Hill Rise Allotment Association

St. Ives Gardening Club

Newsletter April 2018

Hi Everyone, is it really Spring? Has Winter really ended? Are we ever likely to catch up on those March and April tasks whilst taking on board all general Spring maintenance jobs? The inter schools competition between Eastfield and Wheatfields has been interrupted but I am sure by mid May we will have it all back on track.

Peter Beales Rose festival Saturday 16 June: I will be sending out notices for payment to all who have booked reservations over the next few days. There will be 3 options for payment details will be given in the notice. The cost will be £12.00 per person whether a club member or not.

Wednesday 18th April: Our speaker will be Pam Bullivent, an NGS volunteer, who will give a talk – ‘The National Open Gardens Scheme.’

The talk with photos will include the aims and aspirations of the scheme, the charities which are supported by NGS, Local gardens which are in our catchment area of say 15 to 20 miles and participating in the 2018 scheme and some guidance in the event a member or members of the club might like to open up their garden.

Please remember that this meeting will be held in the Hall downstairs with direct access to the kitchen. I will then be sending out a simple Yes / No poll as to whether we wish to continue downstairs (subject to availability) or return to the Centrum upstairs.

Wednesday 2nd May: D’Arcy & Everest - Specialists in British home grown Alpine Plants. Located on Pidley Sheep Lane, off Somersham Road. PE28 3FL Time: 18.35 for 18.45 start of guided tour of the nursery by Angela Whiting. Depart 20.30 latest. Plants will be available for purchase. Please let me know by Wednesday 25th April if you are intending to come along in order I may let Angela know numbers. Anyone requiring transport assistance please contact Robin.

Wednesday 16th May: Guest Speaker Evening: Mrs. Carole Adams our very own local clematis grower who will give a talk and demonstrations ‘Clematis – An Exploration of types, Cultivation and Propagation’. This will be a very much hands on practical evening. Jo and I managed a few days away in Cornwall and though the sun rarely shone we did manage to get to some gardens and thought, just maybe to brighten things up a bit, I would put a few photos here – to at least add some cheer to the current ‘November like gloom’

At the Eden Project: Clianthus puniceus [Lobster Claw or Glory Pea]

..and: Anigozanthos manglesii [Hybrid Kangaroo Paws]

..also : Thunbergia mysorensis (Munzerabad Creeper)

Tregehen Gardens nr St Austell – and yes the sun shone for a few hours

A Flyer from Hemingford Garden Society promoting their Open Gardens Day which unfortunately is the same day as our trip to Peter Beales:

To conform to the new Data Protection Act coming into force on 25th May I will shortly be e-mailing the membership with a simple statement for you each to respond too. That’s about all for now folks, don’t forget to visit Cranbrook Plants for Spring and Summer plants at very good prices and also get your 10% discount with your Gardening Club Card. Hope to see you all next Wednesday, in the mean time hopefully temperatures will rise and the sun will shine and we can get some gardening done. Robin Bletsoe robin.bletsoe@yahoo.com 01480 380309