Charity Evening Garden Visit - 7th June 2018

June continues to flame. What a sunny, light evening we had to explore secretary Cate's gorgeous garden in Crosby-on-Eden and raise some money for Carlisle Carers.

Thank You Cate, Mark & Your Tea Girls

RHS Chatsworth 2018 - Wednesday, 6th June...

A note from the Chair (Trish) - I was so lucky to get an unplanned day trip to Derbyshire.

 The RHS theme focused on the diversity & beauty of orchids.

With 28,000 species worldwide, the family encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants. The seeds produce monocotyledons. As well as being colourful orchids may be fragrant - Vanilla being one of their genus.

Orchid Distribution in Green - By Dalton Holland Baptista - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4861360

Orchids in Vertical Exuberance in the Paxton Temporary Conservatory, c. 2017

Chatsworth's contribution to their association with orchids - Silver-Gilt

No, the fairies & elves didn't leave their slippers hanging up! - These are Phragmipediums!

And there was time
for tea.

2018 Annual General Meeting - Minutes

Our 2018 AGM minutes are now available for you to read. They are displayed on the Notice Board on club nights. You can also request your own copy by contacting our secretary, Cate

Plant Sale & Coffee Morning in Wetheral - 19th May 2018

 
Despite the Royal Wedding celebrations,  VGC had a great morning too.

Here is a quote from Jude -

"Well, what can I say, other than an enormous thank you to all of you for supporting the busy event this morning....
The hard work you all put in was so much appreciated and I think that it will prove to be well worth the effort.

Janice, your non-stop plant sorting, pricing and labelling was awesome. (Tell Nick I totally failed in his request to me to prevent you taking home any more plants!)

Isabel, thank you for the beautiful advert you posted and your sterling work manning the tills.

Anne S. (the committee awaits you!) for assisting in the kitchen.

Ruth and Marilyn for organising the tables, decorations, and refreshments.

Joan for absolutely everything you did, not least with the broom!

Caroline for floral art and Lotto management....I still haven't paid

Anne MacD for keeping the purse and manning the tills and paying the bills.

My beloved for putting up and taking down the banner and kerb notices, putting tables/chairs out and back in again, and many wheelbarrow trips full of plants up the cinder path before porridge this morning.

If I have missed off any other please pass on my thanks.
And to the unknown person who stole the kerb notices from Plains Road......."

Sweet Peas - Thursday, 1th May 2018

Kevin Preston is a man who absolutely loves Sweet Peas. He is the largest amateur Sweet Pea grower in this country and is a National Champion winner. He lives near Carnforth and gave an inspiring presentation which included a slide show and lots of plants with which to illustrate his talk (and sell afterwards).

The scale of his growing and dedication to showing perfect specimens of these lovely blooms was awesome. Kevin is a professional gardener but his hobby is sweet pea growing. During spring and early summer he is often out on his large plot from 4am until 10pm, especially when 'tying in' and snipping unwanted growth such as tendrils are the specific requirements for dedicated sweet pea growing. Kevin also plants 5000 annuals for cut flower production!

To begin his talk, Kevin discussed commercial compost and stated that generally, the more you pay, the better the quality will be. However, there is an increasing tendency now for compost providers to include recycled waste within their product. If someone, somewhere, puts garden waste into their green bins which includes weedkiller or other chemicals, the ongoing contamination of the recycled end product will affect the future success of seeds and plants grown in it! Kevin buys 300 bags of commercial compost, mainly from Ireland, each year. He also uses 200 barrow loads of horse manure each season and to produce at least 7000 perfect Sweet Pea plants annually. An interesting point he made about spring sown sweet peas (his preferred planting time), is that in February, the compost is too cold to successfully germinate seed. Therefore he piles the bags of compost inside his home to warm it up first....he has a very understanding wife!

Kevin is rigorous in his growing hygiene, always washing recycled pots before use. He puts a small amount of vermiculite / perlite and grit sand into the compost, before sowing seeds from the second week in February. His seeds are not 'chitted' or soaked.

All of his 7000 seeds are germinated in his conservatory before putting out into cold frames or unheated greenhouses. Sowing continues until the second or third week in April. Planting outside is not started until the beginning of May. He never plants them out before May.

The prodigious root growth of Sweet Peas was demonstrated and suggestions were given about pinching out the growing tips to produce side shoots which always make for better flowers. With the Spencer variety of Sweet Pea, a 24-inch long stem with four flowers on each stem is the goal.

Sweet Peas grow about a foot each week, and as they are susceptible to blowing over, must be tied weekly to their canes. 5-6 hours are spent each evening on this task!

Sweet peas prefer a moist growing medium but suffer if waterlogged. Bees cannot access these flowers, as the keels on the petals are too tight. Breeders have to pollinate hybrids by opening up the flower heads, and this aspect of Sweet Peas means their self-pollinated seed is always true to that plant variety.

Introduced into this country 150 years ago, all original flowers were pastel shades. Now there is a huge array of colours available but no one has managed to produce a yellow bloom....yet.

With his other talent as an award winning flower arranger, Kevin Preston is a man who has dedicates his life to growing flowers, but his overriding passion is for Sweet Peas.

The 'original' Sweet Pea, Cupani was first cultivated by a Sicilian monk, Father Francis Cupani, who found this intensely scented wild sweet pea growing near his monastery in 1695. 

“Behind every successful man, there is a woman”

(Mark Twain)

Kevin is ably assisted and encouraged by his wife, Viv - who is a lecturer in horticulture.
 

Written by Jude Jansen + Pictures courtesy of Viv Preston

Various reference sources used

 

Summary of Kevin's Advice
Compost : Price usually ensures quality : Mix vermiculite/perlite with sand : Warm compost before sowing e.g. house temperature
Good nutrients in soil usually means that plants are less susceptible to pests & diseases ( viral or fungal). Use manure & fertiliser such as fish, blood & bone
Seeds don't need to be chitted or soaked. Sow in deep compost 1cm apart. (Kevin uses 2 litre pot for 50 seeds). Germination is in 10days. The root system is very long. Kevin advises that seedlings be grown on in 1 litre pots with 2 seedlings
The difference to flowering between autumn & spring sown sweet peas is 2 weeks. Kevin starts to sow in the 2nd week in February
Pinch out axial shoot to encourage side shoots, where best flowers come from
Never plant out before May. If there is significant temperature variation then bud drop occurs
Bees can't pollinate flowers so seeds collected come true from parent plant
SPENCER VARIETIES	OLD FASHIONED VARIETIES Grandifloia
Only type for showing where form & Shape are essential 24” stems	Great for scent
- Have frame of vertical canes up by June - Tie shoots in with twine, as more gentle on the plant - Remove excess growth side shoots & tendrils, so aim is for show standard blooms - Once axial shoot is at the top of the cane, the whole shoot is untied, lain on the ground for 2'. Then stem is retrained vertically	Look lovely on wigwams. Once growth is at top of wigwam, wind the axial shoots back down the frame to encourage flowering to continue
Show Standard. 12 vases of different colour 15 stems per vase 24”straight stem Perfect flower formation Peak flowering 2nd /3rd week July

Japanese Maples - Thursday, 12th April 2018

Steve Valentine's talk on acers, specifically Japanese Maples, was authoritative, entertaining and affective. Steve grows his acers mainly in pots and with his care they have survived a quarter century in Shap's often harsh climate.

Sycamore

Relatives of these glorious trees are our native Field Maple (Acer campestre) and our now naturalised, taller and perhaps invasive Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Sycamores were introduced in the 1500s.

 Japanese Maples vary in size

Medium Tree – Container Specimens – Bonsai

Container Advice for Acers – the basics:

1. Ericaceous Compost 2. Good drainage crocks 3. Bubble wrap line pots if kept in cold/harsh climate 4. Spring – vine weevil preventative treatment 5. Annual spring feed & autumn tonic 6. Keep soil moist 7. No pruning except for 3 D's – Diseased / Dying / Dead plant matter

Japanese Maple Care
Do's		Don't s
Provide frost protection		Don't change pot size too often. Acers like their roots to be constricted, so only increase pot size by one. Also they are very slow growing – so expensive for a specimen
Spray foliage in dry weather		Never change pot size for bonsai. This an ancient Japanese Art
Dappled light	Very thin leaves & bark but also this gives ethereal beauty	Avoid bright sunlight
Shelter from drying winds
Feed regularly - biannual		Prune – except for 3 D's
Every 2-3 yrs, remove top soil by 2 inches & replace		Don't buy grafted acers, as the graft may be weak
Top dress pots with decorative stones. This also gives the pot weight & reduces evaporation on hot days.		NEVER add Lime

Steve's Top Six Favourite Japanese Maples are:

A. palmatum 'beni schichiheng'

green/white/cream foliage in spring

upright red form of bark / goblet shaped

changing colours

A. palmatum dissectum -'viridus'

Weeping asymmetrical habit

Tiny / dusky green

Spectacular in Autumn

Grey winter bark

A. palmatum 'beni kagami'

Gets tall if not pot grown / but slow growth

champagne glass shape

best upright

Deep red almost black in sun

A. shirasawanum aureum

“Full moon acer”

yellow/green

peripheral leaf – blood red

excellent companion in acer garden ~5'6”

 A. palmatum sango kaku

Coral red bark - winter

wine glass shape

AGM

A. palmatum osakazuki

Tiny – wee pot <15” high

Pendula – leaf like a saki cup

Gorgeous at dusk

'Quality beyond anything else'

Bark almost black

Steve Valentine is a Ceramic Artist. At Newtonrigg College, Penrith he trained as a Garden Designer and Landscaper. He is currently working at Askham Hall. He is passionate about Japanese Maples and has an extensive 25 year collection of them.

www.edgeceramics.co.uk

Steve recommends the following reference book:

Written by PMR

Various reference sources used

Heritage Plants - Thursday, 8th March 2018

This fabulously instructive talk was given by Susie White. In her Gardener's World featured garden (2014), Susie has planted her new Northumbrian garden using drifts of contemporary and heritage / antique plants. Here extremes of temperature have been recorded, -18c to 30c!

Before 2010, Susie and her husband gardened at the walled garden near Chesters and ran the Old Potting Shed Shop. The Chesters site contained national herb collections of which one was thyme.

Below is a record of thoughts about some of Susie's favourite heritage plants.

Roman herbs were used in a variety of ways:

dyes / culinary / spiritual / household

(fig leaves being used as loo paper)

Marshmallow – Althaea officinalis

Mallow was an edible vegetable among the Romans; a dish of marsh mallow was one of their delicacies! It also has soothing properties and has been used for lozenges. It was also used in the development of the sweet by the same name.

Chives - Allium schoenoprasum

Susie reminds us that the flowers themselves have a wonderful strong flavour and are decorative. Her favourite varieties are Pink Perfection & Black Isle Blush.

Marjoram - Origanum majorana

The Romans used marjoram in cooking when it's strong aroma could disguise inferior meats. It was also used for dying.

Ground Elder / Bishop's Weed - Aegopodium podagraria

Another Roman introduction! It is edible and was used to treat gout using an external wrap. Susie sees merit in this plant as a foil for roses, if you can contain it!!!

Woodruff / Baby's Breath – Galium odoratum

Woodruff indicates the presence of ancient woodlands. It contains coumarins which are present in hay. This gives the sweet smell which persists with drying. The ruff has been linked to the shape for rose windows in churches. 

Lungworts / Mary's Tears – Pulmonaria officinalis

The plant has been cultivated for centuries as a medicinal herb, the ovate spotted leaves held to be representative of diseased lungs, following the Doctrine of Signatures. In the Middle Ages, Christian doctors believed that plants similar to any body part could be used to treat illnesses in this part since God put his signature in the plant to guide mankind.

Sweet Cicely - Myrrhis odorata

This is a tall (6') herbaceous plant that is softly hairy and smells strongly of aniseed when crushed. It was used as a natural sweetner. Beware not to confuse it with hemlock which is poisonous. (Hemlock has a mousy smell).

Lady's Mantle - Alchemilla mollis et al

This is an invasive species but has wonderful foliage & flowers. To control it, cut to ground level before flowers go over. In ten days new leaves appear.

Water beads on the leaves collect in the rain. These beads of water were considered by alchemists to be the purest form of water. They used this water in their quest to turn base metal into gold, hence the name Alchemilla. 

 St. John's Wort - Hypericum perforatum

Referred to as “nature's prozac”; some studies have supported the efficacy of St John's wort as a treatment for depression in humans, but have not concluded it as a replacement for more studied treatments and proper medical consultation.

The leaves are yellow-green in colour, with scattered translucent dots of glandular tissue. The dots are conspicuous when held up to the light, giving the leaves the 'perforated' appearance to which the plant's Latin name refers. When flower buds (not the flowers themselves) or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid is produced.

Thyme

The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs". In the Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women also often gave knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thymes are best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. Susie's own experience is that Thymus longicaulis can survive in -18c

Bergamot / Scarlet Beebalm - Monarda didyma

Not to be confused with Bergamot Oranges used in perfumes and Earl Grey Tea. Bergamot is a decorative plant. It is also the natural source of the antiseptic thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas.

Remember new plant discoveries often come from the wild

e.g. Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing'

This cow parsley was discovered by Hexham botanist, John Richard. It bears clusters of tiny, cream-white flowers in contrast with lacy, dark purple foliage. It's perfect for growing in a large informal border or cottage garden scheme, and 
in meadows among ornamental grasses.

e.g. The Apothecary's Rose - Rosa gallica officinalis & Rosa mundi

As it sometimes happens, Henry II had a mistress named Jane Clifford, later renamed (according to legend) The Fair Rosamond. Henry's wife Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine got wind of this affair, concocted a poison to give her husband’s mistress, and disguised the deadly potion with the oil of the Apothecary’s Rose and R. alba. After Rosamond’s death, so the legend goes, a new rose sprouted outside the castle 
 one of both red and white stripes , called Rosa mundi. 

About Susie... 

Susie is a freelance garden writer, photographer and author. A lifelong and passionate gardener, she spent 23 years at Chesters Walled Garden on Hadrian’s Wall making it a place much loved by visitors. Here she developed her free flowing planting style, which owes much to herbs, wildflowers, childhood plants and unusual perennials.

With her husband David Oakley, she has made a new garden in a hidden valley in Northumberland. Each step was shared with readers of the English Garden magazine, in a two year long series on making a garden from scratch – featured on Gardener's World 2014.

Susie contributes to a variety of garden and travel magazines. She is the garden columnist for My Weekly magazine and has been the garden columnist for the Northumbrian magazine for eleven years.

 Written by PMR

Various reference sources used