Lydden Vale

Gardening Club

You don't need to have a large garden

to be interested in plants and like

growing them. Window sills, pots and

containers and house plants can

provide year round scope for the

enthusiast. So why don't you come

along and meet us?

Anyone interested in joining, please contact: Antony Parson Lydden Vale Gardening Club on Facebook

Buckland Newton Community Website

in the heart of rural Dorset

The Lydden Vale Gardening Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month between September and April in the Buckland Newton Village Hall enjoying a mixture of talks from guest speakers, practical sessions where you can learn top tips for all things gardening. During the summer months we visit award winning gardens, garden centres and enjoy Alfresco Social evenings. We welcome all ages and levels of experience and are keen for all generations to benefit from the enjoyment of gardening. If you live in Buckland Newton, Pulham, Glanvilles Wootton, Kings Stag, Alton Pancras or neighbouring parishes and if you’re interested in having a fine garden or rewilding, planting or harvesting the results of your labours, or simply visiting gardens and learning about the history of gardening, we would love you to have you with us. If you are not already a member of the Club and are interested in gardening and think you might like to join, we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch by emailing Jan at greystonebn@yahoo.co.uk or Antony at Bladeley365@outlook.com Helen and Paul Stickland gave the Club a fascinating insight into the world of growing cut flowers at the first of this winter’s talks held at the Village Hall in mid-September. There were many points of interest for a packed audience, not least the differences in how growing for cut flowers can contrast with growing for borders. They also had several specialist techniques to illustrate, including their cuttings propagation of their beloved dahlias, and photographs of their amazing 7ft delphiniums amongst many other triumphs! Another feature was their illustration of how cut flowers can be provided throughout much of the season by careful propagation, often cutting plants right back to allow a second or even third flush. This was all the more remarkable in that they have only been in business for seven years and took over a completely undeveloped site at that point with very little previous experience. Hope for us all! Trading as Black Shed flowers they are based just to the east of Sherborne at Blackmarsh Farm and made it clear that they welcome visitors to their 2-acre site. As this writer can attest – well worth the visit. After this lively and amusing presentation members of the club and guests had questions for the couple, many over a cup of tea/ coffee accompanied by delicious brownies and flapjacks provided by Honeybuns. The speaker at the next meeting on Wednesday 9th October, Claire Hart of GrassRoots PR & Marketing has worked in the Horticultural field (no pun intended!) for decades in an advisory capacity with well-known seed companies on their PR and marketing, including Kings Seeds. It was this company, when it was celebrating 125 years of production, she helped to mark with a display at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show. Her talk ‘Chelsea or Bust!’ is all about that journey, with a fascinating look behind the scenes at what has become the UK’s most iconic Garden Show and promises to be an informative and entertaining evening! As always non-members are welcome at £3. Meetings are 7.15 for 7.30pm with a Raffle and Refreshments. Ian Scott