This information was obtained from the Barham & District Horticultural Society website.

Latest Society News & Events 2024

Take a look at what the society did in 2023

RHS Garden Wisley closure

On Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February 2024 RHS Garden Wisley and the Garden Centre will be closed to all visitors due to the A3 weekend closure, as part of the ongoing M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange roadworks.

National Highways is closing part of the A3 in both directions, from 9pm Friday 23 February to 5.30am Monday 26 February, between the M25 and the A247/B2215 south of Ripley. Because of this road closure, it is not possible to welcome our members and visitors to the garden that weekend.

They are sorry for any inconvenience this closure may cause you and they look forward to welcoming you back to RHS Garden Wisley soon.

For more information please visit their website.

If you would still like to visit a garden over that weekend there are several RHS Partner Gardens nearby, many offering free access to RHS members (for joint memberships, the main member can visit for free). These include: Ham House, Nymans, Osterley Park, Sheffield Park and Garden, Syon Park and Tylney Hall Hotel. Please use the RHS Partner Garden Finder to find out more.

News Update February 2024

We are now at the start of the calendar year, the gardening year and our membership year. Although we are about to hunker down for a cold spell there are signs of spring with snowdrops and daffodils peeping through the earth.

The Society's AGM was held on 17 January 2024, and the events planned for 2024 outlined. It will be a busy year with something planned for each month. The first talk takes place at 7.30pm on 14 February at Barham Village Hall. Steve Edney is returning to talk to us about The Long Border that he created from scratch four years ago. Steve gave us a very interesting talk last year on dahlias. His enthusiasm for horticulture is infectious.

It is now time for current members to renew their subscription and if you are not currently a member you will consider joining. Membership is £7 per annum or £14 for a household. Subscriptions can be paid on line or in person. Committee members will be at Barham Village Hall on Saturday 3 February between 10am and 11am to collect subscriptions and hand out the 2024 programme and membership cards. The programme contains details of the 2024 events including the entry form for the Autumn Show. A membership card enables a discount on plant purchases from several local garden centres who advertise in the programme and Suttons Seeds offer a 50% discount on seed orders. We are keen to maintain or even grow our membership numbers as this enables us to put on a full calendar of events. Details of how to become a member can be found here

We are still looking for a Chair Person for the Committee. The role is not onerous or difficult as the committee members share the tasks and report back at the committee meetings held every other month.

Gardening notes for February 2024

Here we are heading for the end of winter (we hope).

Its an interesting time in the garden never knowing whether its going to be freezing or pouring, make the most of opportunities to get jobs done.

Indoor jobs: cleaning houseplant leaves, planning new borders, sorting and ordering seeds, commencing seed planting, such as tomatoes (especially if you have a propagator), cleaning and sharpening secateurs, cleaning tools and tidying the shed (although that's kind of outdoors!), having a cuppa with a friend.

Outdoor jobs: The list is a lot longer than last month but doesn't have the urgency of March.

If it snows knock it off evergreens. Keep birds supplied with fresh water and food.

Complete rose pruning before they start to bud. The instructions are in last month's notes (apologies for titling them December notes!)

Get hedges cut before the birds start nesting, Prune wisteria back to two buds unless they are stems needed to make the framework, take a look at the RHS website for videos. Prune any winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering. Start the task of pruning the summer and autumn flowering clematis. Leave the spring flowering ones alone or you will cut off this years flowers. Cut back deciduous grasses, I find a hedge cutter ideal for the bigger ones. Don't forget to remove any metal supports first! Cut back old leaves on Hellebores to remove any with blackspot and show off the flowers.

Take note of where all the bulbs are coming through so you can avoid disturbing them in the summer. You can buy pots of bulbs to increase the display, many spring bulbs also provide nectar for any insects venturing out.

Chit early potatoes ready for March planting. Check planting times of seeds you plan to grow, broad beans can be planted outside now. If you have issues with mice plant a few in pots under protection until they have germinated. Prepare seed beds, removing all the weeds and raking the soil to get a nice crumbly surface. Get a head start by covering the area with cloches or old compost bags (opened out to show the black inside), this warms up the soil.

Have fleece ready to protect early blossom on apricots and peaches if you are lucky enough to have them.

Leave perennial stems standing for the moment so the birds can enjoy the seeds, the insects shelter and you can enjoy them fringed with frost.

Enjoy the preparations for a beautiful spring and summer.

News Update January 2024

Happy New Year. May you find your seeds germinate first time, your blooms be sumptuous, your produce delicious and the visitors to your garden enchanting.

The society holds its AGM on Wednesday the 17th Jan 2024 at 7pm Barham village hall. There will be the usual society business and collection of subs followed by a glass of something, nibbles and time to catch up. There will also be a raffle which will raise funds to support the schools gardening group, which two of our members are part of. Of course, there will be the usual two competitions, best posy and most varieties from your garden (please list the varieties). Both displayed in your own vases.

If you wish to join the society its £7 per adult for the year. Join at the AGM or online here.

The program for 2024 is summarised here, membership also includes discounts on Suttons seeds and at local nurseries, along with opportunity for discounted RHS garden visits.

Wednesday 14th February Illustrated talk by Steve Edney - The Long Border
Wednesday 13th March Illustrated talk by Lee Woodcock - Organic Vegetable Growing and the Hungry Gap.
Thursday 4th April Illustrated talk by Philip Oostenbrink - Jungle Garden
Saturday 20th April 10.30 am Plant Sale
Wednesday 8th May Illustrated talk by Rachael Castle - Shining a light on Bulbs
Thursday 6th June Car trip to Kenfield Hall and The Orangery
Tuesday 9th July Car trip to Pheasant Barn
Wednesday 17th July Social Event
Thursday 1st August Coach trip to RHS Hyde Hall
Saturday14th September Autumn Show
Wednesday 9th October Illustrated talk by Fergus Garrett from Great Dixter.
Wednesday 13th November Illustrated talk by Jo Arnell - Winter and Autumn Shrubs/Structure in the Winter Garden.

The talks are at Barham village hall starting at 7.30pm. details of the price of trips will be in your member program and also available here Adobe Acrobat PDF Annual Programme 2024.

We hope to see many of our members on the 17th Jan. If you are not currently a member do consider joining us, you don't have to be an expert gardener, or even have a garden to enjoy the talks and trips. If you wish to try us out, come along to a talk we only charge £2 for a visitor.

Gardening notes for January 2024

Happy New Year!

Hopefully you got some garden related gifts, perhaps an Amaryllis or a new trowel. This is another quiet month so plenty of time to wander round your plot on a sunny day. Make a note of where the sun is and maybe add something with interesting bark or coloured stems or golden grasses which can be picked out by the sun and enjoyed from indoors.

How is the nectar and colour in the garden, do you perhaps have snowdrops, early crocus, hellebores or mahonia. Take a trip to a garden centre and see what would like your soil.

You could make a start on pruning your roses. Always prune back to a bud, with a cut sloping away from it. Use sharp clean secateurs. The amount that should be pruned differs depending whether it is a shrub or hybrid T etc. However, the principle is the same whatever you have. Remove to the base any very weak or spindly stems. Cut back to a healthy bud any dead or damaged stems. Cut back any stems that are crossing and rubbing, as they will damage each other, so you are left with one of the pair. Then reduce back the remaining stems to an outward facing bud, its this last step which depends on the type of rose. I would try cutting back a third and see what the result is then try more or less next year. If you know what type the rose is you can 'google' that last step. Then a feed and a mulch to give the best flowers next year and reduce blackspot (the spores on the ground will be buried by the mulch).

Have you sorted through your seeds, bin the really old ones- or do a germination tests (for example on damp kitchen roll) before you commit them to compost. If you are a member of the horticultural society, you will get a discount with Suttons seeds. There are often a lot of seeds in a packet so team up to share with a friend if you have too many.

It's a good time to look through the flower beds for perennial weeds as they are easier to see and deal with in winter.

As always remember the wildlife which shares your plot, perhaps plan a wildlife friendly area or more nectar and of course keep providing birds with food and water.

Happy Gardening, enjoy the rest its going to get busier next month.

 

Next EventThursday
4th April

'Jungle Garden'
Illustrated talk by Philip Oostenbrink. Jungle Garden

Thursday 4th April 7.30pm
Directions to Barham Village Hall »

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