Newsletter October / Autumn 2017 President’s Page

The Friendly Gardening Club

AUTUMN 2017 Newsletter Article President’s Message Yet another wet day so a further delay in tidying up my allotment but it does give me a good opportunity to prepare this latest article. Hopefully you have all had an enjoyable summer with plenty of good garden visits and great success with your growing. This year results seem to have been very mixed caused mainly, I believe, by a very hot early period then quite a lot of rain throughout August. I’m never satisfied! I am really delighted the Summer Show was so successful. Those of you who visited will have witnessed an excellent display throughout the hall. We had more entries and individual entrants than for many years. All of the judges were very complimentary. There was a steady flow of visitors all the afternoon which will have helped us make a modest surplus. As I know from many years of involvement this event takes a great deal of effort in planning and all the week of the show. Most of this success is down to Yvonne and her happy band of helpers. On behalf of the Society I thank Yvonne and everyone who helped her. I also thank everyone who donated items for all stalls and provided sponsorship. Already it is necessary to start thinking about the 2018 show and I am pleased to be able to tell you Yvonne has agreed to continue as Show Manager. The proposed date is August 11th and will again be held in the War Memorial Hall. On your behalf I thank Yvonne for continuing in this important role. The programme of speakers will provide a good variety of horticultural information and I look forward to your support. Our Annual General Meeting will as usual take place in November. Those of you who already have their membership cards will know this will again be followed by our own question time. A good panel is being organised so all we need will be some challenging questions to make this worthwhile. I am sure the AGM will not take too long. On your behalf I thank all of the committee for their dedicated efforts through the year to make sure Broadstone Horticultural Society continues to be a good friendly society. Long may it continue! However, one very important and serious request for you all to consider. Sheila has decided it is time for her to stand down as Secretary, so we will be urgently seeking her replacement. Whilst obviously the role of secretary is important there is plenty of guidance to help and I am sure Sheila will happily also outline what is required. We have about six meetings a year together with the AGM and obviously a modest knowledge of computer use will be needed. Your help will be much appreciated. If anyone would like more detail please speak to either Denise or myself. Many thanks for all your support and good gardening. Robin Hill

Telephone 01202 695873

GARDENING JOBS FOR THE AUTUMN One of the main jobs is to keep the leaves raked up. It is much easier to do this regularly rather than leaving it until the lawn is covered! Try not to just bin them. If you have room store them in a pile in a corner somewhere and let them rot down. If you haven’t got room then store them in black plastic bags, perforated. In a couple of years you will have some lovely leaf mould to add to the soil. Only use healthy leaves. Anything which is diseased should be binned or burnt. If you grow Fuchsias, inspect them before they drop their leaves. If the tips look curled up and distorted then the plant almost certainly has fuchsia gall mite. It has become quite rampant in the last couple of years. You have a couple of choices, dig them up and preferably burn them, or cut them hard back. It will probably return next year, it usually appears about midsummer. You could visit the British Fuchsia Society website which has more information. If you have grown Dahlias and Cannas they should be lifted after the leaves have been blackened by frost, though in recent years we haven’t had many of these. Shake the soil from the roots and store in a frost free spot. Now is a good time to plant any new shrubs or trees while there is still some warmth in the ground. Plant daffodil bulbs and most others now but keep tulips back until November. If buying new varieties, check the flowering dates to extend the flowering season. Cut back tall flowering roses and shrubs like Buddleia by about half to prevent them being rocked by wind and complete their pruning in Spring. If you have a vegetable garden, dig over any bare earth. If you have a problem with weeds, cover the soil with some old carpet or black plastic to keep out the light as this will help to stop them shooting. Denise Hill ***********************************************************************************************************************************

Northbrook NurseryYour local, small Garden Nursery, run by one of our members, Margaret, selling mostly hardy perennials, including varieties of old favourites, including Rudbeckia, Helenium, Eryngium, Lobelia, Salvia and a selection of interesting and unusual new plants. Very Competitive prices. Open April to October,Wednesday - Friday, 10-4.Visitors by appointment very welcome. Enquiries..Tel: 01202 695256. [email protected] Website...www.northbrooknursery.co.uk Come and pay us a visit! Mail order available. **Broadstone Horticultural Society members..10% discount on production of valid membership card** Also remember that Society members receive 10% discount, on production of their membership card at: Naked Cross Nursery, Waterloo Road, Corfe Mullen, at Knoll Gardens, Stapehill, and at Brackendale Nurseries,Three Legged Cross, if spending £10 or more. (All have good websites). Use this facility, as it helps the Garden centre but also raises awareness of our society. ************************************************************************************************************************************** The Hedgehog got its name because of its peculiar foraging habits. They root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of their favourite food – small creatures such as insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. As it moves through the hedges it emits pig-like grunts — thus, the name hedgehog. Avoid slug pellets – considered number one enemy to hedgehog survival in a typical garden. ************************************************************************************************************************************** When deciding on where to place your Bird Boxes, think of the sunlight it will be exposed to: the best direction is either north or east Birds will need a clear flight path to the entrance and if you tilt the box slightly forward, it will help stop rain driving into the nest If the ground directly below the box is naked, consider planting a shrub underneath (where possible). Fledglings leaving the nest may fall and this will offer them some cushioning and somewhere to hide if predators are watching. If possible, plant something thorny as this will deter the predators. Bird feeders and Nest Boxes need to be well removed from each other to reduce predation rates. Space permitting, it is recommended that they should be 40m apart. Nesting birds attract a lot of attention from predators, such as cats, squirrels and magpies, who find the eggs, fledglings and the parents a very tasty meal. Songbirds do not have a strong sense of smell or taste, so one way of deterring predators is to spray hot pepper sprays or natural products with strong smells. They can be applied to the entrance holes, on the roof or nearby plants. Also remove perches, use a hole restrictor, fit a longer roof or a piece of PVC pipe attached over the entrance of the bird box.

Club Visits / Social events Around thirty members and friends went on what is almost an annual trip to Wisley, in mid September. Weather was reasonable for most of the day but the rains came on the way home, when we were safely in the coach. On arrival at Wisley, the first impression was ‘What are they doing?’ but the copious information boards showed the extensive plans developing what will become a new entrance, visitor centre, restaurant and lecture blocks .Fifteen months to go and then it should be open. The gardens were typically full of flowering plants and shrubs and a special exhibition of sixty metal sculptures dotted around the gardens which made an interesting route to follow. Also Ben Turner who spoke at the September meeting had referred to the cacti greenhouses where he had taken several late night photos and there they were with some examples!

If you have been to Wisley, then you will appreciate the changing seasons always provoke something different of interest on each visit. We were impressed by the fruit trees, especially some apples each weighing in at more than a pound in weight. It was also a bizarre relief to note that even Wisley were still having problems with algae and blanket weed in their ponds! There is so much to see that the five hours passes quickly but a mention of the large walk through hot houses which never fail to amaze and inspire!

Gardening Club Website:

Phil is a bit concerned at the low number of ‘hits’, on the Society website! Please have a look! It is there for your use and information. There are lots of previous articles and photos to look at so give it a try! It can be accessed via: www.broadstonehortsoc.blogspot.co.uk (If you have "links disabled" in your email you will be asked to "enable the link. Enable for "this link only") If you then add it to your “Favourites” it will allow you to go straight to the website without the need to type in the Web address each time. Any problems contact Phil Webster on [email protected] ***************************************************************************************************************************************

Please complement your garden with wildlife: Make space for water A pond (without fish) will support a wide range of animals and provide a place for amphibians and dragonflies to breed, as well as becoming a focal point for wildlife within your garden. If a pond is not practical, go for a simple bird bath or pebble fountain to provide drinking water. Leave perennials uncut until the spring The seed heads look amazing when covered in frost and provide valuable food for birds and other animals through the winter. Many perennials also have hollow stems that provide valuable shelter for over-wintering insects. Compost your organic kitchen and garden waste in the garden The compost heap will provide welcome food and shelter for a host of animals, including hedgehogs and grass snakes, and provide a year-round source of food for insectivorous animals. The compost also provides a free source of mulch and soil conditioner for your garden. Grow climbing plants against bare walls, fences and trellises to create new vertical habitat Climbers provide great cover and food for birds, insects and mammals. Climbing plants can also help add privacy to your garden and disguise unsightly sheds and boring walls. Set trellises 10cm from the wall or fence to allow ample room for nests. Leave dead wood Dead wood is a valuable habitat that supports a wide range of invertebrates, as well as providing shelter for amphibians and small mammals. You can collect cut or wind-blown wood and pile it up in shady corners, or use larger limbs and stumps to create an interesting sculptural feature. Bird, bat and hedgehog boxes Bird, bat and hedgehog boxes provide valuable nesting, roosting, sheltering and hibernation opportunities, and it’s not just for the larger animals. Invertebrates can also benefit from the provision of shelter. Collecting together some hollow stemmed plants and placing them in a quiet corner of your garden will also help. Feed the birds with nuts, mixed seeds, scraps and fat balls If you start feeding, keep it up through the year, and always ensure any bird tables or feeders are kept clean. Make sure these feeders are close to shrubs and trees for cover and near enough to the house so you can enjoy the daily dramas. Leave parts of your lawn uncut Leave part of your lawn uncut, perhaps where it borders a native hedge or runs down to the compost bin. Long grass is great for small animals like grasshoppers, beetles and young amphibians and provides cover for small mammals out foraging at night. Grasses are also important food sources for the caterpillars of some butterflies. Also consider introducing some wildflowers to these areas to increase diversity. Use mulches to control weeds where you can Reduce your use of chemicals in the garden by encouraging predators of common garden pests - frogs, toads and song thrushes all eat slugs and ladybirds, and lacewings love greenflies. Encourage and develop a balance in your garden through planting a wide range of plants (some of which could be disease or pest resistant) in varied ‘habitats’. Grow plenty of different nectar-rich plants Try to include as many plants as possible that will provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinators throughout the flowering seasons. Having a variety of flower-types is important in order to cater for the different insect species. Consider too having some native shrubs or trees for the caterpillars of many moth and butterfly species, while just a patch of nettles is ideal for the most common garden butterfly species. Lastly... Think about where things you buy for your garden have come from - check that plants are not sourced from the wild and that container-grown plants are not grown using peat-based composts. Make your views known to the shops you use to buy plants.

.............................................................................................................................................................................. Annual Subscriptions of £5 for the next year were due on 1st September 2017: and may be sent with Cash or by Cheque payable to: Broadstone Horticultural Society to: Rita Smith, Membership Secretary 14 Whitby Ave. Broadstone, BH18 8HN Tel: 01202 604769 Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss Initials…………

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e.mail address: : ......................................................................................................................... Payment on a meeting evening is very acceptable.

Attached below are the Annual Accounts of the Society, for year ended 31st August 2017, together with a short report from the Treasurer. Should you have any comments or queries then please contact him. BROADSTONE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Report to Accounts for Year Ended 31st August 2017 The Summer Show for 2017 made a profit of £103 and generated a greater steady, footfall than the previous year. This was a very pleasing result and the show generated a lot of flattering comments, justifying al the hard work. Income from Subscriptions, Entry fees to the monthly meetings and Raffles were slightly down, but the Plant Stall ( Bring and Buy), Books and a small profit on the lunches helped to partly offset this. The Expenses categories were all pretty much in line with the previous year or lower, and the ‘Outings ‘ broke even, and if the higher Income and Expenditure from the previous year were discounted then overall the costs year on year are very similar. Donations of £275 were made in the year to : Rising Voices £50 Diverse Abilities £50 RBL Broadstone £50 Broadstone in Bloom £50 Perrenial £75 and a further £22 was paid to various organisations for Table Hire for the Show, making £297 in total. At the date of preparing these Accounts the invoice for Show Hall Hire had not been received but was estimated at the level of the previous year, £200. Similarly interest on the Nationwide Building Society was credited well after the Accounts were prepared, and therefore no interest received has been shown, so we have a bonanza of £7.90p to be credited to the Accounts for the current year. Overall the Society made a loss of £123 in the year, but we have Bank and Building Society cash balances of £3332. At year end there was a Debtor £395 for Coach Hire for the September 2017 trip to Wisley, and Creditors were held for deposits on this trip £120 and the Show Hall Hire £200. Overall the Society is in good shape, due to the careful monitoring of costs by the Committee. My thanks go to Grahame Willis for his thorough audit and advice. Christopher Ballard Treasurer 24th September 2017

Any comments or contributions to the Newsletter are welcome to: Chris and Edwina Ballard, 01202 269608 / [email protected]

At all our meetings: Please note that all members and guests Must give their names when paying the entrance fee on entry to each meeting, so we have a record of all attendees in the event of a fire or incident.