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 2022 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

Stalbridge Garden Society Invites all Stalbridge residents to enter our HANGING BASKET COMPETITION 2023 for the William Dike Memorial Cup, kindly sponsored (and judged) by Dike & Son Ltd, presenting Vouchers for the winners (at the Stalbridge Garden Show on Aug 19th).
Closing date for entries 5.00pm Friday 28th July 2023. 
Competition entry forms will be available in local shops from Monday 26th June.
ENTRIES ARE FREE!

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Our next event will be on Thursday 8th June 2023 at 7.30.pm at Stalbridge Hall: Speaker, Linda Lamon on "Walking in May's Wood".


​For more information please telephone 07967 592849

 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)                          ​

Notes taken on the 13th of April 2023
 
Companion Planting. Gold Club
Speaker: Steve Fry on behalf of Mike Burks from the Castle Gardens group
 
Steve started his talk saying that companion planting is a huge subject and was commonplace 2000 years ago when space was a premium and survival was paramount.
Intercropping is another way of describing this method of growing, where slower growing crops are grown between faster growing ones and the ground is fully utilised.
See “gardenmyths.com” for more information.
Over the last decade where the use of chemicals has reduced, promoted by the friendly growing gardener in the drive of being more eco-friendly, companion planting has taken on a new interest.
Healthy soil needs companion planting not a monoculture which strips the soil of its integrity and nutrients.
A Californian university has studied that even within the same species a greater variety of crops grown reduces the number of aphids particularly evidenced in the growing of broccoli.
There are several benefits for companion planting:

1. Pest & disease control
2. Natural insect repellent.
3. Anti microbe thiapins
4. Natural fungal control.
5. Attracting pests/ predators (decoy plants)
6. Enhancing crops (attracting pollinators)
7. Providing shelter & support.
8. Soil enhancer- living mulches.

 
Beneficial companion plants. -
Foxgloves            Poached egg plants (Nemesis)
Parsnips               Garlic
Virgin mustard 119
Horseradish        Mint
White clover.
Artemisia                                                                                            
Nasturtiums (peach melba)
Lavender
Marigolds / Tagetes
“Grazer” formulas are effective nonchemical based remedies. G2 has been shown to deter slugs & snails.
Onions and carrots grown together deter the onion and carrot fly. 
​
Thanks to Tracy Hannam for this record.

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





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THIS PAGE IS EDITED BY TONY MOORE FROM STALBRIDGE GARDEN SOCIETY