COLINTON GARDEN CLUB
NEWSLETTER NO 74 April 2006

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Coming soon..

Monday 24th. April 2006
at 8.00 p.m.
Annual General Meeting
in Dreghorn Loan Hall.

Your chance to hear reports and enjoy a glass of wine or soft drink

Start dividing up plants and making cuttings for the Plant Sale now!
Make the sale a success.

Saturday
10th. June 2006
10a.m. till -12.30

Open Gardens and Plant Sale

The following gardens will be open:

Vivienne and Jim MacPhail,
15 Fernielaw Avenue
including plant sale and tea/ coffee

(on the right side of the road, just opposite West Carnethy Ave.)

Janet and Bill Munro,
Fernielaw House,
35 Fernielaw Avenue

(on the right side of the road, opposite Munro Drive)

Anne Duncan
1 Bonaly Road

(on the left side of the road, just after Grant Avenue)

As ever we are really grateful to these members for opening their gardens

See you there!

Summer Outing

Saturday 8th. July 2006
8.45 a.m. - 5.45 p.m.

This year we will be visiting the Borders.
We will be going to:

Manderston, Duns – an Edwardian stately home with 56 acres of gardens (morning tea/coffee provided)

Netherbyres, Eyemouth – with its elliptic walled garden

Edrom Nursery, Coldingham – a fascinating nursery

The bus will leave sharp from Westgarth Avenue (opp. tennis courts) and the cost is £17.50 – tickets available at the AGM or from Chris Davies (441 2152) or Jonathan Davey (441 2827)

From the pen of our Chair...

“Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour”

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

Cruel Winter with his icy cloak has lingered long and drags his feet as he shuffles towards Spring.

In my garden, the daffodils huddle and shiver under the wall afraid to lift their faces to the fickle sun while the blue and pink pulmonarias slink under the vigorous vinca. Just a few hours of exquisite sunshine lull-ed us with false warmth and how we long for true Spring! It will come. It must come. And then we gardeners can begin to look forward to the glories of summer.

Despite the vicious weather, the Garden Club meetings have been well attended. On 27th February, Peter Levy gave us an overview of climate change and how this might affect gardening in the future. This seems daunting since, in Scotland, we may face an Ice Age or a Mediterranean climate! He provided us with some profound ref-lection.

Our recent meeting at the end of March dazzled us with photo-graphs of the exotic cast of peonies. Billy Carruthers of Binny Plants gave us such a vivid description, we could almost smell the musky scents. Many members bought plants so we look forward to seeing them performing in the gardens of Colinton.

On April Fool’s Day, 14 “nae fools”, Colinton members gathered at the Botanics for a workshop on plant division. The sun provided a little warmth in the walled nursery. The birds sang and our trusty leader had to avoid the attentions of a buzzing bee as he showed us layering of a flowering rhododendron. The instruction was excellent and involved practical application , though he did the heavy digging of the herbaceous plants which we then tore apart with forks and hands to pot up on the benches.

Needless to say, those attending bore away many, many pots of cuttings. In fact one member remarked Colinton Garden Club resembled a jolly swarm of locusts so if you think the Botanics looks a little depleted….? The plant stalls in Colinton should look good, this year!

This is perhaps the appropriate time to remind you of the Open Gardens and Plant Sale which will take place on 10th June in the area of Bonaly Road and Fernielaw. There will be three gardens to view as well as the plant sale, and tea and coffee will be available. This is always a lovely occasion whatever the weather and I would encourage new mem-bers to come. Please prepare your cuttings and plant divisions for the sale as this is an opportunity to exchange plants and enhance Club funds. This year, we have a plethora of riches; an extra treat in store, as our member, Alex Kerr has offered to open his garden at 7, Observatory Road for an evening visit on Monday 29th May at 6.30pm.

The other highlight of our summer programme is our outing on 8th July which will be to gardens in the Borders and may include three gardens. Due to our slightly reduced income with the absence of an autumn fertiliser order, it has been decided that funds should no longer be used to subsidise events. The price of tickets for the outing will therefore represent a realistic reflection of costs and will be a little dearer than on previous occasions. This is a very popular event, and always very enjoyable. Please buy your tickets at the next meeting, or contact Christopher Davies on 441 2152 or Jonathan Davey on 441 2827.

Scotland’s Gardens Show takes place at Ingliston on the first weekend in June. It promises many “good-ies” but also provides an opportunity for clubs to participate in a pallet garden competition. This year, these will be displayed inside and outside the Floral Hall. Colinton Garden Club created a micro Colinton in last year’s competition. This year, we are participating again and already the group has turned its creative talents to planning and is in the process of developing another idea. We are still looking for members for the group so if you would like to contribute, please do not be shy and contact me as soon as possible.

I am very excited as, this year, Colinton will have its name on two exhibits in the pallet gardens: Colinton Primary School Club is also entering a garden so “the parent plant and its offshoot” have been entered in the comp-etition. We would be grateful for members’ help with both of these projects.

The School Club started again in the middle of February and our last session took place on 30th March. Johanna Carrie and I have continued to run the Club with the help of Alison Carr who is one of the teachers. There were 19 children at the first few sessions though inevitably there has been some decline in numbers but the Head Teacher has told us that in her view we have a very good regular attendance.

We have been limited in our activities due to the weather but have had garden quizzes (almost as difficult as those at the Xmas Party!); making paper flowers; the science of seeds; taking cuttings from indoor plants; planting carrot tops, avocado, cress etc.; and potting on plug plants and planting seeds. On the only warm, sunny afternoon, we had a treasure hunt for bark rubbings and various nuts/seeds etc. in the Gallolee Woods. The children are enthusiastic and are looking forward to next term when we can do more outside. They have already drawn some plans of pallet gardens though we will have to help them develop one distinct idea.

The next meeting of Colinton Garden Club will be the A.G.M. on 24th April. Although those currently in office will remain in their roles until September, there are three members who will not seek re-election at the A.G.M. Sadly, after six years, Mitchell Maclean has come to the end of his tenure of office under the constitution and wishes to take his retiral. Mitchell has guarded the Club finances with zeal and we have been lucky to benefit from his considerable professional expertise. He has sustained the Committee with his commitment, hard work, unfailing good humour and wit and I have appreciated his support throughout my time as chairperson. Indeed, I think I could not have functioned without his loyalty and help. Due to pressure of work, James Smith has found it necessary to withdraw from the post of implements officer and we are sad that his time with us has been so short. I am delighted to be able to report that Christopher Davies has agreed to stand for election as Chairperson and I know I will be able to hand the baton to a very capable successor who will take the Club in new directions with his drive and enthusiasm.

I have loved my period as Chair with a wonderful Committee and stimulating and friendly membership, but I did only agree to an inter regnum of one year. I am pleased to say the other members of the Committee are seeking re-election though there will be some changes in roles. Gill Perry has kindly agreed to take over responsibility for the tools. I am delighted that Alasdair Ferguson has agreed to take over as Secretary, and Jo McEwan has agreed to become the Treasurer. Although Jonathan Davey is willing to stay on the Committee, he is unable to make the same commitment and will continue in an advisory capacity. The role of Programme Convenor is therefore vacant. As members will know, Jonathan has provided an invaluable service to the Club in organising many superb talks, workshops and outings. At this point in time, we have two nominations for the three vacancies on the Committee.

The Committee wish to nominate two very special persons as honorary members. Margaret McDougall and Carol Lumsdon have done sterling service on the Club’s behalf for many years, organising and serving refreshments on every occasion and helping in a number of different ways. They have been our unsung heroines and now we would like to recognise this.

I hope you will continue to support your Club and look forward to seeing you at the A.G.M. when you will have an opportunity to express your views and make suggestions. Please make it lively. Wine and soft drinks will be available and it is an opportunity to socialise in a congenial atmosphere.

Isobel Lodge

Chairperson

Christian Aid Spring Fair – Garden Stall

The Christian Aid Spring Fair will be held in Dreghorn Loan Hall on Saturday 13th. May 2006 from 10.00 a.m. till 12 noon. The garden stall offers a varied selection of outdoor and indoor plants at well below garden centre prices. Donations of plants for this good cause are always gratefully received, and should be handed in on the morning of the sale at the Hall, or on evenings prior to the sale to Bryan Dale at 19 Dreghorn Loan.

Just to give you advance warning that this annual gardening and outdoor living show will be taking place again at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh from Friday 2nd June to Sunday 4th June. There will be the well established Floral Hall, show gardens, displays, patio and garden ideas and fun for the whole family.

Colinton Garden Club is planning to take an active part by competing in the Pallet Garden Competition. Anyone with creative ideas or practical construction skills please let us know, so that we can start construction! The Garden Club School Club will also be exhibiting a Pallet Garden under the auspices of Colinton Garden Club.

Entrance to Gardening Scotland costs £14 on Friday 2nd June, £12 on the other days. You can save £2 by booking in advance. Phone 0906 701 2000 or book on line www.gardeningscotland.com