Now the gardening season is well under way our members here at Amberley Gardening Club have been very busy, not only in their own gardens, but also visiting gardens further afield for ideas and inspiration. Via our friendly WhatsApp group, members have posted their photos of visits to Jephson Gardens at Leamington Spa, Parcevall Hall Gardens in Yorkshire and the wild flowers of Cadaques in north east Spain. As always, there are plenty of pictures to see of plants from members’ gardens which are now bursting with colour.
We have continued with our informal visits to each other’s gardens too. Christopher and Rosemary recently opened their lovely garden to members, and we were able to admire the borders full of tulips, until… a few days later…. carnage! Badgers continue to plague our gardens. They trample the borders in their quest to find a tasty morsel, often seeming to find tulips particularly tasty. Members have tried all kinds of deterrents to no avail, so if you have any successful tips, we would be pleased to hear of them!
On Thursday 5th May, we enjoyed a guided walk on the common, led by Richard Evans of the National Trust. Plenty of wild flowers in bloom and Richard explained how the hillside ridges are formed by natural soil settlement, aided by the cows using them as desire lines in their seasonal wanderings. And here’s me thinking they were important medieval earthworks!We have an ongoing busy calendar, with several garden visits planned. On Thursday, 19th May we are visitiing Daglingworth House, followed by Cerney House Garden, then on Wednesday 22nd June pm to Oak House near Winchcombe and Green Bough and Thursday 28 July am to Bourton House Garden, Bourton on the Water, followed by Upton Wold. Our annual Members’ Garden Safari will take place on Thursday 16th June. Open to members only, this is an evening stroll to visit a few members’ gardens followed by a bring-and-share supper. A few incentives for you to join, which you can do by contacting christo.p.bailey@outlook.com, where you can also ask to join our lively and informative WhatsApp group.
On Saturday 7th May we held our annual Plant Sale, stocked by plants grown mostly by club members, with some generous donations from local garden centres and nurseries, this proved to be a busy morning. Alongside our bursting plant tables, customers also came for the coffee and cake provided by the Shop on The Common and a bric-a-brac stall to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees who are being offered homes by local residents. It just shows what we can do when we all pull together.
Another event we would like to flag up is the “Amberley Celebrates” the Platinum Jubilee on Saturday 11 June 2-5pm on the school green. A range of activities will be available including a beetle drive, Morris dancing and a floral workshop. Entries for the Flower and Produce Show, inviting “freestyle” offerings in fruit, vegetables, flowers and edible produce categories, and also children’s categories. Organisers would like to stress this is a very light-hearted event! Entry forms and further information is available from alison@truphet.com.
We look forward to welcoming you very soon to Amberley Gardening Club.