Stalbridge Gardening Society

ESTABLISHED 1892

Our Society was formed in the 1890's, with annual spring plant sales, and summer “Garden Produce and Craft Shows".
The Society meets monthly, mainly on the second Thursday evening of each month at at 7.30.pm. at Stalbridge Hall, DT10 2NF, mainly with visiting speakers. (See 2023 schedule below). In July, the meeting is replaced with an evening outing for a garden visit. December's meeting is often a social evening with a sometimes garden related quiz!

You may be surprised to see Stalbridge residents' gardens and individual features on the Facebook page "Stalbridge Gardens Photos". Stalbridge residents are very welcome to post photos on the Facebook Page.

Stalbridge Garden Photos

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Our next event will be Thursday 9th November, when the speaker, Roy Cheek will speak about "Low Maintenance Gardens".

For more information please telephone 01963 362631

Classes for the members' Spring Competition: (March)
1. DAFFODILS - 3 blooms of trumpet daffodils, the trumpet to be as long or longer than the petals.
2. LARGE CUP NARCISSI - 3 blooms of narcissi, the cup to be less than the length of the petals, but more than one third the length.
3. SMALL CUP NARCISSI - 3 blooms of narcissi, the cup to be less than one-third the length of the petals.
4. NARCISSI - 6 blooms of one or more varieties of narcissi, arranged with their own foliage.
5. MINIATURE DAFFODILS - 5 blooms of any variety
6. SPRING BULBS - growing in a pot or a bowl.
7. CUT SPRING FLOWERS - a vase or bowl of any cut spring flowers other than narcissi, number optional.
8. SPRING BULBS - one variety of cut flowers, other than narcissi.
9. Single Narcissus growing in a pot (bulb supplied by the Society).

Rose Competition: (June)
Class 1. A single Rose.
Class 2. A stem of cluster roses.

Dahlia Competition: (September) Four classes:
Decorative;
Cactus/semiCactus;
Ball;
Pompom.

Apple Competition: (October) four classes: Desert, 1 apple or 3. Cookers, 1 apple or 3.

Our programme for  2023 :
12th JANUARY Christmas Dinner
9th FEBRUARY "The Remarkable Trees of Stourhead" (Emily Utgren) 9th MARCH   AGM & Spring Competition. (See above for nine classes.)
13th APRIL   "Companion Planting" (Mike Burks, of Gold Club)
22nd April Visit to a garden in Penselwood.
11th MAY   "Wild Flowers and Cultivated Plots" (Richard Warren)
13th MAY     Plant Sale
8th JUNE   "Walking in May's Wood" (Linda Lamon)
Rose competition.
(TBA) JULY   Evening outing
10th AUGUST "How to Exhibit" (Chris Wiles)
19th AUGUST      Flower and Produce Show
9th SEPTEMBER Members' Open Gardens
14th SEPTEMBER "From Nothing to Something" (Tony Davies)
  Dahlia Competition.
12th OCTOBER   "Coping with Too Much Water" (Sally Morgan)
  Apple Competition
9th NOVEMBER   "Low Maintenance Gardens" (Roy Cheek)
14th DECEMBER   Christmas Buffet and Quiz (Martin Young)

Monthly meeting report: October 2023
Coping with too much water - presented by Sally Morgan

I'm a botanist with a life-long interest in gardening, especially growing interesting and quirky plants. I spent several years researching habitat restoration and establishing plants in recycled aggregates which is proving very useful now! As well as writing and editing, I teach growing and smallholder courses (www.empirefarm.co.uk) and have a blog site (www.livingononeacreorless.co.uk)
Today the UK is 1.0 C warmer than between1961- 1990. This is average temperatures and resulting in earlier Springs and later Autumns

February 2020 was the wettest in the UK since 1862
May 2020 was the driest on record
May 2021 was the coldest on record
June 2023 was the warmest on record.

The summers are becoming drier the winters are wetter, 12% wetter than the years 1960 – 1990.
5 million properties are at risk of flooding – that is 1 in 6.
2.4 million properties are at immediate risk of flooding.

What we need to do with excess surface water- we need to spread it out onto to the ground in a controllable way using sustainable drainage systems ( SuDs) which contain and distribute surface water running off from properties. It is no longer permissable to cover front gardens with impermeable layers without planning consent from the council due to many urban areas extensively doing this & causing localised flooding.
Drainage swales are being used in land development designs to divert stormwater run-off usually to a waterway, a storm water management basin. A drainage swale is often also referred to as a ditch or a grass channel and is located in open grass areas or along the side of a road or driveway.
What can we do in our own gardens?
Observe where the water is coming from, flowing, and collecting. Slow it down.

Green roofs – can be constructed on any flat roof and needs to be 15cm thick with a waterproof membrane and slight incline.
Water butts everyone should have one or a few to collect and redirect water. On the IOW the butts have a pipe ½ way down which gradually releases the water down the drain when it reaches that level rather than all at once.
Rain gardens – which are constructed with permeable surfaces such as gravel, shale, cobbles with mortar and often contain a French drain, edged with low growing plants. These are designed to hold water for short periods of time & similar to building a pond, but the hole is back filled with the soil. Water will collect there when it rains and populated by plants which tolerate waterlogged roots. These are being designed in many urban areas and are effective in managing water surges to prevent localised flooding on pavements and streets.
Swales
No dig allotments are able to hold a lot of water whilst maintaining their nutrients in the soil.

A resilient garden-
Uses raised beds gravel paths swales planting of trees and shrubs and dead heading.

Community action-
What if a whole street slowed down water? We could hold back water and prevent localised flooding.
Flood alert!

Lift pots, bags, equipment, fuel & chemicals off the ground.
Unplug electricals
Turn off water supply to the garden
Secure cold frames, fruit cages, furniture.
Net ponds so fish are not swept away.
Weigh down manholes
Harvest edible crops.

After the flood
Waterlogged & anaerobic soils and flood damaged plants -

Cut away dead stems and prune
Feed once new growth appears.
Dig up valuable plants wash and replant elsewhere.

Footnote:
Wendy Allen website is informative about capturing water for schools and has online courses.
Rain Gardens in Schools — Wendy Allen Designs

Rose competition entries

Our Garden Society helps Stalbridge Junior School to plant a tree to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023!

THIS PAGE IS EDITED BY TONY MOORE FROM STALBRIDGE GARDEN SOCIETY