Category: Horticultural Society

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Ken Mine’s ‘Garden Jobs’ – July to September

JULY
Flowers
Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as autumn crocuses, Colchicum, Sternbergia, Amaryllis and Nerine, can be planted now.
Divide spring-flowering plants such as Irises now or during the next two months.Take cuttings of patio and container plants ready for next year. Last chance to sow biennials for next year – Sweet William, Wallflowers and Foxgloves.
Pinks and carnations that have become leggy can be propagated by layering or by cuttings. Propagation can improve the appearance of untidy clumps.
Prop up tall perennials such as lupins, delphiniums and gladioli if staking was neglected earlier in the season.
Liquid feed containerised plants and keep well-watered in dry spells.
Some late-flowering border perennials may benefit from a quick-acting feed before they come into bloom, especially if the soil is not very fertile.
Agapanthus thrive in sunny spots and free-draining soil where they won’t be overshadowed by taller plants.
Start collecting seed from plants you want to grow next year, especially annuals such as Calendula, poppies and love-in-a-mist.
Inspect lilies for the scarlet lily beetle whose larvae can strip plants in days. Pick off any you spot by hand.
In dry weather a silvery white coating may appear on the leaves of plants such as clematis, roses and Lonicera, caused by the fungus powdery mildew. Although it’s unsightly, it’s not usually harmful to plants.
Continue reading “Ken Mine’s ‘Garden Jobs’ – July to September”

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Driftwood Gardens Visit

Those wanting to join the Hadlow Down Horticultural Society car trip to the remarkable Driftwood Gardens on Thursday 16th. June need to let Heather Mines know by Saturday 11th.
May be an image of flower, tree and outdoors
The inclusive price for entrance and reputedly excellent refreshments is £11.50. Please contact Heather at heathermines2@hotmail.com or on 07974204231 to confirm.
All meet at the gardens located at 4, Marine Drive Seaford BN25 2RS at 10.30 am.
An article about the gardens from BBC Gardeners World Magazine can be viewed at
http://www.geoffstonebanks.co.uk/media/gwmay2021.pdf
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HS Spring Supper Talk

The Spring Supper Talk
is next Wednesday 13th. April 6.30 pm for 7.00pm
‘From City Courtyard to Seaside Sanctuary’
Speaker: Geoff Stonebanks
Tickets are limited to 40 but there are still some left. Please contact Kathy Cracknell by email or phone 01825 830616 ASAP if you wish to enjoy this village evening of an excellent meal, glass of wine and an extremely interesting illustrated talk on a very special Sussex garden.
£8 each members only.
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Members Turn Out for Horticultural Society AGM

There was a good turnout of members for this year’s Horticultural Society AGM held in the Village Hall this morning (29/3/22)
The chair was taken by Kathy Cracknell in the absence of Heather Mines due to illness.  Thanks were proposed to retiring members of the committee, Peter Noble, who has done an excellent job over the past few years as treasurer and Penny Eliot who has managed the Annual Show for many years.  Kathy has taken on the task of managing this year’s show. as well as continuing in her role as Membership Secretary.
An interesting programme  has been drawn up for this year including the traditional two supper talks, the first being on Wednesday13th. April.  The illustrated talk will be ‘From City Courtyard to Seaside Sanctuary’ by Geoff Stonebanks to whose wonderfully interesting garden ‘Driftwood’ a group car visit has been arranged for members on Thursday 16th. June.  The Autumn Supper talk will be ‘The Importance of Wildlife Ponds in Our Environment’ by ‘Pete the Pond’.
As well as the group car visit to ‘Driftwood’ there will be another to Merriments Garden in July.
This years annual Show will take place on Saturday 6th. August.
Full details of the show Categories, Rules and Entry Forms will be available to see and download here, on the Hort.Soc’s  village web page shortly.
Future activity programmes will be compiled by the collective committee.
More contact details can be found on the HS Village web page:
http://www.hadlowdown.com/category/village-life/clubs-and-societies/horticultural-society/
or Contact Kathy for membership details etc on 01825 830616
kathy.cracknell48 @gmail.com

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Horticultural Society AGM

Due to differing lifestyle reasons social activity within communities is constantly changing. The internet and social media have had significant influence on pastimes and use of leisure time over the last twenty years with shared ideas, discussion, debate and activity taking place from a home environment rather than a hub of collective interest in an exterior venue at regular daily, weekly, monthly or other intervals. These social habit changes can affect smaller rural communities more than others and collective interests are more likely to be of subjects that are inherently part of daily life.
One common entity in most homes in a village like Hadlow Down is a garden.
Our village gardens vary enormously, some being spread over several acres others just the size of an average living room. They are used in many ways including aesthetic, functional, and recreational reasons.   Whatever the preferred usage of the garden somewhere in it will almost certainly be some flowers and perhaps shrubs and trees the beauty of which give great pleasure, also sometimes the reward of home grown vegetables. There is often a passion to share the attraction and experience of what is created in one’s own garden with others.
Hadlow Down Horticultural Society is a lively group that has been flourishing for almost thirty years. There are around 60 members who enjoy sharing knowledge and seeing other gardens.  Two evenings a year they have a supper followed by a talk from a visiting lecturer. they often have car outings to interesting gardens in easy reach of Hadlow Down.   In Spring there is usually a ‘Bring and Buy’ plant sale and the highlight of the year is the annual Flower Show in August.
Membership entitles discounts at several local nurseries.
The Horticultural Society Annual General Meeting
will take place on:

TUESDAY 29th MARCH 2022
IN HADLOW DOWN VILLAGE HALL
10 a.m. for   10.30
(Coffee will be available)

All villagers are welcome – come along, have a coffee, perhaps make new friends and find out more about the gardens of Hadlow Down.
More information can be found on the village web page:
http://www.hadlowdown.com/category/village-life/clubs-and-societies/horticultural-society/
or you may like to be part of the Hadlow Down Gardening Facebook Club::
https://www.facebook.com/groups/258004872958565

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The Garden – December by Ken Mines

2021 has been a challenging year for gardeners. (Predictive text offered “rotten year – even better! ). The cold spring followed by spells of heat, drought, night-time frosts and torrential rain left us and our plants puzzled as to what on earth to do for the best. Many seeds sown in the garden failed to germinate. Sowing in modules in the greenhouse is more reliable but we still had failures during the heatwave when the compost dried out quicker than we could rewet it. The difficulties were shared by many of you as illustrated by the greatly reduced number of entries to our August Annual Horticultural Show.   Continue reading “The Garden – December by Ken Mines”

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Mavis Farrer

It is with sadness that we learn of the peaceful passing of Mavis Farrer, on November 2nd.  at the age of 98 .
For many years Mavis, past resident of Hadlow Down and wife of the late John, mother of Alison and Simon, grandmother and great grandmother. was a key member of the Variety Club and the Horticultural  Society as well as being a co-editor of the Parish Magazine.
The funeral is to be held at St. Phillip’s Church, Ticehurst Road, Burwash, Burwash Weald, UK, TN19 7NA at 11 am on Friday November 26th..