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COLINTON GARDEN CLUB
NEWSLETTER NO 90 April 2010

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Coming soon...

Monday 26th April, 8 p.m.
Colinton Garden Club AGM

Come along and find out how the club has been doing this year and what our plans are for 2010/11

See below for further details of these events:

Evening Open Garden -
Monday 10th. May, 6.30 – 8.00 pm

Open Gardens –
Sat. 12th June
10.00-12 noon

Summer outing
Sat. 10th July

Isobel Lodge writes:

Suntrap’s Open Day will take place on

Sunday 23rd May from 10.30am to 4.30pm

There will be guided tours of the garden, garden demonstrations and advice, plant sales, activities for children, refreshments and home baking provided by the Friends of Suntrap.

Suntrap is at
43 Gogarbank, Edinburgh EH12 9BY, which is between Heriot-Watt University park-and-ride (on the A71) and the European HQ of RBS (on the A8)

Telephone
0131 339 2891 and more information is available at
www.suntrap-garden.org.uk

Friends of Suntrap plan a range of outings to local gardens in Scotland – see Isobel Lodge at one of Colinton Garden Club’s forthcoming meetings and events for more details.

From the pen of our Chair…

Dear Friends

In late March, in this part of “Upper-Colinton” the snowdrops and crocus were still in full flower, which is a visible reminder that we are having to wait longer this year for our hedges to show some green and our gardens to burst into bloom.

However, it is not only the coming of warmth to which we look forward. We can also celebrate the return of light. One morning, a couple of weeks ago, with a quickening of our senses we saw that the light was tinged with gold, the air was clearer and the colours brighter, a sure sign of the promise of Spring. At our meeting on 22nd February, Iain Silver treated us to an expertly illustrated account of “Growing and Showing” Roses, a foretaste of the summer to come. The following morning greeted us with a sunny but frosty -6°C. Twelve of us went to the new John Hope Gateway in the Botanics, for a Scottish breakfast, and a talk from Alan Bennell about this aspirational new facility. Entertained by Alan and fortified by breakfast, we sallied forth with Siobhan on the guided snowdrop walk, which turned us all into galanthophiles (snowdrop lovers). We felt that this format of “mini-excursion”, where up to 20 members can share transport and visit a local attraction, with the Club arranging to be met and be given an introductory talk should be repeated. I will make some suggestions at the AGM.

That night it snowed throughout and then at intervals during the following week. The snowdrops we had enjoyed only hours before were out of bounds for several days and once again the weather demonstrated its hold over us.

Our new projector screen, researched and negotiated by Jim Murray has met with the approval of members – and speakers. We used it first for “Roses” and it came into its own when Stan da Prato spoke to us on “Birds in your Garden” on March 22nd. Here we had not only close-up pictures of birds but also recordings of bird song, complemented by Stan’s knowledgeable commentary and dry humour.

Our next meeting is the AGM on April 26thToo often, AGM’s are viewed as dry affairs, but not the Garden Club’s. It is your chance to hear the bigger picture, and those of us presenting will keep it
moving and use photographs as appropriate, followed by a little social get-together afterwards.

On the practical side our enthusiastic Pallet Gardens team, with Christine Ireland, is hard at work creating the exhibit for the Gardening Scotland Exhibition at Ingliston from June 4th – June 6th. They are creative and clever so we wish them good luck in aiming to repeat the Gold Medal we were awarded last year.

The Garden Club does not adjourn for the summer: We move up a gear into the “Outdoor Season”, where we have three popular events. See the separate panels for details. The Evening Open Garden will be on Monday 10th May, in the garden of Ian and Mary Stewart in Balerno, where you will enjoy a wealth of rhododendron. It is important that we respect the rules about parking. (See the information overleaf).

The Open Gardens event will be held on Saturday 12th June and will be in Munro Drive, in the garden of Pat and George Edwards, and in Fernielaw Avenue, the garden of Penny and Ian McKee. We would welcome other gardens in the vicinity (please contact me).

I am sure you will join me in conveying the appreciation of us all to the Stewarts, Edwards and McKees for their generosity in opening their gardens for our enjoyment. It expresses the spirit of Colinton as a whole and of the Garden Club in particular.

Other initiatives we have been involved with concern the Bonaly Gateway project, arising through Murdo McEwan registering Bonaly Park as deserving support from Bovril’s Great Outdoors Revival campaign. We have made the short list and are waiting to hear the decision, but whatever happens, we have renewed liaison with the Pentland Rangers, the Colinton Amenity Association and the Friends of the Pentlands which can only result in more effective working together to the benefit of our environment.

Our Club year runs from September 1st to August 31st. Though this is not the last event, it is the last newsletter of the year. Without pre-empting the discussion at the AGM, the Committee and I thank you all for your loyalty and support. Membership is growing and events are well attended, which indicate that you value what the Club has to offer. Thank you.

Happy Gardening and enjoy the summer!

Christopher Davies

Event

Annual General Meeting

Evening Open Garden
(see here for details)

Open Gardens Morning
(see here for details)

Gardening Scotland
Come along and support the Garden Club’s Pallet Garden entry!
Further information:
www.gardeningscotland.com

Summer Outing
(see here for details)