NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTS
FUCHSIA SOCIETY
MAY 2017 NEWSLETTER
What is happening in the Garden Centre:
- The Garden centre is full of colour at the moment. Bedding plants and perennials are everywhere to be seen. Ready-made hanging pots and baskets are visible tempting the customer as soon as they walk through the door.
What is happening in the Garden:
- Fruit & Vegetables
My potatoes have reached the top of the barrels and compost bags now, so it is just a case of watering and feeding. I am really pleased as they are all looking very healthy. I gave up on my runner beans and resorted to buying some small plug plants from the local greengrocer shop in Beeston. I have planted them in a pot and training them up bamboo canes. I now have a show of 2 or 3 seedlings from my original sowings! I have transplanted my peas, leaving room for more cuttings in my greenhouse. My tomato plants need potting up and I was pleased to find a few pepper seedlings peeping through. I have had success with my flowering sprouts although, I’m not sure where to transplant them, directly into the ground or in containers? For a while, I had some carrots growing, but something (probably slugs!) has eatenthe tops which is disappointing.
- Perennials/Garden Shrubs etc
The dahlia seeds which I had previously sown are germinating. Well, I have just enough of each colour to be able to complete the survey in July. They need potting up to give them the best possible chance of survival.
I still have my hydrangeas, forsythia and hebes to pot up and a few of my Japanese anemones may have survived.
- Fuchsia Growing
I have been pinching back my fuchsias over the past fortnight and taken a large number of cuttings. Some I will have to give to our new Turkish neighbours, some will be, of course, for me and hopefully I will have some to sell at our sales events or if not at our show.
My fuchsia bonsais are looking quite good now that I have trimmed them and watered them and I can’t believe most of my standards have survived the winter!
I now need to concentrate on my baskets. I have bought a few trailing plants to compliment my fuchsias and will also be sorting out the many planters I want to do. There’s always something to do in the garden!
Today (Saturday), I went to Greenwood Bonsai Studios as there was a special event taking place. For those interested in Acers, it was a great opportunity to learn how to maintain and overwinter these spectacular trees. Slides were shown of the very expensive Bonsai trees you can find out in Japan. I have quite a few Acers in the garden in pots and find the different colours really brighten up the garden especially as they change throughout the year.
- Wildlife/Pondlife
- My pond is losing water quite badly and I am filling it regularly with tap water, which is not ideal. The water is still quite clear, but I am afraid that if I continue to fill it as I am doing, I will have a big algae problem! I think sparrows are nesting in our eaves as I found a casualty in the garden, which is sad. A few starlings are appearing in the back garden which is unusual and a pair of blackbirds continue to hover around the ivy – but still no decision made as to whether they are nesting. Bees are attracted to the aquilegias and bluebells. I haven’t identified what kind of bees they are, but will need to study them closer especially if I want to participate in an internet survey on ‘what bees frequent the garden and which ones are attracted to which plant.’
Last month, Trevor Strickland gave us a very interesting talk on fuchsias and as usual, I always learn something new. Here are a few points that I took away from last month’s talk:-
- Before any Hardy Fuchsia can be added to the BFS Hardy list, the plant needs to flower by the end of July consecutively for 5 years.
- Coir bricks are good for cutting.
- Ecogrow is a good medium for striking cuttings, but not for growing plants
- Mix Ecogrow with vermiculite or alpine grit as it opens up the compost.
- Mix Perlite with multipurpose compost, although Trevor suggests you wet Perlite first as it is very dusty.
- If you use jiffys, soak in water and then when you see the roots, take the nets off.
- take hardwood cuttings in October, especially for species
- Take cuttings early in the morning.
Plant Sale at Wollaton Park Community Centre
Thanks to everyone who visited the coffee morning held on Friday 12th May. Thanks to those who donated plants and for all the helpers. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too kind to us, but there were plenty of fuchsias to sell.
Promotional Event at Moores Nurseries – 13th & 14th May
Once again Moores Nurseries agreed to us holding a small stand and offering advice to their customers and giving us the opportunity to promote our society. Flyers were handed out and advice given. However, Moores have reduced the number of fuchsias they sell as they found last year that they didn’t sell very well.
Plant Sale at Autokarna, Wollaton Park, Nottingham – 4th June
Please note that we are holding another Plant sale at Wollaton Park. We usually do well here (depending on the weather!). We have an ideal position and attract customers as they first enter the event from the car park or when they return to their cars.
Plant Sale at Cossall Open Gardens – 11th June, 1.00p.m till 5.00p.m
This year we will be selling plants and we hope to put on some kind of display and demonstration and will be beavering away handing out our flyers advertising our meetings and our show. Come along, there will be plenty of wonderful gardens to see and Refreshments in their new Community Hall.
***If you have any plants which you’d like to donate, please let one of the committee members know. Also, better still, if you have nothing better to do, come along, we’d love to see you! ***
FUTURE SPEAKERS
It is getting more and more difficult to find Fuchsia speakers as no one is getting any younger. Therefore, in future, there may be more meetings when the subject is NOT Fuchsias, however, we can promise that they will be mostly garden related.
If anyone has any suggestions or names of any suitable speakers, please let Colin, our Speaker Co-Ordinator know.
STORAGE PROBLEMS
Attention Everyone! We need your help! Does anyone know of a suitable storage unit, possible an unused garage/lock-up where we could store our tables, gazebos etc? At the moment, our equipment is been stored at, approximately 4 different locations and after the show, this will be reducing to 3. The following are examples of what needs to be stored: -
* Fold up tables
* 2 x gazebos
* Various stands
* Signage.
If you know of anywhere suitable, please let one of the Committee members know. Thanks
OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS
Reminder: Just a quick reminder that our meetings now should start at 7.30p.m prompt. This is the time when important information is shared with the members and we would ask that we are quiet whilst the notices are given. Thank you.
NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTS FUCHSIA SOCIETY
Please note that we now have our own website, so please make a point of visiting it and let us know if you have any ideas on how we may improve it.
SHOW NEWS:
SCHEDULES
Anyone needing a schedule, please ask Keith. Whilst classes are not dissimilar to last year, it doesn’t harm having the most up to date schedule.
SHOW PLANS
As usual, I will be scouting for helpers to man stalls and assist with the preparations before the show and clearing up after the show. If you have any time to give to the society over the three days (Friday – Sunday), please let me know.
Contact Jayne Daykin for further details.
WANTED – TOMBOLA PRIZES
Again, we ask for any donations which will be suitable for our tombola which we hold at the Annual Show.
WANTED – HOMEMADE CAKES
Our cake stall proves to be really popular and does well for the society, this isn’t possible though without those cooks and bakers amongst us.
WANTED - PLANTS
Not only do we welcome any plant donations to sell at our plant sales, but also would like donations to sell on our Plant sale in August at our Annual show.
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FUNDRAISING
The easiest way for all internet users to help raise funds for our Society is simply by every time you search the Web you use easysearch. Easysearch combines results from Yahoo!, Windows MSN Live Search and Ask.com in one simple search, the address is http://nottsfuchsia.easysearch.org.uk Please try it and encourage others too. Don’t forget if you make any purchases on the internet, to go through our webshop to make sure we receive commission from the retailers (currently over 2000 well known retailers), the address is http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/nottsfuchsia .
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23 May |
Monthly Meeting: Colin Nicklin talking on Hanging Baskets in General
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23 – 27 May |
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
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7 – 11 June |
NEW! RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
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15 – 18 June |
Gardeners World LIVE, Birmingham NEC |
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27 June |
Monthly Meeting: Ian Strawson on FUCHSIAS ** Change of Speaker** |
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4 – 9 Jly |
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
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8 Jly |
Long Eaton & District Horticultural Society SUMMER Show - held at the United Reformed Church, Midland Street, Long Eaton. 10.00a.m to 4.00p.m. ADMISSION FREE
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19 – 23 Jly |
RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
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25 Jly
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Monthly Meeting: Malcolm Beerman on Fuchsia Show Talk |
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12 – 13 Aug |
Nottingham & Notts Fuchsia Show – ANNUAL SHOW at Attenborough Village Hall, Attenborough.
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22 Aug
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Monthly Meeting: Alan Soloman on Tryphillas |
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23 - 24 Sept |
RHS Malvern Autumn Show
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