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

.
/
Our next event will be "The Climate Change Garden", a talk by Sally Morgan, on Thursday 13th October 2022.
We'll also hold the member's annual  Apple Competition.
​For more information please telephone 01963 365848 / 07967 592849

 Classes for the members' Spring Competition: (April)
​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. Society -supplied Narcissus.

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.

 STALBRIDGE GARDEN SOCIETY

September 2022  Meeting.        
Following a welcome by our Chairman, this evening’s speaker was introduced; Laura and John Batt who help with fundraising at ”Prickles” rescue centre for hedgehogs in Cheddar.

All stood for a minute's silence, as very sadly Queen Elizabeth had passed away earlier that day, I don’t think that any of us could quite believe it.
​
Laura began her talk all about the wonderful life of a hedgehog. She told us the hedgehog is now in great danger of becoming extinct, unless we look after its habitat, create more hedgehog highways and put up more road signs to slow traffic down.
Prickles was started in 2007 and became a charity in 2013, to date it has rehomed 5,000 hedgehog back into the wild, which is amazing and it is one of the top rescue centres for hedgehogs in Britain.
Back in the 1950’s there were around 30 million hedgehogs but they are now in dramatic decline and only around 1 million are left. This means that they are now on the red alert list along with 22 other creatures in Britain. They could be extinct in around 10 years without our help to save them!
Facts about the humble hedgehog: - they have between 5-7 thousand spikes, curl up into a ball to defend themselves from harm, they can bounce, swim (as long as there is a rough surface for them to climb out), they are protected by law!
What do they eat: - cat food but not ones which may contain fish, dry biscuits and water, (there are quite a few companies who make hedgehog food). Spike being one of them.
Habitat: - They live and hibernate under logs, in piles of dry leaves, in hedgehog houses and in hedgerows.
Dangers: - bonfires, always check, don’t use a fork, compost heaps, don’t use sharp tools, blue slug pellets (these are now banned), strimmers, mowers, spilled antifreeze in your garage, and dogs (particularly terriers) and badgers who will easily kill a hedgehog.
A couple of other less common things that will harm or kill a hedgehog, pea and bean netting, it needs to be 12 inches from the ground, and ponds need an escape ‘beach’.
How to help hedgehogs: - Leave a wild patch in your garden: slugs and snails will collect there; leave a small hole in your fence for them to get though; build or buy a hedgehog hotel/house.
Does a hedgehog need rescuing? : - before hibernation the hedgehog should weigh 650grammes to get it through the winter. If you find one out in the day and it looks small especially late September to November, weigh it and if it’s less then 500grammes it needs to be taken to a rescue centre.
If you find one moving about in late December, or baby ones, they need to be rescued otherwise they will not survive.
Prickles is open from 9-5 daily and solely runs on donations, you can find them at www.prickleshedgehogrescue.org.uk
They work closely with the Langford Vetinary Practice so that these poorly hedgehogs can be nursed back to health.
Laura and John gave us a super talk and I’m sure” Prickles” will get some donations, and we will all find homes in our gardens for the humble hedgehog.
There was a fund raising stall with super items to buy.
The Dahlia Competition
Kindly judged by Chris Wiles, steward Geoff Jeans.
Results are as follows:-
Decorative: - 1st Geoff Jeans  2nd Michelle Howell  3rd Michelle Howell
Cactus; - 1st Geoff  2nd John Farrant
Ball: - 1st Geoff.
Thank you to all those who took part, the weather had been against this year with it being so dry for so long, then very wet.
Next month is the apple competition,  classes
Desert: 1 apple and 3;
Cooking : 1 and 3.
Thursday 13th October 7.30pm, in the Hall.
Come and join us for another interesting talk with tea/coffee and biscuits. Details above.
Autumn is a magical season with the amazing colour of the trees and shrubs, the late colour with Rudbeckia, Aster daisies, Chrysanthemums and Dahlias, and hopefully still some warm sunshine. Enjoy this time of year, and harvest the last of the vegetable and fruit.
Michelle Howell.

​Our programme for  2022 :
JANUARY     Thursday 13th:    "Gardens Far and Near"                                Mike Webber
FEBRUARY   Thursday 10th:    "Vegetable Gardening."                                David Loder
MARCH        Thursday 10th:     AGM  & Spring Competition.  "RHS Gardens"  David Moon 
APRIL            Saturday 23rd:          Members' Gardens visits 1.30pm - 4.00.pm.
MAY              Thursday 12th:    "What to Grow in my Greenhouse"  Castle Gardens Gold Club
                       Saturday 21st:      Plant Sale
JUNE             Thursday 9th:       Rose competition.  "Born in the USA."       Martin Young
JULY              Monday 11th:       Evening outing
AUGUST         Saturday 20th:    Flower and Produce Show
SEPTEMBER   Thursday 8th:     Dahlia Competition.                    "Hedgehogs"  Laura Batt         
OCTOBER      Thursday 13th:   Apple Competition     "The Climate Change Garden" Sally Morgan         
NOVEMBER   Thursday  10th:    "Plants that changed the World - or tried to!"  Marion Dale                  
DECEMBER    Thursday 8th:     Christmas buffet and Quiz                             Alan Eason​

THIS PAGE IS EDITED BY TONY MOORE FROM STALBRIDGE GARDEN SOCIETY