Recent Events For 2012
PREVIOUS YEARS' EVENTS (click on year below to see activities for that year)
2010 - 2011
2009 - 2010
2008 - 2009
| May 10 Bloom show & Tea. | ||
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Thursday, 10th May, was our Bloom show and we had changed the venue to the home of Joy Collett who very kindly opened her garden for our meeting. Cups of tea were available and members very kindly brought an array of tasty scones, cakes, sandwiches & biscuits. A number of people brought beautiful blooms along, fantastic considering the late flowering we have had this year. Joy's lovely garden was in fine fettle & was much enjoyed; A wonderfully social relaxed afternoon was spent in beautiful surroundings with much discussion of plants & planting, successes & failures! |
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Main criteria Understand what you are working with Adapt your wishes to suit your site Improve soils and drainage Select appropriate plants Use the right planting and maintenance techniques
Understand what you are Climate: rainfall and temperature range Geology: soils and underlying rock types Topography: slopes, plateaux and valleys Adapt your wishes to suit your site Dont make a water garden on a hill Aim for a dry look unless your garden is in a valley Use local materials for paving, terracing etc. Plant trees first, to create shade Design from the house out Frame views Link your garden to the wider landscape Adapt to the local climate Improve soils and drainage Good drainage is paramount for planting success in Aquitaine Cost and time effective to use mechanical help Get drainage right before improving soil Question whether soils should be improved Soil preparation - drainage Double dig to 30-40cm depth Do NOT use cultivator For large areas use a tractor and subsoiler Add sharp or river sand at 30-50% volume* *rounded, not sharp quarry sand Mechanical help Break the bank, not your back Speedy and effective Use experienced operator Store topsoil separately Have soil improvers ready Soil improvers Sandy soils: add organic matter to increase moisture and nutrient retention. Clay soils (especially where compacted around buildings): add organic matter to create structure and increase air spaces. Add one-third by volume 10cm per spit If this raises the soil level overall, this is a good thing. For really low maintenance gardens, do NOT improve soil Types of soil amelioration Peat X Topsoil X Leaf humus Mushroom compost Bark compost Manure horse, cow, pig Commercial compost **Your own compost** Select the right plants Many plants will tolerate a neutral or near-neutral soil Summer drought requires sclerophyllous plants Winter cold demands hardy plants Your plants need to be a bit of both! Three main ways of selecting plants Plant selection 1 What is growing wild around you? Garden varieties of wild plants Plant selection 2 What are your neighbours growing? Plant selection 3: choose plants from areas with similar climate Plant selection 4: tried and tested Planting and maintenance techniques Ensure that ground is clean no perennial weeds Prepare soil to ensure good drainage Make planting holes large enough Create a moat around each plant and water well Then water again; and again and then never/seldom Use little or no fertilizer after planting Mulch Leave vegetation to overwinter; tidy up in spring Prune hard When to plant Autumn best for trees and shrubs Spring is the usual time for perennials Summer OK if plants container-grown and well watered Avoid winter wet or frost How to plant Create a large enough hole for roots Ensure base of the hole is not compacted Add sand or gravel to the soil for drainage Only add fertilizer or muck if you want rapid, lush growth Year 2 - mulching Mulching suppresses weeds and helps maintain soil moisture and temperature Wide choice of materials: organic, mineral and plastic All degrade over time and must be topped up Greatly reduce garden maintenance and improve plant health Wait to use until second year to permit hoeing and watering Doesnt obviate need for some weeding Types of mulch Mushroom compost BRF (bois ramιal fragmentι) Pine bark, pine needles Shredded or chipped pine Straw Gravel Landscape fabric Newspaper Compost or shredded garden material Which mulch to choose? Depends on your purse and the size of your plants Small plants: calcareous gravels 10-30mm grain size; 10-12 cm thick Large plants: organic mulch; 20cm thick Or plant very densely, using small evergreen plants as groundcover: Artemisia, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, Dianthus, Santolina Year 2 - pruning Be tough many plants really need a firm pruning Dont prune in late autumn Dont prune too early in spring Be untidy! Leave vegetation over winter to protect crown of plants and provide a refuge for beneficial insects Watering Create a basin around each plant or group of plants Heap up soil to create basin 60cm across by 20cm deep Fill with 25 litres of water Water every 2-3 weeks during first year Tools Take care not to overload your muscles and joints trying to work on difficult soils If in doubt dont. Wait until the soil is malleable rather than damaging your wrists and back Use the right tools. The French pioche is by far the best tool for breaking up the soil, easier on the back and wrists and more effective than either a fork or spade Aide-memoire Take account of local climate, soils and topography Work with your site and surroundings Improve drainage and moisture retention, including mulches and ground cover Select drought and cold resistant plants Remember the right planting and maintenance techniques
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ROSE PRUNING AT CHATEAU DE MAREUIL |
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| On Monday morning, 5th March, a party of eight met outside the Chateau de Mareuil. Our purpose was to prune the roses which had, sadly, got out of hand. A hectic two hours followed and we hope the Duc will be pleased with the results in the summer. Afterwards we enjoyed an aperitif and tour with the Duc as guide. Those attending: M & S Harris, J & R Evans, E Laine, P Hedley-Goddard, H & M Hicken. | |
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SPRINGWATCH, 2011
We have had some feedback from Desmond Kline on our contribution to the Spring Watch 2100 as follows. Desmond says he is happy to communicate further with anyone who wants more info.
The forms that I received were useful in providing data, particularly because they contributed
to a number of mapping projects which are taking place at the moment. A considerable
proportion of the
records came from the canton of Mareuil.
Several common garden birds appeared on virtually all the sheets, confirming their general
abundance in the region. The regional atlas of breeding birds plans to show distribution
by 10km X10km squares throughout Aquitaine and so a large number of observations are
necessary. There is also a five-year study in progress in France concerning the populations of
swallows, swifts and martins which have been in very serious decline recently. Observers are
counting the nests and if possible the offspring in some communes in every department of the
country. It was good to know that there are some healthy populations here and there. News
of some less common birds was welcome, for instance the Stone Curlews and Hen Harriers
between Mareuil and Verteillac.
In France all reptiles are protected and there is also a 10 X 10km mapping
project in hand for
both reptiles and amphibians. Thus the records of snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and newts were
very opportune and served a particular purpose too.
Yet another mapping project concerns the orchids and there were several
useful references to
these including some photographs which clearly confirm identity.
With regard to the atlas data while it is usually possible to identify the
correct square by the
name of the commune and even better with the lieu-dit, the observers who included latitude
and longitude made it certain which square they are in.
Finally there are surveys of butterflies, moths and dragonflies under way
and again some
additional site data were received. All the data were informative and I convey my thanks to all
the contributors for the effort that was made.
MARCH 8th 2012 - Gardeners Question time
Report pending
AGM & Lalique Talk by Michael Hicken, held at Lusignac Salle de Fetes on Thursday, 12 January 2012.
Present:
President: Jane Evans
Vice President: Erica Laine
Treasurer: Lionel Gamon
Secretary: Sheila Harris
Membership Secretary: Gill Howl
Web Master: Richard Evans
Heather Hicken
Patricia Hedley-Goddard
Members
The Minutes of the AGM, 2011 were agreed and accepted.
Presidents Report:
Jane Evans welcomed the membership to the 2012 AGM of the Interesting Gardening Club. She thanked the Committee individually for all their help during 2011 and explained that next year would be time for re-election of the Committee. She welcomed Jan Dorling who has been co-opted onto the Committee for a trial period (on Jans behalf).
Jane continued by outlining the Interest Groups as follows:
Potagers (Veggie group) Helen Harrison has run this group very successfully and will continue on a quarterly basis.
Roses Sheila Harris has run this group and they have met during the year with a very good presentation by Michael Hicken on pruning. This group will also continue on a quarterly basis.
Trees Marc Mallender has run this group with help from Erica Laine. They have had some very informative meetings and will also continue on a quarterly basis.
Seed Bank Gill Howl has run this group and has a very wide range of seeds but there has been a very slow uptake on the seeds. Gill will have these available at the meetings where there is a book sale.
Jane asked the membership to e-mail her with more topics for Work Groups and offers to run the groups.
Benefit Days: These will continue. Jane asked those who would like a Benefit day to bear in mind that really heavy work cannot be undertaken as there are usually more women amongst the volunteers and that non of us are getting any younger. All other jobs, within reason, could be entertained.
Jane continued with a breakdown of the past years events:
January: Karin Webber gave a presentation on the planting of local roundabouts with some lovely photographs by Karin and Richard Evans.
February: Katie Butler gave a very interesting talk, as always, on Vegetables.
March: Michael Hicken on Roses a very valuable talk and practical pruning demonstration.
April: Spring Watch inspiring talk by Desmond Kime on the rich biodiversity of Aquitaine. The Committee will ascertain exactly where we are with the results of the Spring Watch.
May: Marc Mallender presented very ably how he re-established the garden at Wortley Hall.
June: Visit to the ferme auberge Le Maine Meunier a very lovely lunch in lovely surroundings.
September: Visit to the Abbaye de Fontaine Vive at Grosbot with a delicious cream tea.
October: Newish Gardens Group excellent presentation by Janet Skea, Patricia Hedley-Goddard, Rosemary Robinson & Alex Vining on the development of their gardens.
November: Katie Butler on Soft Fruit as usual, a very informative talk. Everyone learnt from this presentation.
December: Christmas Party & Raffle + a lovely talk, beautifully illustrated, on Marianne North by Janet Skea. The raffle raised 163 and this has been donated to the French Red Cross.
Jane concluded by thanking last, but not least, the members for their input and support.
3 Treasurers Report
Lionel Gamon, the Treasurer, presented his report (a copy of which were presented to each of the members at the meeting).
The Treasurers report was proposed by Michael Hicken and seconded by Sheila Harris.
A vote was taken to accept the Treasurers report and was carried unanimously.
4 Subscription Charge & Voluntary Contribution
Lionel proposed that the subscription should become 10 a head across the board and that the voluntary contribution for each meeting should remain at 1. This was proposed by Julian Roberts and seconded by Alan Foreman. A vote was taken and was carried unanimously.
5 2012 Future Events
Jane outlined the forthcoming events for 2012:
9 February: Gardeners Question Time with Marc Mallender, Gill Howl + one other with Erica Laine as Question Master.
8 March: Wild Flowers & Herbs Katie Butler
12 April: Visit to Bamboisier near Charras with picnic or cream tea at Abbaye de Fontaine Vive near Charras.
10 May: Blooming Show at the Hickens with tea. Any kind of flower details to be announced.
14 June: Paula Cragg talking about, & at, Le Maine Meunier with a lunch at 12 a head.
No meetings in July and August.
Jane made a plea
to the members to always be on the lookout for new speakers and put their
names forward. Jane thanked everyone for their support.