COLINTON GARDEN CLUB
NEWSLETTER NO 79 August 2007

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Please note:

The membership renewal form for the new session is attached to this newsletter…

Please complete and return to Membership Secretary
Colin Whitehead

Next Meeting

The first meeting of the new session is on Monday 24th. September 2007 at 8.00 p.m.

Winter fertiliser order

A blank order form is enclosed with this newsletter. Please pass your completed form to Dawn Ellis by Monday 24th September 2007.

Garden Club Library

Gill Perry writes:

The club benefits from an extremely well stocked library, and we’ll be adding some new items in time for the new session, so make sure to have a look at the first meeting.

Don't forget to bring back to the September meeting the books you've had out over the summer – and thank you for your support!

Thank You!

A big thank you once again to those members who hand-deliver the newsletters. They help us to keep your subscription rates down by saving us postage costs. We try to keep our members database up to date but if you ever fail to receive a newsletter, please contact the Secretary, Alasdair Ferguson, on 0131 477 0178, or e-mail:
secretary@colintongardens.org.uk

Colin Whitehead, our new Membership Secretary writes:

This session, I have taken over as Membership Secretary from Linda Innes, who very efficiently undertook this role for a number of years. I look forward to this new challenge and hope to undertake the task as effectively as Linda did!

Another topical and varied programme of events has been organised for the forthcoming winter session. We on the committee try to make sure that membership of the Colinton Garden Club really does offer excellent value for money, and we hope you agree! The cost of annual membership remains at £5 per household for 2007/08.

To ensure that you are fully informed about all the events and activities of the Club, please complete the attached renewal form and return it to me as soon as possible. Can you also let me know of any changes in your contact details including your e-mail address, if you have one, in the space provided on the renewal form.

My address is: 21 Laverockdale Park, Edinburgh, EH13 0QE

…and my e-mail address is: membership@ colintongardens.org.uk
We always welcome new members, so please tell your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues about our club.

And finally, a quick reminder - our regular meetings are held at 8.00 p.m. in the Dreghorn Loan Hall, Dreghorn Loan, Colinton. See you there!

Colinton Primary After School Garden Club

Johanna Carrie writes:

The After School Garden Club has had a successful and enjoyable second year. The pupils taking part are a little younger than in the first year, but they are as enthusiastic as ever.

The pupils particularly enjoyed 'real' gardening with mini gardens, and also preparing for the coming of Spring, and then watching as bulbs and other plants burst into life in April and May. The courtyard raised flower beds, planting planned by Jonathan, have received many compliments since we first got involved with the school a couple of years ago - we feel this is a really good example of a community partnership with beneficial results for all.

Taking part in the Pallet Garden competition at the Gardening Scotland show in June was great fun; the children enjoyed setting up as well as having a quick look round the other exhibitors. It was interesting that there were many more school pallet gardens this year.

If any club members would like to get involved with the Primary School Garden Club in the 2007/08 school year, why not speak to Isobel Lodge or myself at one of our forthcoming Garden Club Monday meetings?

From the pen of our Chair…

Dear Friends,

“Nature weaving her glorious tapestry in colour”. That was how one of our members, Thelma Ingram, described it as we stood immersed in the luxuriance of Branklyn Garden in Perth. It seemed to be a fitting description of our experiences since our indoor programme finished with the AGM in April.

Our first memorable outdoor evening was in the gardens of Elizabeth and Ron Partington on 28th May, where the evening sunshine after the rain illuminated the tapestry, textures and landscape of the carefully nurtured plants, trees, water and lawns: a jewel set against the backdrop of the Pentlands. A glass of wine in the hand reflected Nature’s colours and gave us that warm feeling of belonging.

Ten days later, on the occasion of the Colinton Open Gardens, the experience repeated itself. The haar of the day before magically lifted. Right on cue at 10 o’clock, the summer sun came out in and warmed us as we strolled from St Cuthbert’s in Westgarth Avenue to be charmed by six beautiful gardens, each full of love, harmony and colour, each special in its own way. This was a patchwork tapestry, a picture of our village making for a happy morning.

Thank you to Bryan and Mary Dale, Grace Thom, Jessie and Ed Duffy, Merle and Iain Copland, Dorothee and Duncan Brown, and also Agnes Wright, who spontaneously invited fellow members into her garden on her 83rd birthday.

Thanks also to St Cuthbert’s and their wildflower garden (in its first year) for allowing us to hold the plant sale and serve tea and coffee on their premises.

On 7th July, the day of our summer outing, that “Great Gardener in the Sky” looked favourably on us again. We were woken early by birdsong, sunshine and scattered clouds. The further north we went, the warmer it became. After a restorative break for tea or coffee and scones in Perth, we arrived at Branklyn Garden. This was an intimate experience inviting exploration, each turn of the winding paths bringing a new perspective, new textures and views between the flowers, trees and bushes.

In the afternoon from the terrace of Drummond Castle, near Crieff, we were presented with a
more dramatic tapestry. The layout of this garden was designed to make a statement, to tell a story, carefully trimmed box hedges, shapely trees and borders chosen for their colour. Silver and blue displayed the cross of St Andrew. It was a relaxing day, with “Nature’s Glorious Tapestry” once again reaching out and inspiring us.

Another scene and another success! At the Pallet Gardens, Gardening Scotland 1st – 3rd June, thanks to the efforts of our heroic team, we were awarded a Bronze Medal. We are most grateful to our members who rose to the challenge.

Isobel Lodge’s enthusiasm and choice of “Treasure Island” as the theme, Johanna Carrie for hosting and guiding the working sessions and to Elisabeth Davies, Mary Griffiths, Louise Maguire and Vilma Sutherland for all their support and hard work. You may have seen Isobel starring on TV’s Beechgrove Garden (31st. May) speaking to Carole Baxter and fluently presenting our exhibit.

The organizers of Gardening Scotland are delighted with the response of the public and there will be a continuation of the Pallet Gardens competition in 2008. Once again, Colinton Garden Club is planning to take part. Starting the planning phase early will spread the work-load, so at the first meeting in September, I will be asking members to let us know of their interest. Please take the plunge and come forward!

The Colinton Primary School Pallet Garden, under the guidance of Johanna Carrie together with Isobel Lodge, received a Bronze Award and a special certificate as second in its class. This gave it pride of place at the School Assembly the following week, building on the reputation the school’s playground gardens (designed by Jonathan Davey) have already established.

I reported at the AGM in April that Colinton Garden Club had enjoyed a busy and successful year. With the activities since April, we have ended on a high note. We now look forward to the coming year.

You will find details of the 2007 – 2008 programme of talks and activities on our website
www.colintongardens.org.uk.

As usual our aim is to put together a selection of topics covering various aspects of gardening and the natural environment, so that we can enjoy entertaining evenings together. This year we will be hearing about Longwood Garden (North America), Fungi: Friends and Foe, Herbal Medicine, Soft Fruit, the Queen Mother’s Garden, and Secret Stories of Scottish Plant Hunters. In addition work has started on our traditional Christmas Play and aspiring actors and even experienced Thespians are invited to join in.

We have plenty of scope to be creative in our programme and here you can help us by giving us your suggestions, whether for talks, outings, open gardens or workshops, or other ideas, however innovative. Don’t forget also that we can include mini-presentations from members, showing points of interest from their gardens, by using our data-projector in conjunction with a laptop.

Those who took part in the photographic workshop earlier this year (planned to be repeated in Spring 2008) may feel particularly attracted to this.

Finally, we look forward to welcoming you, and new members at our first meeting of the new season on Monday 24th September, 8 pm in Dreghorn Loan Hall. Your membership renewal form is attached to this newsletter, or can be downloaded from the website. Please have a word with your neighbours and friends and invite them to come along and join in.

Ian Stewart told me that the “Rhododendron Chardonnay Stewartii Balerniensis” (The Colinton Wine Plant), which had a central role in the Christmas Play, “From Colinton with Love” has prospered as never before since its appearance on stage.

May that be a promise, after this damp summer, of good things to come and an augury for the coming Club Year!

See you in September!

Christopher Davies
Chairperson

Dates for your diary…