Newsletter October 2011

W.I. Market Place & Café
5th November 10am – 12.30

You are all very welcome to the W.I. Market Place and Café on the above date.

The Gardening Club will have a table on which you will be able to purchase a selection of beautiful pots of hyacinths and other bulbs, ideal for presents!! 

We will also be having a Mini Plant Sale, so if you have any plants, indoor or outdoor, please bring them along to our next meeting on the 20th October or contact Lisa on the above details.

FAREWELL & HELLO MR PRESIDENT

We would all like to welcome and congratulate Roy Bartram on taking up the position of President of the Ashdon Gardening Club. 

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Alan Bidwell on his fantastic service to the Gardening Club as President over the last few years and hope he has many good memories.

ASHDON GARDENING SHOW 2012
TO BE THE LAST ONE!

It is the sad duty of the committee to inform you that the Ashdon Gardening Show 2012 in its current form is to be our last one, and therefore we hope to make it the best one ever!

So speak to Roy about your seeds, get those cookery books out, and those needle work kits out over the winter and we look forward to seeing you in August next year!!

Ashdon Gardening Club - Speakers for the rest of the year!

October 20th - Mr Andrew Sankey-Smith:  A Brief History of the English Garden

November 17th - Mr Rodney Tibbs:  Cambridge College Gardens

As always there will be a Questions & Answers session at 7.45pm, a raffle, bring & buy stall and refreshments.  More details will be given nearer the time.

Anglesey Abbey - Garden Study Morning: Making the most of Winter Plants

12 December 2011 10:00am   Price: All Tickets £15
Discover the Winter Gardens through the eyes of Head Gardener, Richard Todd. - Find out how to tackle winter colour and structure, and pick up top tips to ensure your garden has the winter wow factor. More Information: Administrator, 01223 810080, angleseyabbey@nationaltrust.org.uk

October at a glance for the garden

General garden tasks –

• Tidy borders lightly, clearing weeds and cutting down flower stems
• Compost all green rubbish generated by clearing the garden.  Don’t put woody material on the compost heap unless they are put through a shredder and never put the roots of perennial weeds into your compost bin

Lawns –

• Make a new lawn by laying turf
• Reduce the frequency of mowing and clear piles of dead leaves from the lawn to stop the grass turning yellow
• Carry out autumn lawn care if you haven’t done it yet

Trees, shrubs and climbers –

• Plant container-grown trees, shrubs, climbers and roses
• Check tree ties
• Cut back tall shrubs if necessary
• Prune late-flowering climbing roses and repeat-flowering old-fashioned roses
• Trim privet hedges

Flowers –

• Remove fallen leaves from the crowns of plants to prevent rotting
• Continue replacing summer bedding with winter and spring bedding as the flowers come to an end
• Lift tender perennials and tender bulbs and bring indoors
• Continue planting spring bulbs

Patios and containers –

• Plant winter and spring bedding and spring bulbs in containers
• Containers will need occasional watering but aim to keep the compost just moist rather than wet

Vegetables and herbs –

• Gather to store or use fresh: sprouts, leeks, autumn cauliflowers, main crop potatoes, carrots, parsnips and pumpkins
• Once the veg patch is cleared carry out winter digging
• Pant spring cabbage and overwintering onion sets.  Also plant garlic towards the end of the month or next month.

Fruit –

• Create new strawberry beds and plant young plants raised from this year’s runners.
• Prepare for new fruit trees and plant if conditions allow
• Pick apples and pears for storing mid-month

Under cover –

• Have a good clear out of the greenhouse and prepare for cold weather
• Bring frost tender plants in for the winter
• Reduce the amount of water given to greenhouse plants as the nights get colder and the growth rate slows
• Sow early annuals
• Plant tulips, hyacinths and narcissus in containers
• Remove any greenhouse shading

Ponds –

• Clear out the pond: cut down dead and dying leaves of marginal plants, remove floating water plants, scoop out excess sludge from the bottom and cover the pond with netting.