Past Meetings & Events

MAY MEETING

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 - 19:45

Gabriel Read

Of Gabi’s Garden

‘A Year in the Cut Flower Garden’

Gabi is an organic flower grower and florist and will talk about the flowers and foliage she grows for her floristry studio.

APRIL MEETING & AGM

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 - 19:30

AGM at 7.30 followed by:

Ellen Mary

‘Plants and Nature for Wellbeing’

Ellen has been listed in the Top 5 Women Influencers in Horticulture by Grow Your Own Magazine! She has appeared on many TV programmes and is the Horticultural Co-Ordinator for the Royal Norfolk Show. The wellbeing talk will explore the history of social and therapeutic horticulture and how plants and nature overall help our physical and mental health wellbeing.

 

MARCH MEETING PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE (AS PREVIOUS DATE WAS INCORRECT AND CHANGE OF VENUE)

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 - 19:45

Bob Coutts

‘Gardening for Spring’

Bob, who is a professional gardener and retired Head Gardener at Somerleyton Hall, has a wealth of horticultural knowledge and has given many talks to the Gardening Club on numerous subjects. Back by popular demand the ‘talk’ (which, from past experience, will be very hands-on and descriptive) is very apt for this time of year.

JANUARY MEETING - CANCELLED

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 - 19:45

Jane Steward

‘The Wonderful Medlar, Our Forgotten Fruit’

Jane is owner of Eastgate Larder, specialist grower and producer of medlar preserves. Jane will talk about her passion for reviving the medlar and the orchard they have planted at Eastgate.

Unfortunately, with the present Covid situation we have had to suspended live meetings for the time being, I was hoping not to have to go back to Zoom meetings, but needs must and I have booked Nancy Stevens (who some of you may remember gave us two excellent talks during last year's lockdown) to give us a Zoom talk on the 18th January entitled 'Spectacular, Surreal, Surprising'  - Gardening in space, underwater and world wars - with some glorious plants and trees. I have to say it sounds most intriguing!

I will send out Zoom invites over the next few days, if I can get my head around how to use Zoom again (I have to say I thought I had seen the last of it!!!)

All the very best and see you on the 18th 7.15pm-7.30pm for the speaker's talk at about 7.40pm.

Jeff Johnson

 

DECEMBER MEETING CANCELLED

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 - 19:00

CANCELLED

I'm afraid The Committee has decided to cancel this year's 'Christmas Party'.

With only 20 members wishing to attend (that includes The Committee) together with the uncertainty surrounding what happens next with regard to COVID and the real possibility of numbers falling off even further we felt that we just couldn't plan properly for this year's event.

We are sure that those who wished to attend will be bitterly disappointed as we are, but with so few numbers it just isn't feasible.

We thank you all for your continuing support. Without you, The Members, there wouldn't be a Gardening Club and here's hoping that 2022 will see us getting back to some kind of normality.

We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hopefully see many of you next year.

Keep safe and warm.

It’s Christmas Party Time, starts at 7pm.  

I am pleased to report that our December Meeting (party) will also feature a brief presentation by Thomas Courtauld DL (Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk) on 'The Queens Green Canopy'.

The precis of the QGC is : The Queen’s Green Canopy is an initiative to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by encouraging people to plant and protect trees as a legacy to Her Majesty’s Service to the Nation. The QGC will invite the four Nations of the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” and will encourage people to plant well with healthy trees that will not only survive but thrive for generations to come. Everyone from community groups, schools, scout groups, corporates, counties, councils and parishes are encouraged to plant trees – from saplings to majestic avenues of significant trees – to mark this extraordinary occasion. As well as inviting people to plant new trees, existing woodland will also be dedicated to QGC by erecting commemorative plaques to mark the occasion and preserve forests for the future, in The Queen’s name. The QGC was launched in May. There is an excellent website at www.queensgreencanopy.org which explains it all and how your trees can be recorded.

With Covid precautions in mind things will be slightly different this year. We normally ask you to bring party food to share and whilst we will provide wrapped chocolates and individual packs of nibbles for the tables you may, by all means, bring your own non-sharing snacks.

As usual we will provide mulled wine and non-alcoholic punch, together with soft drinks.

There will be a quiz, but numbers on each table will be limited and we ask that only one person per table has the pen and answer sheet.

At our last 'Christmas Bash' we asked if any members would like to entertain us with any ditties and we had a few volunteers including myself! These don't have to be song, but could also be a light-hearted story  or something similar - mine was a light-hearted prayer!

Under the present circumstances to enable us to properly cater for this 'do' could I please ask you to let me know by 30 November whether you will be coming.

Jeff Johnson

(jeffandcaroljohnson@yahoo.co.uk)

NOVEMBER MEETING

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 - 19:45

Johnny Walkers

‘The A-Z of Bulbs’

Johnny has worked at Taylors Bulbs for more than 25 years. Johnny is known as having the “Midas Touch” for his huge haul of awards at both Chelsea and Harrogate flower shows, where he has racked up 23 consecutive Chelsea Gold Medals and numerous Premier Awards at the Harrogate Flower Show for displays of multiple daffodil varieties, many of which are flowering out of season.



 

OCTOBER MEETING

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 - 19:45

Mrs Robin McDonald 

‘Botanic and other Gardens’

Robin is the President of the Orchid Society and founder of the Paphiopedilum Society. Robin is also a member of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society and has run their shows for several years. Robin has expanded her interest in plants, especially wild plants to such an extent that she is able to give talks on many horticultural subjects. But for us she will be talking about the wonderful gardens from around the world, including Gothenburg Botanic and Keukenhof Gardens.

SEPTEMBER MEETING

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 - 19:45



Simon Harrop

Natural Surroundings, Bayfield, Holt

‘British Alpine Plants’

This talk will give us a fascinating in-sight into these wild plants

Also:

Autumn Bag Sale

Please bring surplus plants in one or more bags to be sold at £1 per bag

 

Summer Show 2021 CANCELLED

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 - 19:30

Summer Show and Social Evening CANCELLED

A lighthearted, slightly competitive evening with something for everyone.

REEPHAM AND DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB

SCHEDULE FOR THE SUMMER SHOW AND SOCIAL EVENING

TUESDAY 17th AUGUST 2021

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE HOME GROWN

FOLIAGE AND FLOWERS

F1 A selection of grasses - should be loose or hand tied in a vase

F2 Flower arrangement in an unusual/novelty container

F3 A vase of ten flower stems – may be same species or mixed

F4 Indoor Plant

F5 Single Specimen Flower  of your choice

VEGETABLES

V1 Tomatoes – 5 same variety   )

V2 Tomatoes – Mixed, 3 varieties(one of each)        )

V3 French Beans – 5 same variety   ) V1-V8 to be presented on a plate

V4 Runner Beans - 5 same variety   )

V5 Potatoes - 3 same variety   )

V6 Selection of any three vegetables(one of each) )

V7 Soft fruit – single variety or mixed(not stoned)  ) 

V8 Other fruit - single variety or mixed  )

V9 Best cucumber

V10 Onions

WILDCARD

W1 Anything at all -  could be embroidery, craft work, knitting, collage, plant, photograph, miniature garden, card, painting or even a novelty shaped vegetable

 

Show entries should be brought to the Town Hall between  7.15 - 7.30  pm

Plates and vases will be available

Members will pay their normal entrance fee of £1

 

Outing to West Barsham Hall

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 14:00



This post is to confirm our visit to West Barsham Hall on 20 July from 2.00.

West Barsham Hall, is set in approx. 10-acres and includes a large garden with lake, mature yew hedging and sunken garden originally laid out by Gertrude Jekyll, plus a swimming pool garden, shrub borders, kitchen garden with herbaceous borders, fruit cage, cutting garden and bog garden (phew!)

You will need to make your own way there, but it will be worth it for this group private visit to gardens which do open under the National Garden Scheme, but are opening especially for us.

Admission is £9.00 each including tea/coffee and homemade cake (yummy).

To enable us to advise the owners of the Lodge of numbers, could you please confirm by the 13th July whether you intend to join us by contacting Jeff Johnson at jeffandcaroljohnson@yahoo.co.uk or 01362 680066. MEMBERS & GUESTS of MEMBERS ONLY. Payment is at the entrance.

How to find them:-

West Barsham Hall

Fakenham

Norfolk

NR21 9NP

3miles North of Fakenham.

From Fakenham take A148 to Cromer then Left onto B1105 to Wells (or coming from Morrisons roundabout left onto A148 and then right onto B1105 to Wells). After ½mile Left again to Wells. After 1½miles Right to The Barshams & West Barsham Hall.

PS Don't forget our Blickling Lodge  visit on 22 June (not long to go now) and please let me know if you are planning to go.

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