Talk of the Month

‘Perfect Partners’ by Jenny Short
Friday, 8th March, 7.30pm

What’s On This Month

Forde Abbey, only a few miles from Chard, opens the gardens from 1st – 7th March for a spectacular Crocus display. Times: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Taking over from the snowdrops, acres of naturalised crocuses (Crocus vernus and tommasinianus) will line the pathways and cover the lawns with their wide open chalices. Elsewhere in the garden, the wild daffodils (Narcissus lobularis), clumps of Lenten roses (Helleborus x hybridus) and splashes of Chionodoxa and winter flowering shrubs. The Coffee Shop will be open and will be serving hot drinks, cakes and light bites.

For more information check the website:

https://www.fordeabbey.co.uk/events-module/2024/03/01/crocus-week

What’s On This Year

RHS FLOWER SHOWS 2024:

18th – 21st April: RHS Urban Show, in the heart of Manchester
9th – 12th May: Malvern Spring Festival
21st – 25th May: Chelsea Flower Show
14th June – 7th July: RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show
2nd – 7th July: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
17th – 21st July: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
27th – 29th September: Malvern Autumn Show

For more information see the RHS website: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events

What to do in the garden this month

Now is the time to move deciduous trees or shrubs provided the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
Finish planting bare-rooted plants.
Feed roses with a special rose feed as they come into growth. It’s also a good time to prune roses to encourage strong new growth.
Dead-head daffodils as the flowers finish and let the foliage die back naturally.
Dead-head hydrangeas before new growth appears. Cut to about one third of last season’s growth.
Start to direct sow vegetable seeds such as carrots, radishes and lettuce in greenhouse borders or under cloches.

Christmas greenery, straight from the garden

What could be more lovely than stepping out on a cold and frosty morning to pick home-grown Christmas greenery, straight from the garden? Graham Rice offers some expert plant suggestions.

It used to be that the only option for holiday greenery in the home was the Christmas tree, along with holly and ivy. Now everything’s changed, and very definitely for the better.

Today an increasing range of attractive evergreen alternatives for decorative foliage is available to use in wreaths, in table decorations and in long-lasting seasonal arrangements. And the great thing about so many of these alternatives is that you can grow them yourself at home. Here are ten options.

Numbers at the end of each entry refer to plant height and RHS hardiness rating.

Source: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/articles/graham-rice/shrubs-and-climbers/grow-your-own-christmas-greenery

Winter heathers

More lime-tolerant than other heathers, winter heathers come in a range of foliage colours and with reddish, pink or white flowers. There are more varieties of Erica carnea, but E. × darleyensis is taller, with longer stems that intertwine better into wreaths. ‘White Perfection’ AGM has clusters of white winter flowers like the first snowflakes. 45cm (18in), H5.

Sharply shaped

Each individual dark green leaf of Euonymus fortunei ‘Wolong Ghost’ AGM is shaped like a dagger and features a ghostly white band along the midrib with spidery white veins. Carried on extending shoots which make good ground cover, ‘Wolong Ghost’ will also climb, clinging by aerial roots. The long branches are ideal to weave into wreaths. 30cm (12in), H5.

Edged in gold

The densely packed, upright growth of Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’ AGM is a rich and shining green with the edge of every glossy leaf irregularly coloured in gold, brightest on the younger growth. Plant in a sunny situation to promote the best colour. Not the most vigorous, but creates sunny sparks in Christmas wreaths. 1.2m (4ft), H5.

Fresh and bright

The rounded foliage of Griselinia littoralis AGM has such a clean and shining look, noticeably paler and glossier than holly with its deep green colouring, that blending the two is a very effective approach. 3m (10ft), H5. ‘Variegata’ AGM features the addition of creamy or pale yellowish margins to the foliage although the plants are less vigorous and slightly less hardy, growing to 1.8m (6ft), H4.

Colourful ivy

You might have pulled some wild ivy from a fence or a tree trunk to help fill out your Christmas greenery, and it works well. But, like wild holly, the leaves are very dark. Variegated kinds, such as Hedera helix ‘Ceridwen’ AGM with its bold, three pointed leaves with bright yellow margins are far more colourful. Sometimes even the whole leaf is bright yellow. 2m (6½ft), H5.

Winter blues

The blue needles of this dwarf form of the Colorado spruce (Picea pungens (Glauca Group) ‘Hoopsii’) AGM make a bright, refreshing change from darker shades, bringing a lift of light to wreaths and table centrepieces. Avoid the dense dwarf varieties such as ‘Globosa’; they just don’t produce enough growth, and don’t expect your ‘Hoopsii’ to look elegant if you cut off branches every Christmas so plant in an out-of-the-way spot. 2.5m (8ft), H7.

Holly with a difference

The few holly varieties without spines are often recommended, for obvious reasons, but Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’ AGM goes the other way. Exceptionally spiny, even with spines growing out of the blades of the leaves, ‘Ferox Argentea’ has purple stems, creamy edges to the leaves and a mass of spines. Intriguing and effective, but no berries. Height up to 8m (26ft), but can be pruned to keep it much smaller. H6.

White Christmas pine

Planting a pine for Christmas greenery may be a surprising idea, but one with such beautiful long needles – reaching 15cm (6in) in length – is a very useful addition to our palette of seasonal decorations. The Weymouth or white pine, Pinus strobus, grows strongly (though it dislikes limy soil). Cutting boughs for Christmas is not going to improve its shape so choose its planting site carefully. 5m (16ft), H7.

Silver charmer

The combination of small, neat foliage, splashed with cream and held on slender but stiff shoots, plus a tolerance of pruning, makes Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Irene Paterson’ AGM an ideal shrub for garden use and for cutting for indoors. Its vigour held in check by this regular pruning, at this time of year the foliage often develops a pink tinge. 2.5m (8ft), H3.

Longest lasting evergreen

Ruscus aculeatus, butcher’s broom, is probably the evergreen that lasts longest when cut and still looks good, even without water, weeks after cutting. The variety ‘John Redmond’ AGM has the bonus of producing bright red berries and, unlike most other forms, without the need of an additional male plant. It’s also tough, resilient and will grow in dry shade. 75cm (30in), H5.

Did you know?

Did you know that the Primrose is Devon’s county flower?

A traditional harbinger of spring, the wild primrose can still be found throughout Devon, although it is not as widespread as it used to be. To learn more click here http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8576000/8576940.stm

Annual Membership

The cost of annual membership is only £10 per person, which entitles you to free admission to our interesting monthly talks held in Kilmington Village Hall on the second Friday of the month.

Application Form

KILMINGTON KIDS' CORNER

Don’t forget that if you have any gardening stories or photos to share with us, we would love to hear from you!

Download this Winter Nuts and Berries spotter and see how many you can find on your walks around Kilmington.

https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-02/nuts%20new%20pics.png

Upcoming Visits And Events

Upcoming Talks

Contacts

Jane Chalk (President)

01297-33063

Lesley Rew (Chairman and Talks Organiser)

07900-827689

Beverley Perkins (Secretary and Membership Secretary)

01297-631801

Jean Falconer (Show Secretary)

01297-33708

Christine Mills (Outings Secretary)

Tel: 01297-599018

Sarah Frankish (Treasurer)

Tel: 07718-232401

Contact Email Address

[email protected]

Disclaimer:

If you have a question regarding this site, or you are the copyright owner of material found on this site and would like to discuss our use for this site, please contact us by email: [email protected]. Every reasonable step has been taken to ensure the correct use of images on our website. In the event of a challenge regarding the use of a copyright material, the material will be blocked from view as soon as reasonably and practicably possible and will remain blocked until we have been able to resolve the matter; if appropriate, we will ensure the image is either removed temporarily or permanently from our website as appropriate.