Flowers have also become symbols of hopes and dreams, resistance and resilience.  Nowhere more so than, at the moment, in the Ukraine. The sunflower has for centuries been important as a crop and source of food and income on the central and eastern Steppes.  It is the unofficial national flower of Ukraine, seen as a symbol of unity and loyalty. Today the sunflower represents solidarity and resistance to the Russian invasion and the hope of peace.  Helena Kent

My favourite flowers. David Baker

I don’t have a favourite flower, then Snowdrops appear like magic, whatever the weather.  There they are, nodding their beautiful heads in the breeze, wind or even storm. 

Snowdrops are definitely my favourite flower.

Till the primroses peep out of grassy banks, such a lovely colour for a dark and dismal time of year.  These are my favourite flower.

Weeks later Bluebells cover the hills and woodland floor.  What better sight is there than sunshine on that carpet of blue?

Bluebells are my favourite flower.

Wild Orchids, which seem abundant locally, appear like magic in the grassy meadows.  With so many different varieties, how could any other flower be my favourite?

On the other hand, isn’t it just the best thing ever to sit in the garden in the sunshine with a cuppa next to the sheer beauty and perfume of Gertrude.  That’s Gertrude Jekyll of course!

Roses are definitely my favourite flower.

Then my Agapanthus dramatically start to throw up their stems.  How many fabulous flowers, if any, will appear this year?

My truly favourite flower. I could go on but as you can see, I don’t have a favourite flower!

Allotment news.  Barry Kent

Flower Arranging by Mary Pillon

Books about Flowers.  Rachel Salisbury

When it comes to selecting books about flowers there is a plethora to choose from, ranging from monographs on individual genera to encyclopedic volumes covering a wide range of species.  The books I’ve chosen this month have one thing in common – they are all more than 25 years old!  However, they have all proved to be useful sources of information and I make no apology for selecting them. I have checked and all are still available, either as updated editions, reprints, or second hand.  Dates I’ve given are original publication dates

100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names            Diana Wells 1997

This is really a book of short stories, each about an individual flower. It highlights the many varied ways in which names are selected for flowers, including some scientific names and some vernacular.  Stories cover ways in which plants are used, how or where they were discovered and by whom. There are a lot of fascinating facts and each story is only a couple of pages long -perfect for bedtime reading!   I have one caveat, which is that the author had lived in USA for about 20 years before the book was written and some of the vernacular names don’t correspond with those we know in UK.

How Flowers Work: A Guide to Plant Biology           Bob Gibbons 1984

Revised and renamed in1990 – The Secret Life of Flowers: A Guide to Plant Biology

A good basic guide to plant biology written in an easily accessible style.  It covers all the aspects of plant biology that you are likely to need to know as a gardener, without going into deep scientific explanations. The author has written several, equally accessible books about flowers, particularly wild flowers, as well as several on insects and wildlife gardening.

The English Flower Garden                                       William Robinson 1883

If I’d been limited to choosing only one book, this would have been it.  It is an absolute classic in horticultural literature and one which has seen numerous reprints before the current trend of online publication.  William Robinson, often known as the father of English gardening really spearheaded the move to more naturalistic gardening, turning away from the previously popular formal layouts and bedding schemes.  This trend is reflected in this book with his recommendations for selecting suitable flowering plants and incorporating them into more informal designs than had previously been the fashion.

I was lucky enough to be given an early copy of this book by a student. It is a much treasured feature of my library.

Floriography or the Language of Flowers.  Helena Kent

This postcard, dated about 1910, depicts a variety of flowers and their meanings or what they symbolize or represent. 

Floriography or the language of flowers has been around for thousands of years, where flowers have been associated with feelings and sentiments, even found in the Bible and Shakespeare.

In Victorian times, floriography had a surge of importance and gifts of flowers were sent with coded messages for the recipients.  ‘Tussie-mussies’ or nosegays were worn as fashion accessories.  A suitor presented the tussie-mussie to his sweetheart and if she wore it at heart level, it sent out the signal that she would accept him.  Very romantic!

Nearly every flower had more than one meaning, listed in many floral dictionaries of the time.  However, a general agreement on the most popular meaning emerged.  The red rose stands for romantic love, the pink rose – sincere love, the yellow rose for friendship and the white rose – chastity.  Bindweed for tender love!

Perhaps I should look at bindweed differently now.  It certainly seems to have a deep rooted and long-lasting affection for me and my garden! 

‘Roses are red,

Violets are blue

And bindweed symbolizes

my tender love for you.’

The Rose.  Helena Kent

The Rose has to be the number one favourite flower in Great Britain.  It is the national flower of England, adopted by Henry Tudor.  The rose is certainly my favourite flower!  What’s not to love?  It has perfume, colour, shape and form.  Beauty!  It may also have thorns, mildew, black spot, aphids and loves to live on a dung heap!  But hey, no one is perfect!

Link Nurseries

At Link Nurseries we have been really pleased with how we have been able to expand our activities over the last few months. We hope that this will continue but with the current uncertainty about what the guidance will be about meeting up in the New Year, we are having to keep our fingers crossed that everything will be able to continue.

Well Bean Gardening Club is at full capacity on Fridays, healthy numbers on Tuesdays and the new, Wednesday sessions are slowly filling up. We are welcoming new members to this session for the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and plants, learn the complete process of plant growing, from sowing seeds to harvesting crops, and the chance to contribute to the commercial activities of the Nursery.

Craft and Art Groups

The craft group is now moving towards a dozen members and judging by the laughter coming from the room they are thoroughly enjoying the weekly meetings. Each person works on their own project with Hermine, one of the founder members, just providing support and encouragement for whatever project members are working on. On Wednesdays, 10 am to 3pm.

The Art Group meets on Tuesdays, 2.00 to 4.00pm. for people who like to draw or paint, whatever their age or ability.  You will find help and encouragement but there is no formal teaching. All the materials are supplied, including paper, pencils and paints. One bonus is being able to borrow plants from the Nursery to draw or paint. The cost is £5, including a cup of tea. A good way to relax and unwind and develop your artistic skills!

Wildlife Project

In partnership with New Opportunities Worcestershire, we are launching an exciting new venture.  On Wednesdays from 2^nd February until 23^rd March, working from 10.00am until 12 noon there will be a new group. If you know of anyone who would like to make use of this provision, please use the contacts below and we are looking forward to welcoming this new group into the Link.

Working in a small group, and sharing the tasks with Link Nurseries’ own groups, you will have the opportunity to help design and develop a new Nature/Wildlife area at Link Nurseries, Hamilton Close, (off Hospital Lane), Powick WR2 4NH

Learn how to create a garden for wildlife and how to attract birds, bees, insects, butterflies and small animals into the garden. You will also learn how to respect the environment as you design and learn new wildlife gardening ideas to use in your own garden too.

The therapeutic benefits of horticulture are well documented and gardening, including in a group, has long been used as a healing medium for a range of mental health issues.

This project is suitable for people of all levels of ability and everyone can make a contribution. Horticulture improves your confidence and social skills, whilst increasing your physical and mental well-being by being outdoors. You can then use what you learn, either in your own garden or use the skills as a starting point for any future prospect, including attending the Well Bean Gardening Club at Link Nurseries.

For further details please call – 01527 488715 or email whcnhs.now@nhs.net 

We are open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 – 4.00 pm

Please come and buy from our community shop and plants as all of our sales support our Well-Being activities.

Contact us on: linknurseries@warwickshire.ac.uk or 01905 831881

Malvern Hills Gardening Club support the work of Link Nurseries.  Fay is a regular volunteer and has a variety of roles.  I joined the art group as someone who hasn’t painted since school and found it a most relaxing and enjoyable experience with no pressure!  Helena

January to March

January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain, thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil.

Words from the poem ‘The Months’ by Sara Coleridge (1802-1852)

I am sure we can all remember sayings or songs about the months and typical weather we could have expected years ago.  However, they are not necessarily true anymore, with our changing climate pattern.  Perhaps we should make up some new ones of our own?

Traditionally, January, the first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar is a time to start afresh, hence our new year resolutions, which may not last as long as January itself!.  Janus in Roman mythology was the god of door and gate ways and transitions, represented by the double-faced head and came to represent rites of passage and new beginnings.  However, in the earliest Roman calendar, March was the first month of the calendar year.  It brought in the first day of Spring with the vernal equinox and the start of new life.  Most countries now have adopted the Gregorian calendar but a very few countries, such as Poland, still use their old farmers’ almanac, which described events in the horticultural year.  For instance, July (lipiec in Polish) is named after the linden tree (lipa) which flowers in this month and August (sierpien) is named after the sickle (sierp), used at harvest time.  Times have changed but some things remain the same!

Some New Year resolutions for the garden from members!

Chair’s Blog 

I enlarged a border to accommodate the new dahlias, prepared the soil and hoped that we would have reasonable weather. All of the plants were then planted out once the frost risk had passed.

Most of the plants thrived and produced very good displays of colourful and beautiful flowers. Sadly Ambition failed to live up to its name and died despite love and attention! One of the dahlias (New Baby) also proved to be not the correct tuber – it is bright pink, and not suited to the deep colour palette. I had considered gifting it to Holly, committee member and proud new Mum, but as she has a beautiful baby boy, Oliver, that is probably not going to work!

We have ordered some replacement tubers for those that did not succeed and I have placed a deep mulch over the dahlias to hopefully see them through winter. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will, and that the new tubers are all successful.

I hope your gardening plans went well in 2021, and that you have exciting gardening resolutions for 2022.

Happy gardening in 2022,

David

Winter Gardens.  Helena Kent

Favourite Gardening Books 1.  Rachel Salisbury

This is the first of what could be a very long series, highlighting some of the books that I have enjoyed over the years.  They have been written over a period of just over 400 years, so there’s quite a bit to go on!

Until the late 16th century, gardening books were mostly herbals backed up to some extent by monastery documents giving instructions for how various plants should be grown.  The majority of these herbals were derived from one ancient Greek text, by Dioscorides.  Translated into Latin, it became the standard reference work throughout most of Europe. The problem was, of course, that very few people could read, and even fewer could read Latin.

So that’s a very brief summary of how we got to my starting point and here it is.

The Gardener’s Labyrinth by Thomas Hill

In 1558, Thomas Hill’s treatise ‘A most brief and pleasaunte treatise teachyng how to dresse, sow and set a garden’ had been published and reprinted and extended over the following few years.  Subsequent revisions took the book from its original 42 pages to 300.  One of many added sections was ‘The marvellous governmente, propertie and benefite of the bees with the rare secrets of the honny and waxe’.  Who would have guessed that this was written almost 500 years ago?  This was the first gardening book to be printed and published in English.

The Gardeners Labyrinth is actually Hill’s second book, but nowadays the much better known one.  It was published posthumously in 1577, a year or two after Hill’s death, with the final revisions being made by Henry Dethick.  For reasons that I don’t understand, it was published under the pseudonym, Didymus Mountain.

This book is a real treasure trove of information on Tudor gardens, containing 69 short chapters, covering aspects of garden layout, and a very wide range of gardening practices.  It is a fascinating mixture of sound, practical advice, descriptions of the latest garden gadgets and how to use them (eg the watering pot) and very dubious methods of deterring pests.  One bit of advice which is a comfort to me every year, is that tulips should not be planted until the New Year!  The second part of the book details the medicinal uses of 60 different plants.  When reading the book it is worth bearing in mind that Hill’s background was as an astronomer, and some of his suggested practices are influenced by this.  (Maybe he was a forerunner of biodynamic gardening?)

For me, the most valuable feature of the book is the wonderful woodcut illustrations, which are incredibly detailed and give a real insight into the gardens and gardening of the time.

Sadly, as far as I know, there is no online access to The Gardeners Labyrinth. If, like me, you prefer real books, there is 20th century facsimile edition.  Edited by Richard Mabey, and including some additional modern illustrations, it was published in 1998, and I suspect is now out of print.  However, it is readily available second hand and I thoroughly recommend it.

Winter on the allotment.  Barry Kent

December so far has been a mix of cold, cloudy days and several days of above average temperatures.  With climate change we seem to get fewer frosts.  As my no dig policy of last year was not a great success, I have decided to dig the plot over and add manure.  It would be good to get some frosts now to break up the soil! 

My parsnips are ready to dig up and it used to be said that frosts improved their flavour!  I have also left some beetroot in and will see if they survived.

All the fruit bushes have been pruned except for the one year old blueberry bushes.  The apple tree awaits pruning.  Some experts say prune now and others maintain the best time is when the buds start to appear.  The plum tree, I will prune in Summer as plum, cherry and apricot are susceptible to silver leaf disease, which infects wood through wounds in the Autumn and Winter.

A Quiz from Sue Woolley.  How many plants can you find?

Mother Nature opens her wardrobe…
As thyme moves on
What will it bring?
When winter time
gives way to Spring…
The gentle warming of the sun
A wondrous promise of things to come..
Fox’s gloves and grannies bonnet
adorned with Queen Anne’s lace upon it.
Lady’s mantle, lady’s smock
and ‘dandylions’ dressed by the clock..
Sweet Cicely, that well known tory
spruced up in all her morning glory,
hooped petticoats and string of beads,
lady’s slipper…all she needs!
As summer slips to Autumn chill
and winds whip up and brooks refill…
monkshood, skull cap, Jacob’s coat
and Turk’s cap lily get my vote!
Brass buttons on a cloth of gold,
umbrella rush when rain’s foretold..
Gardener’s garters, Dutchman’s breeches…
We’re truly blessed with Nature’s riches!

Link Nurseries

At Link Nurseries we have been really pleased with how we have been able to expand our activities over the last few months. We hope that this will continue but with the current uncertainty about what the guidance will be about meeting up in the New Year, we are having to keep our fingers crossed that everything will be able to continue.

Well Bean Gardening Club is at full capacity on Fridays, healthy numbers on Tuesdays and the new, Wednesday sessions are slowly filling up. We are welcoming new members to this session for the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and plants, learn the complete process of plant growing, from sowing seeds to harvesting crops, and the chance to contribute to the commercial activities of the Nursery.

Craft and Art Groups

The craft group is now moving towards a dozen members and judging by the laughter coming from the room they are thoroughly enjoying the weekly meetings. Each person works on their own project with Hermine, one of the founder members, just providing support and encouragement for whatever project members are working on. On Wednesdays, 10 am to 3pm.

The Art Group meets on Tuesdays, 2.00 to 4.00pm. for people who like to draw or paint, whatever their age or ability.  You will find help and encouragement but there is no formal teaching. All the materials are supplied, including paper, pencils and paints. One bonus is being able to borrow plants from the Nursery to draw or paint. The cost is £5, including a cup of tea. A good way to relax and unwind and develop your artistic skills!

Wildlife Project

In partnership with New Opportunities Worcestershire, we are launching an exciting new venture.  On Wednesdays from 2^nd February until 23^rd March, working from 10.00am until 12 noon there will be a new group. If you know of anyone who would like to make use of this provision, please use the contacts below and we are looking forward to welcoming this new group into the Link.

Working in a small group, and sharing the tasks with Link Nurseries’ own groups, you will have the opportunity to help design and develop a new Nature/Wildlife area at Link Nurseries, Hamilton Close, (off Hospital Lane), Powick WR2 4NH

Learn how to create a garden for wildlife and how to attract birds, bees, insects, butterflies and small animals into the garden. You will also learn how to respect the environment as you design and learn new wildlife gardening ideas to use in your own garden too.

The therapeutic benefits of horticulture are well documented and gardening, including in a group, has long been used as a healing medium for a range of mental health issues.

This project is suitable for people of all levels of ability and everyone can make a contribution. Horticulture improves your confidence and social skills, whilst increasing your physical and mental well-being by being outdoors. You can then use what you learn, either in your own garden or use the skills as a starting point for any future prospect, including attending the Well Bean Gardening Club at Link Nurseries.

For further details please call – 01527 488715 or email whcnhs.now@nhs.net 

We are open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 – 4.00 pm

Please come and buy from our community shop and plants as all of our sales support our Well-Being activities.

Contact us on: linknurseries@warwickshire.ac.uk or 01905 831881

Malvern Hills Gardening Club support the work of Link Nurseries.  Fay is a regular volunteer and has a variety of roles.  I joined the art group as someone who hasn’t painted since school and found it a most relaxing and enjoyable experience with no pressure!  Helena

Malvern Autumn Show Plant Creche

The gardening club had a fun day out at the Autumn show on Saturday 25^th September. Trish Robinson and a team of enthusiastic volunteers ran the creche in a new location at the showground. The tent was excellent – bigger, better equipped and right by the plant stands. After a slow start it proved to be very popular with visitors, who soon learned the major drawback of leaving plants in the creche: empty baskets allow more purchases.

During the show we collected for our nominated charity, Link Nurseries at Powick. We raised £190 which is fantastic. Many thanks to Trish for her hard work. If you are interested in helping out at the Spring show please let us know. For two hours volunteering members get a free ticket to the show and plenty of free time to enjoy the exhibits and speakers. The club also gets a donation from the show organisers, which is a big part of our annual revenue.
David Baker

Thank you to everyone who helped with creche at the show.  It all ran smoothly (apart from a few lost tickets) thanks to everyone working together.  I hope new members enjoyed the experience and thanks to experienced ones, who showed them the ropes.  Collection of £190 was delivered to Link Nurseries. 

We are usually asked to do 2 plant creches at Spring Show, 5-8 May, one on Thursday and one on Saturday.  So put the dates in your 2022 diary!  Patricia Robinson  

Little Malvern Court Visit

The Pleasure of seeing Animals and Birds in our Gardens.  Patricia Robinson  

I’m a spaniel puppy trying to help in the garden!  Jenny Jones

A temporary fence was erected around the precious flower border to keep me out.  As you can see, I managed to get behind the fortifications and now have to work out how to escape!

Save the date! Weds, 22 September 2021

Our first in-person meeting for 18 months at our new venue:

St Matthias Church Hall in Malvern Link.  Church Road, WR14 1LX

The speaker is Paul Green, ‘Choice Plants for late season – they think it’s all over, but it’s not yet!’  Paul will be bringing plenty of plants to sell!  

Tea, coffee and biscuits provided.  Car parking in road near Hall.  As limited, please try to car share.

Due to Covid concerns, we will have hand sanitiser at entrance.  Mask wearing is optional but please feel free to wear if you are comfortable with that. Seating will be at tables with spacing.  

Memories of the Med

You may not be able to get to the Med this year but you can bring the Med to your garden!

I am not saying that you need to redesign your whole garden to create the style of a formal Italian garden, renowned for its manicured hedges of box, clipped topiary and stately Italian cypress, nor am I saying that you should introduce statuary and water features reminiscent of the Alhambra!

I am only saying that you could introduce a few plants that grow well in a Mediterranean climate and will remind you of lazy summer days and evenings spent at that little café or quaint taverna with their colours and scents.  Although we do not live in that sort of climate, except for the occasional heatwave, these plants are adapted to dry summers and mild, wet winters, climatic conditions, which, with our weather, we can experience in one week!

Mediterranean herbs are obviously well known, such as rosemary, bay, sage, thyme, lavender, borage, marjoram and fennel.  Extra benefits of growing these being able to pick them straight from the garden to enhance your culinary delights!

Other benefits, apart from adding fragrance to your garden, include attracting bees and other pollinators.  Flowers of borage are loved by bees for their nectar and also look pretty in a Pimms cocktail!

Most herbs, especially ones with silvery grey leaves, will prosper in full sun and dry poor soil and are most beneficial at times when water is scarce. 

These plants are as much at home in your traditional English cottage garden as in a French kitchen garden, ‘le potager’, where herbs are grown along with vegetables, fruit and flowers, providing ingredients for ‘le potage’, a thick vegetable soup.

You need not be restricted to just herbs but roses are also favourites in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese gardens.  Fragrant climbing or rambling roses can be trained over a pergola or up a wall along with jasmine or wisteria.  There are so many varieties to choose from!

Other plants, which I associate with holidays in the Med are blue agapanthus, pink hibiscus, orange bird of paradise, gazanias, pelargoniums, bottlebrushes, agaves, palms, cistus, citrus trees, olives and figs to name just a few!  Fingers crossed for next year!  Helena Kent.  Art by Mary Pillon.

What a whopper!  From Carole Newton

NGS Open day Sunday June 27th 2021.  MaggieJo St John

An overcast but dry day so we ventured deep into Herefordshire to the Welsh border for the first of 2 visits. Reminiscences for me of an even more overcast day, heavy with rain, when two of us toiled up and over from Hay on Wye to Pandy on the Offa’s Dyke path.

This first garden is in a stunning location looking out over that line of the Black Mountains.  The renovation of the old farm buildings has been sympathetically and beautifully carried out and the planting around them is effective.  The main garden was not, at this stage of its development, to our taste.  The tremendous views and landscape of the Black Mountains were not brought into the design, in fact an alley of hornbeam ran across, not to, it.  It describes itself as a ‘modern garden’ yet includes a formal parterre, the planting of which was very mixed, not helped by a higher proportion of weeds than normally seen on an NGS day.

The second visit to a property occupied by the same family for over a 1000 years was quite a contrast.  Walking through the 14^th century archway to the front of the house there is a fine vista onto the well stocked deer park (protected by a haha disguised as a swathe of wildflower meadow).  The walled garden had been carefully redesigned for herbaceous plants, while the vegetable and fruit garden occupy a more open area outside it.  The toll the past 18 months has taken on many gardens and properties that rely on volunteers to maintain their level of care is evident here too, especially in the woodland area.

We’d return here to spend more time in the garden and grounds as well as visit the house and learn more of the history of the Scudamore family and the changing fortunes of the house and estate.  We’d also hope to buy more of the excellent herbaceous plants, grown from seed and sold at a very reasonable price.

1^st        The garden of the wind at Middle Hunt House, Walterstone,HR2 0DY

2^nd       Kentchurch Court, nr Pontrilas, HR2 0DB

A June Day in 2 Cotswold Gardens.  Jenny Jones

Our first stop was Hidcote gardens owned by the National Trust.  We arrived at opening time giving us a quiet hour before it got too busy.  The roses were wonderful as were most of the flowers.  Some specific garden rooms were gardened to perfection but it was such a shame to see bindweed etc choking many plants in other areas.  All very understandable though, due to lack of gardeners and many, many volunteers.  The poor vegetable garden was heartbreaking to see, virtually untouched with everything going to seed.  Still very much worth a visit of course with lots of good things to see.

Garden number 2 was a very different story….Kiftsgate Court Gardens

This is a family run garden perched on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment.  Absolutely magnificent.  Again the roses were fabulous, the famous Kiftsgate rose was in flower and truly enormous.

Allotment News.  Barry Kent

This July the allotment has experienced a heat wave, dry conditions and heavy rain!  These extremes of weather have caused brown rot on the plum tree with all fruit lost.  On the other hand my black and redcurrants, apples and cultivated blackberries have produced record amounts of fruit.  I have a small first year crop of blueberries which I’ve never grown before.  The bushes spread low to the ground and I may have to put straw around the base to protect the fruit.

My beetroot, Swiss chard, French beans and parsnips are all doing well.  I need to thinly sow carrots as the first crop was attacked, especially on the lower root.  The dry conditions have not helped.  I have been watering in the morning but not every day.  The end of the month has seen thunder storms.  I look forward to harvesting my main crop potatoes next month.

Ask Rachel

Q:  Can I take cuttings from my Clematis montana and if so how?

A:  I would normally do Clematis montana cuttings in May/June. Use the new growth and cut off and discard the very flimsy top section, if the base is woody cut off and discard this too.  Take cuttings from the remaining section immediately above a pair of leaves and then about 5cm below them.  Repeat as you work down the stem.

Insert cuttings in a tray or pot of 50/50 multi-purpose compost and horticultural grit.  Cover with a lid or insert in a polythene bag and keep in good light but out of direct sunlight.  They should root in about 4 wks.

I don’t use rooting hormone and definitely wouldn’t advise it for these as they are relatively small cuttings and rooting hormone inhibits shoot growth. You can try now but have better chance of success earlier in the year.

Save the date! Weds, 23 June at 7.20pm

Our next MHGC Zoom meeting!

Details: Join meeting at 7.20pm for 7.30pm talk. Approx one hour long.

June’s meeting is Wildlife Gardening by Jo Worthy-Jones.

Jo will talk about gardening with wildlife in mind.  For more information, visit her website, www.haven4wildlife.com or Facebook page Haven4Wildlife.

WILDFLOWERS IN AND AROUND MALVERN by Gerry Davies Malvern U3A Botany Group

One of the great blessings of living where I do on the eastern edge of Malvern Link is that I have a surprising number of wildflower habitats within a short walk from home.  These range from urban pavements, roadside verges, arable fields and woodlands; some of which have nationally scarce wildflowers growing in them.  Going a little further afield there are the Commons and Hills.  Less well known are the Limestone woods and meadows to the west.

The landscape and soils of the Malvern area have their origins in the underlying geology and because the geology changes quite quickly going from the east to the west of the Hills we find a wide diversity of plant communities in a relatively small area.  This gives plenty of scope for discovering places of botanical interest.  Since moving to Malvern in 1977 I have explored many of these locations.

Not all the wildflowers to be found around Malvern are spectacular and eye catching, some are very small and require getting down on hands and knees with a hand lens to fully appreciate.  This is particularly true of the tiny annuals that grow on the free draining acid soils of the Malvern Hills Ridge.  The ridge running south from British Camp has a particularly high diversity of wildflowers; particularly on the more alkaline soils on Broad Down and Hangman’s Hill and around Clutter’s Cave.  This area is the only part of the county where the nationally scarce Spring Cinquefoil, Potentilla verna grows.  This year has seen a wonderful display of this cheerful little yellow flower.

What comes as a surprise to many local residents is that we have at least eleven species of native wild orchids flowering in our area.  This is a small part of the 50 or so orchid species found in the British Isles.

In a roughly chronological order of flowering the orchids found in the Malvern area are:

Green-winged Orchid, Orchis morio

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis

Common Spotted Ochid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata

Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha

Twayblade Orchid, Listera ovata

Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera

Broad-leaved Helleborine, Epipactis helleborine

Violet Helleborine, Epipactis purpurata

A single flower from a Greater Butterfly Orchid. Colour variants of Green-winged Orchids

Our Cottage Garden – David Baker

For me the classic English Cottage garden is an image of tranquillity and calm, with borders filled with perennials spilling out onto paths and interesting nooks and crannies. Living so close to Hidcote and Kiftsgate gardens, we all have some good examples to give us inspiration.

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This allowed us to create a plan for the area, which is not quite rectangular, but which has enough space for 8 beds and a central feature:

The most important step was to create the hard structures formed by paths, border edges and fences. This required a degree of digging out the paths, putting down weed suppressant and edging the borders. The following pictures show the stages of creation:

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These structures have served us well and are still in place fifteen years later. The most successful edging used old floor tiles to create serrated edges, which have lasted well and look interesting. The curved edges using log roll are good, but this only lasts about 5 years before needing to be replaced. Using gravel boards was least successful – only about 2 years before they needed to be replaced. I now use recycled roof tiles as they look good, and should be indestructible.

Planting was initially using herbs and lavender and looked great, but I had dug in too much manure and everything bolted. Fortunately it takes very little time to dig out the beds and start again.

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IMPATIENCE

After reading the newsletter a couple of months back about Patsy’s deluxe garden shed cum summerhouse, I cast a jaded look at my own shed and resolved to do something about it.

I had inherited my shed with the house when I moved here 8 yrs ago and it was sagging then.

Sadly hadn’t improved with age like the rest of us.  It was leaning rather badly, its bottom wood panels and windows were quite rotten and the base was very uneven with slabs at every which way.  My daughter told me to get it emptied and she would “have it away” for me.  Alas by the time I had emptied it daughter was in the middle of lambing so was unable to take up her offer.  My son told me to take photos of it – the good, the bad, and the ugly and he would sell it on Facebook.  I immediately took up his offer and sent off photos.  I said I would be happy just for someone to come and collect as I would be embarrassed to take money for it.  After some 10 days…. Not a single bite.

My son assured me it would go but one morning the lump hammer just happened to be in my hand and I wondered how difficult it would be for me to “rip it apart” bit by bit.  So I set to with vim and vigour, knowing that afternoon I was due out for tea and a stroll with a friend.  How difficult could it be to drop a shed I thought?  After all, it’s fairly rotten.  With several mighty whacks I knocked out most of the uprights and realised that a couple of long shelves screwed to inside would have to come out as they seemed to be holding it together.   That brought me out in a sweat.  Wretched screws were put in at an angle (obviously not by the female species), and as a result was only able to get one shelf out.  Never mind I thought, won’t matter.  I yanked out planks of wood from outside of shed careless of nails/screws flying around, and put them away out of stumbling reach but called a halt on that when the remainder refused to give.  Ah, I thought, should have done roof first.  I fetched my 2 x step steps from kitchen and reached to examine roof.

With aid of screwdriver and much cussing I managed to extract a screw or two by which time the whole shed “slumped”.  I was then very hopeful of getting it sorted before tea.  On entering the shed at that point it was rather like walking on a ship in a turbulent sea as the floor panels moved up as I walked on them.  Bit risky I thought and backed out again.  Had to go in again armed with “gaffer tape” to put across windows to limit broken glass.  Was rather pleased with my forethought on that even if I did only do the inside.   The moment had come,  I had done all I could so with one arm on each side of shed door way I began swinging it from side to side.  And again, side to side.  After several swings I heard it creak and shortly after that on the next swing it broke in half and fell just where I had intended it to.   Mind you it was a very ungainly heap.  And it was time for tea so off I went.

That evening my son rang to report no enquiries re shed and to ensure that I was not thinking of trying to get it down myself.  Has he got a sixth sense or what….he lives near Inkberrow!  I assured him I wouldn’t do anything so foolish and I would wait.  Another call from son at 8am the next morning.  He had a sale for me!   I had to ‘fess up much to his horror.  It also made my work that day much harder knowing someone would have done all that work for me. 

The roof was extremely heavy so I ripped off the roof felt and then got a crow bar into the middle bit and giggled around until it separated.  Was then able to stack it and the remainder of shed neatly although the rotten floor was too heavy and stubborn for me to do anything with so left it. 

My total impatience meant I had to pay a local man £50 to take it away for me….but the good news is that same man came back and has made a very lovely patio area for me. I have a new fence panel already painted by me to match the rest of fencing – Forget me not Blue.   It is a sun trap and makes the garden look so much nicer without big brown leaning shed.  Daughter has donated an aged bench for aged Mum which will be fine for this year.    I am resolved to go this year without a shed at all, using garage for garden tools and a gravel area for storing various pots.

 And my son still speaks to me!  Mary Pillon

OYEZ! OYEZ! Garden visit in July!  

Can I hear distant cries of joy break out all over the Malvern Hills!  Rachel has booked a visit to Little Malvern Court with the Head Gardener at 6pm on Weds, 28 July.  Put the date in your diary and we will send out details nearer the time!

Allotment News.  Barry Kent

After a dry, cold and frosty April, May has been wet, cold and cloudy until the Bank Holiday weekend!  Dandelions have now given way to buttercups.  All the fruit bushes and trees are looking healthy.  I have recently sown main crop potatoes in wet soil but hopefully there is no danger of another frost!  In this last week I have sown French beans as well as successive sowings of beetroot, chard, parsnips and carrots.  Previous sowings are looking healthy.  Strawberry plants will need a layer of straw soon to protect the ripening fruit.  Future main jobs will be weeding and thinning out.

My Gardening Day

A poem contributed but not written by Carole Newton, who thought it might be quite an apt subject for the newsletter.  It certainly strikes a chord with me!  Collectively, I must have spent many hours looking for that elusive trowel with the brown handle, that I’d just put down somewhere, in between doing one job and another and those secateurs with the green handles that magically seem to disappear into thin air! 

Saguaro cactus

Background

LOCAL NEWS AND FURTHER AFIELD

Notice from Malvern Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Malvern needs old and unwanted hand and power tools, in support of the charity ‘Tools for Self Reliance’.  Tools will be refurbished  and sent to TFSR.

TFSR has been training, equipping and supporting people in 6 African countries since 1979.  More details of their work can be found on their website, www.tfsr.org.

The Rotary Club will be collecting tools at B and Q Malvern from 9am to 4pm on Thursday, 10^th June.  There is also a regular collection point at Bradford’s in Pickersleigh Road. 

Museum of Royal Worcester

New Botanical Art Exhibition 27 May – 31 October 2021.  ‘Botanical Treasures’ celebrates flowers and fruit on porcelain.  Workshops and demonstrations.  For more information visit www.museumofroyalworcester.org or follow MoRW on Facebook.

NGSG.  Weblink to June openings of Gloucestershire gardens in National Garden Scheme is https://ngs.org.uk/gloucestershire.