June 2017
28/06/17 21:52
KIRTON AND FALKENHAM GARDENERS CLUB
July visit - Perfect Perennials Nursery, Earl Stonham Stowmarket IP14 5HY
Meet at Nursery 7.00pm, cars from green 6.15pm.
June visit - Miracle-Gro Company, Levington - In our sixteen plus years since the club’s formation we have been very fortunate with weather for our evening visits, only one complete wash out. So true to form a pleasant June evening welcomed 60 club members to the old Levington Research station, since 1977 the home of the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Coy, now Everris and part of ICL.
We were met by Alison who gave us an excellent conducted tour of the 20 acres site.
Today Scotts has a vast product range, from plant feeds and lawn care products to the many growing media/composts and, of course, not forgetting weed killers which include Roundup and Weedol. After the tour we were treated to delicious cakes and drinks and some free products to use in our gardens.
July visit - our July visit is to Perfect Perennials nursery Earl Stonham, IP14 5HY.
Perfect Perrenials is a plant nursery located in the heart of the Suffolk countryside specialising in perennials. Virtually all plants are raised on site and of course there will be a chance to buy. We meet at the nursery at 7.00pm but if you require a lift be at the green by 6.15pm.
August visit - there is a change to our programme for August when we will now visit Berhhersh Place, Witnesham , IP6 9EZ, entrance off B1077 just north of Witnesham village. Berghersh Place is a peaceful walled and hedged garden around a Regency house among fields above the river Fynn valley. There are ponds, bog area, orchard and informal family gardens with wildlife. Berghersh Place is open under NGS. More details with times in the August review.
Summer Garden Party - July is a busy month and we kick off on Saturday 8th. July with our members’ summer garden party which this year will be hosted by Diane and Mick Elmes at 41, Westmorland Road , Felixstowe, 2.00 - 4.00 pm.
The party will take the usual form, teas, cakes and strawberries and cream, and the chance to see Mick’s garden. Traditionally this is the members’ treat and there is no charge but Diane and Mick support a number of charities and there will be the chance to make a donation on the day to St. Elizabeth Hospice.
Summer outing – July is also the month for our summer outing and on Wednesday 26th. July we set off for William Dyson’s famed Great Comp garden in Kent where we have a conducted tour before going on to visit Tom Hart-Dyke’s World Garden at Lullingstone Castle where again we have a conducted tour. Refreshments are available at both venues. Our coach will leave the green at 8.30 am, returning 6.00pm.
.
More on the club’s origins – Dick had decided that we should have an annual summer outing and after the first year’s successful trip to Hyde Hall many memorable days out followed including visits to East Ruston Old Vicarage, RHS Wisley, Sissinghurst, Kew Gardens, Great Dixter, Cambridge Botanical, Barnesdale, Coton Manor and Pensthorpe. It was on the way home from Wisley that Jo and Alma suggested we make a trip to Monets , an idea that was met with general derision and suggestions that they may have spent too much time in the sun! However they found some support . Dick was having nothing to do with a foreign venture so the International Committee was born. Initially a few seats were booked with Ledger Tours but this very quickly became a full coach and the May bank holiday weekend 2004 witnessed our first venture to Euroland taking in Monets, Fontenbleau, Versailles and Vaux le Vicomte. Ledgers guide for the trip was an unknown Belgian Johan Serpetiers who joined us at Calais. More of this next month.
Meanwhile on the home front in our second year the club successfully hosted BBC Radio’s Gardener’s Question Time and the lovely Lesley Dolphin, and a strong membership of 100 plus allowed the club to pursue a policy of booking top speakers.
Tales from the Allotments
It was inevitable, I suppose, that after a spell of drought through March, April and May nature would balance things up and as I write these notes we have recorded some three inches of rain in a week, with steady rain falling non stop for twenty two hours in early June. Soft fruit looks good and Spring crops such as beans , carrots and beet have recovered from the dry spell. Black fly has been a trouble again this year, you could normally avoid this by sowing in the autumn and nipping out the tender shoots in May but it has not worked this year and last so maybe the fly has got wise!
After the rain of course the weeds and we have to keep the hoe employed. Be careful with onions and shallots as they do not like their roots being disturbed which can cause white rot.
Roy Mallett 616
July visit - Perfect Perennials Nursery, Earl Stonham Stowmarket IP14 5HY
Meet at Nursery 7.00pm, cars from green 6.15pm.
June visit - Miracle-Gro Company, Levington - In our sixteen plus years since the club’s formation we have been very fortunate with weather for our evening visits, only one complete wash out. So true to form a pleasant June evening welcomed 60 club members to the old Levington Research station, since 1977 the home of the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Coy, now Everris and part of ICL.
We were met by Alison who gave us an excellent conducted tour of the 20 acres site.
Today Scotts has a vast product range, from plant feeds and lawn care products to the many growing media/composts and, of course, not forgetting weed killers which include Roundup and Weedol. After the tour we were treated to delicious cakes and drinks and some free products to use in our gardens.
July visit - our July visit is to Perfect Perennials nursery Earl Stonham, IP14 5HY.
Perfect Perrenials is a plant nursery located in the heart of the Suffolk countryside specialising in perennials. Virtually all plants are raised on site and of course there will be a chance to buy. We meet at the nursery at 7.00pm but if you require a lift be at the green by 6.15pm.
August visit - there is a change to our programme for August when we will now visit Berhhersh Place, Witnesham , IP6 9EZ, entrance off B1077 just north of Witnesham village. Berghersh Place is a peaceful walled and hedged garden around a Regency house among fields above the river Fynn valley. There are ponds, bog area, orchard and informal family gardens with wildlife. Berghersh Place is open under NGS. More details with times in the August review.
Summer Garden Party - July is a busy month and we kick off on Saturday 8th. July with our members’ summer garden party which this year will be hosted by Diane and Mick Elmes at 41, Westmorland Road , Felixstowe, 2.00 - 4.00 pm.
The party will take the usual form, teas, cakes and strawberries and cream, and the chance to see Mick’s garden. Traditionally this is the members’ treat and there is no charge but Diane and Mick support a number of charities and there will be the chance to make a donation on the day to St. Elizabeth Hospice.
Summer outing – July is also the month for our summer outing and on Wednesday 26th. July we set off for William Dyson’s famed Great Comp garden in Kent where we have a conducted tour before going on to visit Tom Hart-Dyke’s World Garden at Lullingstone Castle where again we have a conducted tour. Refreshments are available at both venues. Our coach will leave the green at 8.30 am, returning 6.00pm.
.
More on the club’s origins – Dick had decided that we should have an annual summer outing and after the first year’s successful trip to Hyde Hall many memorable days out followed including visits to East Ruston Old Vicarage, RHS Wisley, Sissinghurst, Kew Gardens, Great Dixter, Cambridge Botanical, Barnesdale, Coton Manor and Pensthorpe. It was on the way home from Wisley that Jo and Alma suggested we make a trip to Monets , an idea that was met with general derision and suggestions that they may have spent too much time in the sun! However they found some support . Dick was having nothing to do with a foreign venture so the International Committee was born. Initially a few seats were booked with Ledger Tours but this very quickly became a full coach and the May bank holiday weekend 2004 witnessed our first venture to Euroland taking in Monets, Fontenbleau, Versailles and Vaux le Vicomte. Ledgers guide for the trip was an unknown Belgian Johan Serpetiers who joined us at Calais. More of this next month.
Meanwhile on the home front in our second year the club successfully hosted BBC Radio’s Gardener’s Question Time and the lovely Lesley Dolphin, and a strong membership of 100 plus allowed the club to pursue a policy of booking top speakers.
Tales from the Allotments
It was inevitable, I suppose, that after a spell of drought through March, April and May nature would balance things up and as I write these notes we have recorded some three inches of rain in a week, with steady rain falling non stop for twenty two hours in early June. Soft fruit looks good and Spring crops such as beans , carrots and beet have recovered from the dry spell. Black fly has been a trouble again this year, you could normally avoid this by sowing in the autumn and nipping out the tender shoots in May but it has not worked this year and last so maybe the fly has got wise!
After the rain of course the weeds and we have to keep the hoe employed. Be careful with onions and shallots as they do not like their roots being disturbed which can cause white rot.
Roy Mallett 616
