Riseley Gardening Club AGM

Tuesday 11 October 2016 – 7.45pm Riseley Village Hall

Cheese and Wine

We do hope you will be able to join us for this year’s AGM.  Please note that we have changed our day again and plan to meet on Tuesday evenings from now on.  Nominations are invited for committee members – please use form below or if you would like to join the committee call Sue Davies.  Cheese and wine will be served and there will be a viewing on DVD of “Behind the Scenes at Gardeners’ World” - a behind the scenes tour of TV’s famous garden Berryfields.  Annual subscriptions will be payable on the night.  Please pay your subscription by cheque if possible.

We are still working on the programme for the year, but below are the events already booked:

Tuesday 22 November, 7.45 pm Village Hall – Andrew Sankey will talk to us about Gertrude Jekyll: “a look at this fabulous lady in hob-nailed boots who made such an impact on English gardening and gave the courage for women to make gardening a profession. We`ll look at the making of Munstead Wood, her relationship with Edwin Lutyens and the gardens she designed.”  Andrew is a garden designer/landscaper, nurseryman and lecturer. His passion is working with plants and being out in the garden – whether dividing and potting up plants, constructing herbaceous borders or lecturing on companion planting

Tuesday 6 December am - Breakfast at Beckworth Emporium NN6 0DL– an opportunity for Christmas shopping as well as good food – shared transport.

Tuesday 14 March 2017, 7.45 pm Village Hall – Andrew Mikolajski is a gardening author, lecturer and speaker. Most recently, he has been a horticultural adviser on the new edition of the RHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.  He will talk to us about Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire which we hope to visit in May with Andrew as guide.

Late April – morning walk guided by Andrew Gell to end with pub lunch – date and venue to be arranged

Tuesday 13 June 2017 – evening visit to Walnut Cottage, Chawston, Bedfordshire. Over 2000 species give year round interest. Bulbs, herbaceous, water, bog plants, ferns, grasses, shrubs, trees, coppiced paulownias. Rare, exotic and unusual plants. Large pond, level grass paths. 1 acre young trees and shrubs. 2500sq metre glasshouse growing Chinese vegetables.

Friday 14 July - Riseley Garden walk and social – cheese and wine

Nomination form for Riseley Gardening Club Committee

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I would like to nominate ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For the position of chairman/treasurer/secretary/committee member (delete as applicable)

Signed …………………………………………………….……..  Seconded …………………………………………………

Date……………………………

Please return to Sue Davies, 160b High Street, Riseley, Bedford, MK44 1DR

Hitchin Lavender

Tuesday 2 August 2016 – shared transport

A visit to Hitchin lavender, Cadwell Farm, Hitchin, SG5 3UA, www.hitchinlavender.com

“Hitchin Lavender is a lavender farm attraction with around 25 miles of lavender rows which you can walk through and pick your own fresh flowers from. As well as the fields of lavender we also grow sunflowers and have a wildflower area.  The farm has some spectacular views of rural Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and there are many interesting walks surrounding us.  

Inside our 17th century barn we have a range of lunches and home made cakes available and you can also browse our lavender products and choose from our large variety of lavender plants on offer.”

Hitchin Lavender is about an hour away by car.  We will organize shared transport leaving Riseley around 10.30 on Tuesday 21 June.  The cost is £4.50 per person (picking included).  If you would like to join this trip please contact Maureen Allen maureen.allen95@btinternet.com or 708308, indicating whether you require transport or can offer a lift to others.

Hitchin Lavender

Tuesday 21 June 2016 – shared transport

A visit to Hitchin lavender, Cadwell Farm, Hitchin, SG5 3UA, www.hitchinlavender.com

“Hitchin Lavender is a lavender farm attraction with around 25 miles of lavender rows which you can walk through and pick your own fresh flowers from. As well as the fields of lavender we also grow sunflowers and have a wildflower area.  The farm has some spectacular views of rural Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and there are many interesting walks surrounding us.  

Inside our 17th century barn we have a range of lunches and home made cakes available and you can also browse our lavender products and choose from our large variety of lavender plants on offer.”

Hitchin Lavender is about an hour away by car.  We will organize shared transport leaving Riseley around 10.30 on Tuesday 21 June.  The cost is £4.50 per person (picking included).  If you would like to join this trip please contact Maureen Allen maureen.allen95@btinternet.com or 708308, indicating whether you require transport or can offer a lift to others.

Rousham House and Gardens

Tuesday 5 July 2016 – shared transport

Rousham is about 12 miles north of Oxford, OX25 4QU, 61 miles from Riseley – www.rousham.org . The house is only open to visitors by prior arrangement and the cost to visit the house and gardens is £10 per person.   We have a guided tour booked for 11am on Tuesday 5 July.  There is no café at Rousham, so a picnic will be required!  If you would like to join this trip please contact Ann Clark 709439, annbarasiclark@btinternet.com indicating whether you require transport or can offer a lift to others.

“Rousham and its landscape garden is the work of William Kent (1685-1748). Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as Kent left it, one of the few gardens of this date to have escaped alteration, with many features which delighted eighteenth century visitors to Rousham still in situ, such as the ponds and cascades in Venus’s Vale, the Cold Bath, and seven arched Praeneste, Townsend’s Building, the Temple of the Mill, and, on the skyline, a sham ruin known as the ‘Eyecatcher’.

The house, built in 1635 by Sir Robert Dormer, is still in the ownership of the same family. Kent added the wings and the stable block. The south front is almost as Kent left it, but for the replacement of the octagonal glazing with plain glass. The house retains some 17th century panelling and the original staircases, furniture, pictures and bronzes.”

Wednesday 16 March 2016 – 7.30pm Riseley Village Hall

“Garden Design through the Ages” – Dorothy Jamieson

Dorothy Jamieson from the National Trust will come to speak to us about “Garden Design through the Ages”.  Dorothy has been a National Trust volunteer for about twenty years, beginning as a garden steward at Stowe Landscape Gardens.  She is enthusiastic about gardens from all periods and supports the National Trust’s work to maintain and restore them.  This year the Trust is joining in with the celebrations of the 300^th anniversary of Capability Brown’s birth, and Dorothy has been researching his life and landscapes.  Several are within reach of Riseley and she will be bringing information with her.

Members free, Guests £2.

Possible visit to Rousham House and Gardens

Tuesday 5 July – shared transport

We are looking into the possibility of organizing a trip to Rousham House and Gardens www.rousham.org.  Rousham is about 12 miles north of Oxford, OX25 4QU.  The house is only open to visitors by prior arrangement and the cost to visit the house is £10 per person.  The gardens are open daily – cost £5. We will organize shared transport for the visit.  If you would like to join this trip please let Sue Davies know by 21 March so that we can confirm the tour of the house.  708614 or sue@daviesps.co.uk

“Rousham and its landscape garden is the work of William Kent (1685-1748). Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as Kent left it, one of the few gardens of this date to have escaped alteration, with many features which delighted eighteenth century visitors to Rousham still in situ, such as the ponds and cascades in Venus’s Vale, the Cold Bath, and seven arched Praeneste, Townsend’s Building, the Temple of the Mill, and, on the skyline, a sham ruin known as the ‘Eyecatcher’.

The house, built in 1635 by Sir Robert Dormer, is still in the ownership of the same family. Kent added the wings and the stable block. The south front is almost as Kent left it, but for the replacement of the octagonal glazing with plain glass. The house retains some 17th century panelling and the original staircases, furniture, pictures and bronzes.”

Future dates:

Tuesday 5 April, 2.30 Milton Ernest Garden Centre – Terry will talk to us about Growing for Showing

Tuesday 21 June – Hitchin Lavender – shared transport

Friday 8 July – Riseley Garden Walk and Social

Late July – date to be confirmed - Evening Walk at Wimpole Hall Gardens

Deadline extended!

Saturday 7 May – Malvern Spring Festival

Saturday 7 May – Coach trip to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.  Price to include admission will be £31.50.  “Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with the glorious Malvern Hills as a backdrop, the show's spring fever will delight visitors and create a fabulous family day out to remember.  There is every kind of horticultural excellence at the show to inspire your gardening season and give you a taster of what can be done in your own garden.”

If you would like to join the trip to the Malvern Spring Festival please complete the form below and return to Christine Futter, 72A High Street, together with a cheque for £15.50 per person payable to Riseley Gardening Club before 10 February please.  This will cover the ticket cost.  £16 for coach will be collected in April.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name …………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Telephone………………………………………Mobile………….…………………….

I/we would like to join the trip to Malvern on Saturday 7 May

Cheque for £……………enclosed.  Payable to Riseley Gardening Club.

Contact Sue Davies 708614