We were fortunate to have Dr Mark Porter to give our talk in October. Mark is a trustee of the National Garden Scheme and has for several years opened his own garden and vineyard in Hampshire. The origins if the NGS date back to the early 1900s and in 1859, William Rathbone, employed a nurse […]
40 years ago I gave my first talk! Ray our club president gave some great anecdotes of his experiences during his illustrious speaking career so far and reminded us all about what you can and cannot put onto your garden: No Milk, vinegar or salt. In 2020, I’ve looked back over my 10,000 photographic slides […]
Why do plum trees fail to come into flower? Possibilities:- Pigeons are eating the blossom. Most plum trees need pollinating; the exception is the Victoria plum which is self pollinating. A commercial pollinator may be needed. Feed the tree roots via a drip line at flowering time with Sulphate of Potash, How do I grow […]
Catherine Hadler, an Area Ranger for The National Trust, spoke to the members of The Littleton and Harestock Gardening Club about the Trust’s management of Stockbridge Down and Marsh. Catherine manages both, working with a team of conservation volunteers. The Down was gifted to the Trust by Rosalind Hill in 1947, named in a plaque […]
Derek Dexter, of Wokingham Fuchsia Club gave a talk on these varied and beautiful plants to Club members. Since 1999, when he started growing and showing fuchsias Derek has won many trophies pursuing his hobby, as he describes it. He demonstrated successful over-wintering of the plants, first cutting down one by half, then stripping off […]
Herbaceous Perennials was the subject of a talk given to Littleton and Harestock Gardening Club by Rosemary Hardy, horticulturalist, owner of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, and winner of many Chelsea Gold Awards over 25 years. In her book of that name Rosy tells the story of those years, showing how she and husband Rob, “and […]
“Native Orchids” was the subject of the talk given by Leif Bersweden Phd a botanist whose book “The Orchid Hunter” : a young botanist’s search for happiness” was inspired by his boundless, engaging enthusiasm for “our most charismatic plant.” Fascinated by plants, from childhood, he stayed in this country for his gap year, rather than […]
For his annual lecture Ray Broughton, our Club President, chose as his subject Pests and Diseases. Members had been asked to bring examples which Ray studied with a high powered microscope, identified, and advised treatment. Such was the strength and clarity of the special microscope that images, transferred simultaneously to a large screen, were presented […]
Geoff Hawkins, gardener, broadcaster and consultant spoke on “All Year Round Colour”. Numerous slides showed a vast variety of plants, shrubs and trees, throughout the seasons, many enhanced by colourful foliage, (some strikingly variegated) and others by bright, sometimes vivid stems. White and gold mark the Winter landscape with Galanthus Nivalis, best seen in massed […]
