Next Meeting

November Meeting Review - AGM and Grandma's Garden

The Garden Society meeting on the 25th November had three parts to it. It began with the AGM. Mike Weeks reported another good year for the society with increasing membership and a healthy bank balance. He thanked all the committee members for their hard work over the year. He also thanked Sue Shaw and Sue Davies for organising the plant sale; Sally Secrett for the Spring Show; Doug Isles for mentoring the beekeepers and donating to each of them a nucleus colony of bees; all those who have provided refreshments, and particularly Mike Haines for the mulled wine.

The minutes of the last AGM were adopted and there were no matters arising. In Sue Davis’s absence Mike gave the treasurer’s report, and announced that the subscriptions are to remain the same for next year. Robert Broughton then took the chair for the election of the new committee. There were no new nominations but all the existing committee members were willing to stand again; Christine Haines had already been co-opted as the new programme secretary and the committee was re-elected.

Mike Weeks resumed the chair and encouraged members to contribute new material to the Society’s website, which has been warmly praised.

The second part of the meeting was an illustrated talk by Yvonne Bell, entitled “Grandma’s Garden”. I found myself wondering how many other people in the room had Edwardian grandmothers, and concluded that it must be the majority. The audience was certainly enraptured by the talk which was probably because they were reminded of so much about their own grandparents, and of how much the world has changed in such a short time. Yvonne Bell has made the study of all things Edwardian her passion ever since she moved into an Edwardian House which she filled with Edwardian furniture. It was a fascinating period in history between the ending of the Victorian era and the First World War. Victorian values of formality in all areas of life were rejected. Ordinary people became interested in gardening, as opposed to growing food, and the rigid geometries of the Victorian garden gave way to a sprawling and casual approach and cottage garden plants. Gertrude Jekyll said that the function of a garden was “to give its owner the highest kind of earthly pleasure.” The herbaceous border was invented, overflowing with perennials. Yvonne Bell took us on a journey through many famous gardens illustrating the essence of Edwardiana with beautiful slides, well-chosen quotations, and wonderful anecdotes about Edwardian gardeners. So much of what we do in the garden these days was started in Edwardian times.

The third part of the meeting was the pre-Christmas social when we were served a delicious, hot, mulled wine and warm mince pies. We collected our Dobies seed catalogues for 2012. What better way to end the gardening year?

Judy Craven and Christine Haines

Out and About

Dean Meadows Group - Initial Public Meeting

Westbury Parish Hall, Westbury on Severn. GL14 1PF

January 25th 2010 at 7.30 pm 

Open to everyone interested in meadows, their management and their wonderful wildlife - gardens can be wildflower meadows too. Dr. Chris Parsons will open the meeting with contributions from George Peterken and Stephanie Tyler.

International Garden Photographer of the Year 

Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, Broad Street, Hereford.

From 9th December 2011 to 18th January 2012 - Free Admission

The world's premier touring exhibition of garden and plant photography.

Opening Times: 

Tue to Fri: 10 – 5pm; Sat:10 – 4pm 

Xmas opening times: Sat Dec 24 & 31: 10am – 3pm; Dec 28 - 30: 10am – 5pm. 

Closed: Dec 25 – 27 and Jan 1 & 2. Open as usual Tuesday, Jan 3.

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