ESTABLISHED 1892
Our 2019 Programme of Talks, outings and events
JANUARY |
Thursday 10th "Space & Climate Change" Tony Davies |
FEBRUARY |
Thursday 14th "Snowdrops" Lyn Miles |
MARCH |
Thursday 14th "Dahlias" Geoff Jeans AGM and SPRING SHOW |
APRIL |
Thursday 11th "Bonsai Spring Care" Tony Moore |
MAY |
Thursday 9th "How to impress the photographic Judge" Bob Indge Saturday 11th SPRING PLANT & JUMBLE SALE – Stalbridge Hall, 10.30am. |
JUNE |
Thursday 13th "From Garden boy to Woodland Supervisor" Geoff Greenhaugh ROSE COMPETITION |
JULY |
Thursday 11th Evening Outing |
AUGUST |
Thursday 8th "Preparing Flowers & Produce for the Show" Geoff Jeans et al Saturday 17th ANNUAL PRODUCE & FLOWER SHOW, Stalbridge Hall, 2.30pm |
SEPTEMBER |
Thursday 12th "Clematis" Heather & Chris Robinson DAHLIA COMPETITION |
OCTOBER |
Thursday 10th "Seeds & More Plants for Free" Neil Lovesey APPLE COMPETITION |
NOVEMBER |
Thursday 14th "Gardens of World War 1" Christine Stones |
DECEMBER |
Thursday 12th Home Grown Quiz and CHRISTMAS BUFFET |
Please note our Annual Produce and Flower Show will be on Saturday 17th August 2019.
Our Plant and Jumble Sale will be on Saturday 11th May 2019.
Our Plant and Jumble Sale will be on Saturday 11th May 2019.
APRIL 2019 Meeting.
Tony Moore our Chairman welcomed everyone to our April meeting, any notices were read out, and the members were reminded about the “Spring Plant and Jumble Sale”, which is on Saturday 11th May at 10a.m in the hall. Lots of help needed for our yearly fund raising event please! Donations to the Hall from 9am – 10.am on the day please.
The talk this evening was our very own Tony Moore on “Bonsai Spring Care”, Tony has spent several years growing, shaping/styling and tending his many outdoor Bonsai trees, which are fantastic!
He told us how he picked up a pine cone one day whilst collecting his daughter from school. He put the cone onto the radiator and a week later lots of seed had fallen out: he potted these up and they all germinated, that was the beginning of his Bonsai collecting!
Bonsai trees were used in China to decorate carnival floats, for Royalty, this goes back to the 4th century.
Great Britain’s interest in bonsai trees began just after the Second World War. These mini ancient trees are now being grown in lots of countries, they can cost a few pounds or be very expensive to buy.
Tony told us when was the best time to prune, and repot your bonsai; most trees grow their fastest in their first ten years and need repotting every year during that period.
Feeding, your tree, with seaweed extract or tomato feed works well, keep your plants well-watered, not saturated, and if they dry out in the growing season, they may not recover.
Repotting is best done in February/March or April, no later, as the buds will be forming and if the tree is disturbed during the growing period, it may suffer, although some trees are best repotted after flowering.
Tony explained that the growing medium he uses is, leaf mould, peat free medium, and 1/ 3 to ½ grit so that it is free draining.
Tony finished the evening with a demonstration on how to repot a bonsai, by removing most of the compost from the plant roots, then reducing the root ball so that it will fit into the bonsai pot. This was a wonderful insight into the world of bonsai trees, we all enjoyed it, and I am sure has inspired some of us to purchase a bonsai and see what creation we might achieve! Even win a prize at the annual show. Thank you Tony.
Thank you also to the late Bev Hall’s husband for making a truly beautiful trophy from wood, for the” Best Rose exhibit” at our annual show.
Next month the talk is “How to impress the photographic judge”, with Bob Indge Thursday 9th May 7.30 pm at the hall.
If you have any plants, seedlings, garden tools, brick –a-brac, jumble, books, DVD’s or are able to make a cake for our plant and jumble sale on the 11th May, please bring it to the hall for 9am. Thank you.
The weather is warming a little so it is now time to plant out sweet peas, broad beans, put in seed potatoes, and sow lots in the green house or on a window ledge.
Enjoy the spring colour, tulips and blossom are a wonderful spring sight at the moment.
Michelle Howell
Tony Moore our Chairman welcomed everyone to our April meeting, any notices were read out, and the members were reminded about the “Spring Plant and Jumble Sale”, which is on Saturday 11th May at 10a.m in the hall. Lots of help needed for our yearly fund raising event please! Donations to the Hall from 9am – 10.am on the day please.
The talk this evening was our very own Tony Moore on “Bonsai Spring Care”, Tony has spent several years growing, shaping/styling and tending his many outdoor Bonsai trees, which are fantastic!
He told us how he picked up a pine cone one day whilst collecting his daughter from school. He put the cone onto the radiator and a week later lots of seed had fallen out: he potted these up and they all germinated, that was the beginning of his Bonsai collecting!
Bonsai trees were used in China to decorate carnival floats, for Royalty, this goes back to the 4th century.
Great Britain’s interest in bonsai trees began just after the Second World War. These mini ancient trees are now being grown in lots of countries, they can cost a few pounds or be very expensive to buy.
Tony told us when was the best time to prune, and repot your bonsai; most trees grow their fastest in their first ten years and need repotting every year during that period.
Feeding, your tree, with seaweed extract or tomato feed works well, keep your plants well-watered, not saturated, and if they dry out in the growing season, they may not recover.
Repotting is best done in February/March or April, no later, as the buds will be forming and if the tree is disturbed during the growing period, it may suffer, although some trees are best repotted after flowering.
Tony explained that the growing medium he uses is, leaf mould, peat free medium, and 1/ 3 to ½ grit so that it is free draining.
Tony finished the evening with a demonstration on how to repot a bonsai, by removing most of the compost from the plant roots, then reducing the root ball so that it will fit into the bonsai pot. This was a wonderful insight into the world of bonsai trees, we all enjoyed it, and I am sure has inspired some of us to purchase a bonsai and see what creation we might achieve! Even win a prize at the annual show. Thank you Tony.
Thank you also to the late Bev Hall’s husband for making a truly beautiful trophy from wood, for the” Best Rose exhibit” at our annual show.
Next month the talk is “How to impress the photographic judge”, with Bob Indge Thursday 9th May 7.30 pm at the hall.
If you have any plants, seedlings, garden tools, brick –a-brac, jumble, books, DVD’s or are able to make a cake for our plant and jumble sale on the 11th May, please bring it to the hall for 9am. Thank you.
The weather is warming a little so it is now time to plant out sweet peas, broad beans, put in seed potatoes, and sow lots in the green house or on a window ledge.
Enjoy the spring colour, tulips and blossom are a wonderful spring sight at the moment.
Michelle Howell
The Society, established in 1892, meets on the second Thursday of each month
in Stalbridge Hall at 7.30.pm
in Stalbridge Hall at 7.30.pm
Why not come and join us?
We would love to see you.
Annual subscription £10.00
or just come as a visitor for £2 per evening.
Each month we have a talk by an expert
on an aspect of gardening or garden related topic.
Alongside some of our talks we hold
season-related informal competitions.
Just come along,
or for more information please telephone:
Tony: 01963 365848
We would love to see you.
Annual subscription £10.00
or just come as a visitor for £2 per evening.
Each month we have a talk by an expert
on an aspect of gardening or garden related topic.
Alongside some of our talks we hold
season-related informal competitions.
Just come along,
or for more information please telephone:
Tony: 01963 365848
Look at the map below to see where the Hall is in Stalbridge
