A large and enthusiastic audience attended our March meeting, including some new members and visitors who were particularly welcome.
The well-stocked information table included leaflets giving details of NGS garden openings in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and a number of other publications of interest to keen gardeners.
Our speaker Geoff Hodge is a prolific garden writer and author of several books for the RHS. He is also an extremely busy lecturer and broadcaster. His topic for the meeting was “ Pruning – Making it simple”. His talk began with a live survey of pruning tools and timely advice on the importance of sharpening and caring for our tools. He then went on to explain the theory and practice of good pruning. He empathised the four Ds – that is “ cut out the dead, dying, diseased and damaged”! The theory behind the promotion of flowering in flowering shrubs was covered, with advice on the right timing for pruning for winter, spring and summer flowers. Geoff also advised on the perennial question of the correct pruning for the different groups of clematis. All of this invaluable advice was peppered with jokes and informality that was much appreciated by the audience, and Geoff completed the evening by answering a good number of questions.
At our next meeting in April, the Michael Jefferson-Brown Spring Flowering Bulb Competition will take place. Members are encouraged to bring either a pot of flowering bulbs, corms or tubers or a vase of cut flowers grown from bulbs corms or tubers. The speaker will be Charles Dowding and his topic is “ Growing vegetables without digging”.
Our meetings start at 7pm with free coffee and biscuits. Membership is £12 a year. (Visitors are very welcome – there is a small charge of £4)
PLEASE NOTE: our April meeting is on the second Monday of the month –
MONDAY 8TH APRIL.
Meg Taylor