NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTS

                                                 FUCHSIA SOCIETY 

What is happening in the Garden Centre: 

Spring is definitely on the way.  Spring bulbs are in the Garden Centre: snowdrops and daffodils. Shrubs are looking healthy with new growth showing, tempting the customer.  There are also plenty of seeds, so if you are planning to sow seeds this year, there’s plenty of choice, either at the Garden Centre or in the mail order catalogues that continually get posted through your door. 

What is happening in the Garden: 

• Fruit & Vegetables

I’ve started to weed my small (very small!) vegetable plot and haven’t been anywhere near the yucca.  I’ve cleared a few of my pots where I planted my runner beans last year – I’m sure I need to plant them somewhere different this year. I still need to look through my seeds but it’s too early to sow as I have nowhere to store them, all my greenhouses are full of fuchsias! 

• Perennials/Garden Shrubs etc

I’ve planted two Actinidia kolomikta, one each side of my arch to appease the blackbirds, who were not happy at all about me removing the ivy.  I hope they approve! 

Having spent the afternoon out in the garden today (Saturday), I was pleased to see new growth on so many of my shrubs – ribes; kerria japonica; camellia; hazel. 

I’ve pruned back my Buddleias and given my roses a prune, hopefully they will bush out better this year. 

• Fuchsia Growing

On mild days, (and when I remember!), I open up my greenhouses, allowing fresh air to circulate.  Unfortunately, some plants have suffered from Botrytis – I’ve been cutting back the affected bits in the hope they may recover.  Unfortunately a lot of my young plants have perished. 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, there are plenty of new shoots emerging on my 5” pot plants which is promising, so will be considering giving them a small prune next month.  I have been watering them (sparingly) with tepid water to encourage growth.

• Wildlife/Pondlife

As I have previously mentioned, I have been out in the garden this weekend, mainly weeding and was joined by our ever faithful robins.  It’s amazing how close they get.  I had to stop and admire as one robin found a grub and dutifully fed it to his mate. The robins are never far away, even when I go to the composter at the end of the garden, they escort me down and back! 

We’ve had several visits from some long-tailed tits, who now come quite close to the patio door and look in! The sparrows continue to visit the front bird feeders and the blackbirds have been pecking away at the berries on the pyracantha.  I do try to consider wildlife when buying plants and shrubs as it is important to us that our garden is wildlife friendly.  That is why I participate in the RSPB Birdwatch every year.  However, I think the birds have a sixth sense, or a very cruel sense of humour!  I sat at our bedroom window solidly for one hour, not just the once but twice, for a chance to spot a bird in our garden.  It was very disappointing!  Any other time we’d see plenty, but not during RSPB Birdwatch weekend – it’s as if they knew and stayed away on purpose! 

Last month, Peter Cooke talked to us on the Flora of South Africa.  It was interesting to find out that so many of the plants we grow in the garden originate from South Africa.... 

South African Plants grown in the UK: - 

March – time to look at the schedule; check if there have been any changes.  WARNING – this year we have revamped the schedule.  It has been aligned, as near as we were able, to the BFS Annual show schedule, therefore, a majority of class numbers have changed.   

**Please, please ensure you obtain a new schedule.** 

- Ensure you know the ‘stopping dates etc’ to ensure your exhibit is at its best on show day.

- Clean your pots

- Plan ahead - It is a good time to consider which classes you want to enter and with which cultivar/plant: 

When choosing a cultivar, why not consider the popular ones that appear on the show bench.  Carol Gubler, produces a list every year. I have quoted the last 2 years: - 

TOP TEN FUCHSIAS

        2016                                                                                                       2017

1    I’m in Charge                                                                       Lynne Patricia

2.   Lynne Patricia                                                                      Lyndon

3.   Lyndon                                                                                Ann Reid

4.   Lillian Annetts                                                                      Shatzey B

5.   London 2000                                                                        Toby S

6.   Elma                                                                                   Alison Patricia

7    Border Raider                                                                      Angela King

8    Alison Patricia                                                                      Lillian Annetts

9.   Wigan Peer                                                                         London 2000

10. Ernie                                                                                   Boogie Woogie

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO EXHIBIT AT ONE OF THE BFS SHOWS, PLEASE NOTE: – TO CELEBRATE THE SOCIETY’S 80^th ANNIVERSARY, 3 NEW CLASSES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BFS SCHEDULES THIS YEAR: -

- One Pot – a plant of the cultivar ‘Phyllis’ grown in any shape or form – Any Size Pot 

- One Pot – a plant of the cultivar ‘Lady Boothby’ grown in any shape or form – Any Size Pot 

- One Pot – any cultivar with no more than two stops grown from a current years cutting – Any Size Pot 

NEW CULTIVARS 2018 

As usual, there are around a dozen new cultivars introduced this year – but I just want to mention two! 

THELMA COPESTAKE – a new cultivar, named after Thelma, a long standing member of our society, a past committee member and friend. Whilst the cultivar is available at Little Brook Nurseries, Lyndon has spent a lot of time and energy liaising with Jacksons nursery, who have agreed to propagate the cultivars and thus should be available from their nursery this year. The cultivar has an upright growth, mid green leaves and red stems. The medium sized single flowers have rose tubes and sepals and a violet quarter flared corolla. 

TIA CLEMENTS – named after Lyndon’s grand-daughter. A new introduction from Arnold Nicholls; it is a free flowering single with a white tube, white sepals with a hint of pink and a white corolla. 

Let’s hope we see these two on the show-bench soon!

NEWSLETTER

If anyone wants any item included in the Newsletter, please let me know, either at a meeting, or phone me on Tel: 0115 8758928, or email: jayne.daykin@ntlworld.com  I will gladly include any article or event in the Newsletter.  

Also, if anyone would rather I send them an electronic copy, please let me know. 

Remember: It is YOUR newsletter. 

If anyone has been searching for a long lost fuchsia, then why not ask your friends at the society!  The Noticeboard will now be on show at our monthly meetings, and at the bottom of your newsletter, there is a form.  Complete and attach to the noticeboard. Simple