CLATFORD VALLEY
gardening club
May 2022
Chris Bird, a lecturer at Sparsholt College, has visited the club many times but he always manages to include some audience participation into his talks, which makes them both interesting and fun.
The title of his talk this time was ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ and it goes without saying that this is a key issue for gardeners.
Chris advised that we should be looking at a whole group of plants in a specie rather than just one. Vinca major is an example of a plant that can take over the garden if allowed to grow freely, whereas vinca minor is less invasive and can be checked more easily.
Both enjoy dry shade and grow well beneath hedges and will bring some light into a dark area. Another plant that is good for ground cover is ajuga reptans (vipers bugloss) which produces a pretty blue flower and is nectar rich for bumble bees. Also, lamium or dead nettle can be used in a similar way. All excellent ground cover plants.
Then Chris talked about grasses and how some need sharp drainage and enjoy being grown in a raised bed. This includes the lovely blue grass festuca glauca.
If you have a difficult site in heavy moist conditions then acanthus spinosa (commonly known as bears’ breeches) may be the plant for you. However, it can be invasive and difficult to get rid of. For anyone with a bigger garden or large area to cover however, this could be a good choice.
Beth Chatto often planted achillea millefolium (commonly known as yarrow) in her dry garden. It comes in a rainbow of colours and has a long flowering season. It grows from 2’ to 4’ and is a magnet for butterflies.
If you have an east facing garden or heavy clay then anemone hupehensis is the ideal plant. It can grow 2’-3’ tall and comes in a range of colours.
Chris also talked about trees and how some will give blossom, others berries or colour and some will give all of these delights. It does depend on how much space you have of course, but acer griseum (the paper bark maple) and acer palmatum ‘Rubrum’ are both stunning trees. The theory that acers enjoy chalk free soil is a myth and the thinking now is that they don’t like drying out, so look for a shady moist spot for these trees.
It was a very interesting talk and we hope to book Chris again perhaps next year.
As ever, if you enjoy gardening and would like to share thoughts and ideas with like-minded friends then please come along and join us at Upper Clatford village hall. Our next speaker will visit us on Wednesday the 22nd of June when Gillian Taylor will be talking about ‘My Greenhouse Year’.
Chris Bird, a lecturer at Sparsholt College, has visited the club many times but he always manages to include some audience participation into his talks, which makes them both interesting and fun.
The title of his talk this time was ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ and it goes without saying that this is a key issue for gardeners.
Chris advised that we should be looking at a whole group of plants in a specie rather than just one. Vinca major is an example of a plant that can take over the garden if allowed to grow freely, whereas vinca minor is less invasive and can be checked more easily.
Both enjoy dry shade and grow well beneath hedges and will bring some light into a dark area. Another plant that is good for ground cover is ajuga reptans (vipers bugloss) which produces a pretty blue flower and is nectar rich for bumble bees. Also, lamium or dead nettle can be used in a similar way. All excellent ground cover plants.
Then Chris talked about grasses and how some need sharp drainage and enjoy being grown in a raised bed. This includes the lovely blue grass festuca glauca.
If you have a difficult site in heavy moist conditions then acanthus spinosa (commonly known as bears’ breeches) may be the plant for you. However, it can be invasive and difficult to get rid of. For anyone with a bigger garden or large area to cover however, this could be a good choice.
Beth Chatto often planted achillea millefolium (commonly known as yarrow) in her dry garden. It comes in a rainbow of colours and has a long flowering season. It grows from 2’ to 4’ and is a magnet for butterflies.
If you have an east facing garden or heavy clay then anemone hupehensis is the ideal plant. It can grow 2’-3’ tall and comes in a range of colours.
Chris also talked about trees and how some will give blossom, others berries or colour and some will give all of these delights. It does depend on how much space you have of course, but acer griseum (the paper bark maple) and acer palmatum ‘Rubrum’ are both stunning trees. The theory that acers enjoy chalk free soil is a myth and the thinking now is that they don’t like drying out, so look for a shady moist spot for these trees.
It was a very interesting talk and we hope to book Chris again perhaps next year.
As ever, if you enjoy gardening and would like to share thoughts and ideas with like-minded friends then please come along and join us at Upper Clatford village hall. Our next speaker will visit us on Wednesday the 22nd of June when Gillian Taylor will be talking about ‘My Greenhouse Year’.
April 2022
The club welcomed speaker Stephen Oakes to the club in February to talk about ‘Costa Rica’s Magical Birds’. This is a part of the world I have never visited but is definitely on my list now.
Stephen’s photographs were of a very high quality and showed the birds in their various habitats, with all of their beautiful plumage.
Some of the habitats these birds frequent include volcanos where the volcano junco can be found. It thrives on scrub where it finds seeds, insects and spiders. There is also the volcano hummingbird which looks beautiful in the sunshine.
There are lakes below the volcano and rivers at high altitude, with stunning waterfalls and forests. Each level of forest has its own suite of birds such as spoonbills, great blue heron and it is also a popular place for migratory birds.
The clay coloured robin is Costa Rica’s national bird. Although it is quite dull in colour, it has a beautiful song through March and July. Supposedly, its call is to bring in the rain to encourage the crops to grow.
There are many birds of prey too. Here they are known as hawks. Many can be quite lazy and they just sit and watch and wait for food to come by. The laughing falcon however sits high up in the trees looking for snakes. Others, like the American swallow-tailed kite, like high level areas and will catch and consume their food on the wing.
In the more hot and humid region of La Selva, you are more likely to see toucan in straggling flocks, or perhaps a red parrot or the great green macaw, which can be very noisy and rare.
Trogons are common birds in Costa Rica although there are many different species. They do vary from area to area, some preferring the hot, wet and humid climate of the Caribbean, others the drier, Pacific coast.
Stephen showed us so many images of birds they are too many to list here, but be assured, you will not fail to be amazed at the beauty and variety in this amazing region of the world.
It was a very interesting talk which we all found fascinating and left us wanting a holiday!
Our speaker on the 27th April will be Wilf Simcox to talk about Gardening and Gardens of Iceland. If you would like to come along and join us you will be made very welcome. We will also have a plant stall at the May Fayre this year so don’t forget to come along to Balksbury Bridge Playing Field on the 2nd May.
The club welcomed speaker Stephen Oakes to the club in February to talk about ‘Costa Rica’s Magical Birds’. This is a part of the world I have never visited but is definitely on my list now.
Stephen’s photographs were of a very high quality and showed the birds in their various habitats, with all of their beautiful plumage.
Some of the habitats these birds frequent include volcanos where the volcano junco can be found. It thrives on scrub where it finds seeds, insects and spiders. There is also the volcano hummingbird which looks beautiful in the sunshine.
There are lakes below the volcano and rivers at high altitude, with stunning waterfalls and forests. Each level of forest has its own suite of birds such as spoonbills, great blue heron and it is also a popular place for migratory birds.
The clay coloured robin is Costa Rica’s national bird. Although it is quite dull in colour, it has a beautiful song through March and July. Supposedly, its call is to bring in the rain to encourage the crops to grow.
There are many birds of prey too. Here they are known as hawks. Many can be quite lazy and they just sit and watch and wait for food to come by. The laughing falcon however sits high up in the trees looking for snakes. Others, like the American swallow-tailed kite, like high level areas and will catch and consume their food on the wing.
In the more hot and humid region of La Selva, you are more likely to see toucan in straggling flocks, or perhaps a red parrot or the great green macaw, which can be very noisy and rare.
Trogons are common birds in Costa Rica although there are many different species. They do vary from area to area, some preferring the hot, wet and humid climate of the Caribbean, others the drier, Pacific coast.
Stephen showed us so many images of birds they are too many to list here, but be assured, you will not fail to be amazed at the beauty and variety in this amazing region of the world.
It was a very interesting talk which we all found fascinating and left us wanting a holiday!
Our speaker on the 27th April will be Wilf Simcox to talk about Gardening and Gardens of Iceland. If you would like to come along and join us you will be made very welcome. We will also have a plant stall at the May Fayre this year so don’t forget to come along to Balksbury Bridge Playing Field on the 2nd May.
March 2022
It seems like a long time since we had a speaker at our club and so it was a great pleasure to welcome Antony Powell to talk to us about The Scented Garden.
Antony has a lot of experience in horticulture, including working at Hilliers but also working all over the world in Europe and Kashmir. He now works in private gardens in North Hants and West Berkshire.
He began by reading a passage from a beautiful piece by Francis Bacon written back in the 16th Century, in which he described some of the perfumes we might encounter in the garden. Some of these of course can be heady, such as the Daphne, but others can be more fleeting, like some roses.
He described how a first encounter with a smell can affect how we feel about it. It can be very evocative and bring up memories for us. I remember the strong smell of hyacinths growing in my first class at infant school (all those years ago!)
In Bacon’s time, a monastic garden would have seen violets grown for nosegays. Interestingly, violets can de-sensitise your sense of smell so that the smell is fleeting and can disappear.
An Elizabethan knot garden would have had perfumed flowers such as honeysuckle, rosemary, lavender and roses.
Antony also talked about the woodland garden which provides shelter for plants and contains the perfumes that might otherwise blow away in the wind.
Lime trees can have a honey smell and some snowdrops such as S Arnott have a good perfume, along with English bluebells.
Antony listed many plants which are perfumed, although he suggested that you don’t want every plant to have a perfume as you also need form and structure in the garden.
He did list several that might be of interest to you such as Wisteria sinensis, sweet peas, Sarcococca (winter box) night- scented stocks and Trachelospermum jasminoides.
Herbs can fill the garden with perfume especially when crushed, and if you haven’t got much room then pots are ideal, as they can be moved around and perhaps be placed outside your door where you can enjoy the perfume.
Antony also involved the audience by asking two of our members to try and identify the smell of some shrubs and a ripe banana. Not as easy as you might think!
Our meeting in March will be Chris Bird from Sparsholt Agricultural College. His talk will be entitled ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ which I know will be extremely interesting. If you would like to join us, it will be at Upper Clatford village hall on the 23rdMarch at 7.30pm and you will be made very welcome.
It seems like a long time since we had a speaker at our club and so it was a great pleasure to welcome Antony Powell to talk to us about The Scented Garden.
Antony has a lot of experience in horticulture, including working at Hilliers but also working all over the world in Europe and Kashmir. He now works in private gardens in North Hants and West Berkshire.
He began by reading a passage from a beautiful piece by Francis Bacon written back in the 16th Century, in which he described some of the perfumes we might encounter in the garden. Some of these of course can be heady, such as the Daphne, but others can be more fleeting, like some roses.
He described how a first encounter with a smell can affect how we feel about it. It can be very evocative and bring up memories for us. I remember the strong smell of hyacinths growing in my first class at infant school (all those years ago!)
In Bacon’s time, a monastic garden would have seen violets grown for nosegays. Interestingly, violets can de-sensitise your sense of smell so that the smell is fleeting and can disappear.
An Elizabethan knot garden would have had perfumed flowers such as honeysuckle, rosemary, lavender and roses.
Antony also talked about the woodland garden which provides shelter for plants and contains the perfumes that might otherwise blow away in the wind.
Lime trees can have a honey smell and some snowdrops such as S Arnott have a good perfume, along with English bluebells.
Antony listed many plants which are perfumed, although he suggested that you don’t want every plant to have a perfume as you also need form and structure in the garden.
He did list several that might be of interest to you such as Wisteria sinensis, sweet peas, Sarcococca (winter box) night- scented stocks and Trachelospermum jasminoides.
Herbs can fill the garden with perfume especially when crushed, and if you haven’t got much room then pots are ideal, as they can be moved around and perhaps be placed outside your door where you can enjoy the perfume.
Antony also involved the audience by asking two of our members to try and identify the smell of some shrubs and a ripe banana. Not as easy as you might think!
Our meeting in March will be Chris Bird from Sparsholt Agricultural College. His talk will be entitled ‘Right Plant, Right Place’ which I know will be extremely interesting. If you would like to join us, it will be at Upper Clatford village hall on the 23rdMarch at 7.30pm and you will be made very welcome.
August 2021
Well after such a long break it was lovely to welcome back some of our members to club via Zoom in June.
Lesley Chamberlain gave us a fascinating insight into Highdown Garden, which is situated in West Sussex, just north of Worthing.
THE HISTORY OF HIGHDOWN
First Lesley told us a bit about the history of the place followed by the house and of course the gardens and some of the plants grown there.
Highdown was bought in 1909 by a wealthy man called Sir Frederick Stern. He was quite indulged as a child, so when he was told that he would never get anything to grow on the chalk at Highdown, he rose to the challenge.
He had plenty of money to sponsor plant hunters who were going out to the Orient at that time. Two worthy of mention were Reg Farrell and Ernest Wilson.
Stern became a bit of an expert at propagation and named several of his plants with ‘Highdown’ in their name.
The garden was developed in an old chalk pit and the layout hasn’t really changed much over the years although improvements to paths and reception areas have been possible due to a lottery grant.
Stern’s wife, Lady Sybil, took an interest in the garden, but more importantly, she ensured that no development was allowed around the property which might spoil the views.
The Oxford and Saint George Society, which was set up by some of Sybil’s friends, was allowed to take children to Highdown for outdoor activities and sport such as playing cricket and visiting the beach.
THE HOUSE
There have been many prestigious visitors to Highdown in the past including Queen Mary and Lloyd George along with many Jewish families.
After the death of Lady Sybil, the house was bequeathed to Worthing Borough Council. The house and gardens were split and the house was let out to businesses. Sadly the garden wasn’t cared for in quite the same way. It was then bought by Tim Chapman who said he wanted to turn it into a Country Club. However, he had no intention of this and turned it into a notorious nightclub.
The council eventually removed its licence and it was then bought by a luxury hotel chain.
THE GARDENS
The house and gardens have been restored. Amongst the sights to see there are the beautiful spring daffodils and hellebores. A whole bank side has been given over to the hellebores which have cross pollinated and make a beautiful show.
An acer griseum which nearly blew over in the gales of 1988 has been propped up and is still surviving today. There is a dedicated rose garden and a beautiful climber called Rosa Grimonii, which was introduced by Stern himself. There is a magnificent handkerchief tree and a very rare buddleia bush which very few can identify.
Very few plants have labels as you might see in a National Trust property, but there are plenty of knowledgeable gardeners and volunteers to answer questions.There are hosts of avenues and cross walk ways, all very open. Deep herbaceous borders are quite a feature and look stunning in the summer so you can visit this lovely place at any time of year. It has been open through the NGS since 1927. There is no specific fee but there is a lovely blue post box for any kind donations as it is run purely on donation and some input by the council. Booking is necessary. Details are on their website. There is plenty of parking and seating and the grounds are wheelchair friendly.
We are still uncertain at this stage when we will have our next speaker buthopefully it won’t be too long before we can meet again in the village hall.
Well after such a long break it was lovely to welcome back some of our members to club via Zoom in June.
Lesley Chamberlain gave us a fascinating insight into Highdown Garden, which is situated in West Sussex, just north of Worthing.
THE HISTORY OF HIGHDOWN
First Lesley told us a bit about the history of the place followed by the house and of course the gardens and some of the plants grown there.
Highdown was bought in 1909 by a wealthy man called Sir Frederick Stern. He was quite indulged as a child, so when he was told that he would never get anything to grow on the chalk at Highdown, he rose to the challenge.
He had plenty of money to sponsor plant hunters who were going out to the Orient at that time. Two worthy of mention were Reg Farrell and Ernest Wilson.
Stern became a bit of an expert at propagation and named several of his plants with ‘Highdown’ in their name.
The garden was developed in an old chalk pit and the layout hasn’t really changed much over the years although improvements to paths and reception areas have been possible due to a lottery grant.
Stern’s wife, Lady Sybil, took an interest in the garden, but more importantly, she ensured that no development was allowed around the property which might spoil the views.
The Oxford and Saint George Society, which was set up by some of Sybil’s friends, was allowed to take children to Highdown for outdoor activities and sport such as playing cricket and visiting the beach.
THE HOUSE
There have been many prestigious visitors to Highdown in the past including Queen Mary and Lloyd George along with many Jewish families.
After the death of Lady Sybil, the house was bequeathed to Worthing Borough Council. The house and gardens were split and the house was let out to businesses. Sadly the garden wasn’t cared for in quite the same way. It was then bought by Tim Chapman who said he wanted to turn it into a Country Club. However, he had no intention of this and turned it into a notorious nightclub.
The council eventually removed its licence and it was then bought by a luxury hotel chain.
THE GARDENS
The house and gardens have been restored. Amongst the sights to see there are the beautiful spring daffodils and hellebores. A whole bank side has been given over to the hellebores which have cross pollinated and make a beautiful show.
An acer griseum which nearly blew over in the gales of 1988 has been propped up and is still surviving today. There is a dedicated rose garden and a beautiful climber called Rosa Grimonii, which was introduced by Stern himself. There is a magnificent handkerchief tree and a very rare buddleia bush which very few can identify.
Very few plants have labels as you might see in a National Trust property, but there are plenty of knowledgeable gardeners and volunteers to answer questions.There are hosts of avenues and cross walk ways, all very open. Deep herbaceous borders are quite a feature and look stunning in the summer so you can visit this lovely place at any time of year. It has been open through the NGS since 1927. There is no specific fee but there is a lovely blue post box for any kind donations as it is run purely on donation and some input by the council. Booking is necessary. Details are on their website. There is plenty of parking and seating and the grounds are wheelchair friendly.
We are still uncertain at this stage when we will have our next speaker buthopefully it won’t be too long before we can meet again in the village hall.
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