COLINTON GARDEN CLUB
NEWSLETTER NO 81 February 2008
COLINTON GARDEN CLUB |
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Coming soon...
Monday 31st. March, 8 p.m.
CGC website Don’t forget, the Garden Club website is an excellent source of information - just log on to.. www.colintongardens.org.uk …for the latest on what is happening. MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS At the time of printing this newsletter there were still a few members
who are overdue with their subscription for 2007/8 - £5 per household.
This amount is to cover basic meeting and administration costs and
thus is a much valued support to one of Colinton’s well established
societies. Apart from enjoyable meetings, you can take part in the
social events, share your interest in gardens and the natural environment,
enhancing Colinton’s natural beauty and promoting its reputation
as a great place to live. Calling all photographers! Colinton Garden Club organised two highly successful workshops in Spring last year on “How to take better photographs and how to present your work effectively” (with particular reference to digital photography).
We’re in the process of organising similar workshops this year and we hope to offer two Saturday morning workshops, the first in late April and the second in early May. The format will be similar to last year, but we intend to make the workshops even more practical and “hands on”. The workshops will be suitable for both those who came to the workshops last year – and those who didn’t. Places will be limited so if you are interested, please contact Christopher Davies by phone (441 2152) or e-mail (chair@colintongardens.org.uk) More details when our workshop facilitator returns from Alaska! |
From the pen of our Chair…
Welcome to 2008 and a Fruitful New Year to you all. May the gentle rain which fell on a mild Hogmanay be the messenger of a fertile Spring, followed by a warm summer full of colour, which will bring forth, in due course, the fruits of the Autumn. However, while longing for those languid days, let us not overlook the miracles that take place as our gardens respond to Nature’s awakening and as they reveal their secrets in the coming weeks. Our Club is not even half way through its 2007-8 season! We still
have interesting events to come, including a talk of “The Queen
Mother’s Garden” (February) and “Secret Stories of
Scottish Plant Hunters” (March). We do not neglect the practical aspects of gardening, of course, which is why the cup of tea and chat are such an important part of our meetings. That is when you can make contact with other members and ask them for advice and perhaps arrange to meet them again later. The Club is more than its meetings, it is a community. If you would like advice, contact a Committee Member – at a meeting, by phone (listed in the Membership Booklet) or email us through our website. The well illustrated talk in November on “A Culinary and Medicinal Kitchen Garden”, when Helen Gestwicki of Napiers Healthcare spoke to us, was popular and very well attended. It was fascinating to learn about the properties of some well-known garden herbs and how they can be used to bring us comfort and stimulus in an organically sympathetic way. In December as many as the Hall could hold joined together for our traditional Christmas Party. A marathon of planned coordination meant that the Hall was beautifully laid out and tables decorated. Food and wines were selected and made ready with exquisite taste. What a magical sight greeted the guests when they arrived just before eight o’clock. The quizzes provided fun and conversation, so that by 9 o’clock everyone was full of anticipation for the original pantomime “The Battle of the Bugs”. This clever play, written by Isobel Lodge, in collaboration with Audrey Dobson, David Ferro, John Lodge and Ian Stewart, tells the story of the leader of the Garden Club (PC Person, played by Ian Duncan) being confronted by his members on the subject of the ravages of the Bad Bugs (headed by Christopher Davies and David Ferro) who were devastating Colinton in spite of the efforts of the Good Bugs (led by Queen Bee, Isobel Lodge). A series of dream sequences defined the extent of the threat, until the final battle when the Bad Bugs are vanquished. “PC Person” sums up:
For all those involved, the writers for weeks before rehearsals started, the actors, who assembled for rehearsals and learned their lines and the musicians who met to practise the songs, the costume designers, stage managers and technicians, it was a lot of work (and only one chance to get it right). Those on stage enjoyed it as much as the audience, who joined in marvellously. It was a real celebration of the spirit of the Club at Christmas tide. The carols we sang to round off the evening were thoughtful and harmonious. Our first meeting of the New Year featured Donald Mitchell on “Soft Fruit”, a look forward to those balmy summer evenings with fragrant raspberries (or strawberries) and cream. Donald treated us to a virtuoso panoramic overview of the industry with mouth-watering illustrations. For those unable to take notes, we have put a plant list with useful references on our website. You will be able to refresh your memories from there. As the days get a little longer, we look forward to our outdoor events, the Open Gardens planned for Saturday 7th June, and the Summer Outing, planned for Saturday 5th July. Full details will be announced shortly and will be given in our April newsletter and on our website. This year, for the Open Gardens, we would like after a number of years to visit Bonaly again. So if, kind reader, you live in Bonaly and this appeal moves you to open your garden, do please contact us. A number of you asked whether we could arrange another Photo-workshop this year. Last year’s event proved very popular. As we have to engage a specialist lecturer (who is at this moment on location in Alaska) we would like an indication of interest. See the separate article in this Newsletter. Another event where we like to take part and which displays our Club to the wider community is the Pallet Gardens competition at Gardening Scotland from 30th May to 1st June. Interest is starting to stir amongst members, but we are still waiting for the “leader” to emerge. “Cometh the time, cometh the person” as the proverb says. Perhaps, as you read this, you will feel that you are being spoken to! Phone, or email, please! In the next Club year, that is 2008/9, we are planning to have one of our meetings as a Member’s Evening. Many of you have interesting stories to tell, either aspects of gardening and the natural world, travels and observations or specialities such as orchids or bonsai, and we would like to hear from you. In your own words, using your illustrations, telling us of your interest and sharing it with us for fifteen or twenty minutes. Let us know if you have something you would like to tell us. We will help you with the technology if necessary. We do urge you to come forward with your ideas. What would you like the Club to be doing? What sort of activities, what subjects for talks, what places for outings? Our questionnaire at the September meeting produced, on the surface, only a moderate response though its effect may be to unleash a number of informal ideas. Meanwhile Pat and the Committee are working in overdrive to put together an appealing programme for 2008/9, but it’s not too late for you to have input too! Happy gardening! Christopher Davies
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Date
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Monday
25th February 08 |
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Monday
31st March 08 |
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Saturday morning mid to late April 08 |
Photography workshop 1 |
Monday
28th April 08 |
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Saturday morning early to mid May 08 |
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Saturday in
7th June 08 |
Open Gardens and Plant Sale |
Saturday in
5th July 08 |
Summer outing |
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| Current Newsletter |
Dear
Friends
The
Colinton Garden Club Players wow their audience with their most ambitious
pantomime yet… good overcomes evil once again in “The Battle
of the Bugs!”