Cropwell Bishop Village Parish Plan

Gardening Club AGM (19-4-10)

Gardening Club Chairman, Judy Thomas, thought that Gordan Brown would be envious of the club’s situation this evening: a healthy financial balance and all members of the committee re-elected unopposed! That said, there was a welcome and support for additional committee member Janet Hutchinson.

Judy reviewed the past twelve months using a host of pictures, and was able to remind everyone of all that had been achieved and enjoyed.

She then outlined the events planned for the rest of this year. Outside speakers, visits to private gardens as well those of stately homes, and even a visit to Westonbirt Arboretum: all tastes appear to be catered for.

Then followed a ‘Gardeners Question Time’ hosted by past local speaker, Mike Davey, and our very own Sue Ward, fresh from her recent appearance on BBC’s Gardeners Question Time when it was recorded at Radcliffe-on-Trent. You will be able to hear Sue ask her question on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 30th April between 10 and 11pm. I wonder what her question was?

If you are interested in gardening or simply want some ideas on improving your own garden, why not come along to the next meeting? It will be Monday 17th May at 7.30pm at the Old School.

Tony Jarrow

Where is the Gardening Club now - is it Kew? (16-4-10)

No, this is the Tropical House at Woodthorpe Grange Park Nurseries. Fifteen members of the club visited the nurseries on Wednesday 15th April.

Here you can see the plants that will fill traffic islands, hanging baskets and the fantastic displays at Nottingham Castle throughout the Summer.

Look out for the grass lion and other figures.

Judy Thomas

Pruning: are you a Hairdresser or a Butcher? (22-3-10)

That was the question that Geoff Hodge asked a packed audience of the Gardening Club on Monday 15th March.

Geoff, who is a freelance gardening and horticultural journalist, author and editor and radio and TV broadcaster, is no stranger to the Gardening Club.

On his last visit back in November he talked about Garden Pests and Diseases and this time his subject was "Pruning - Making it Easy".

Once again he entertained and informed us with his knowledgeable yet engaging presentational style. We were introduced to all the equipment available on the market (Geoff is the ‘Tried and Tested Guru’ for the ‘Gardening News - Buyers Guide’ so he know his products) but assured us that all we need is a good pair of secateurs and a pruning saw.

He then snipped and clipped through a wide array of shrubs and perennials. Apparently we sometimes need to be a hairdresser - for lavenders, rosemary, brooms etc, and sometimes a Butcher for what seemed like everything else!

As far as fruit trees are concerned, follow the 4 D's: prune only when Dead, Diseased, Dying or Damaged.

If you want to have more detail then he has a book entitled simply, "Pruning", which is available from his website. He also has another, on allotments, which is available from the RHS.

He'll be at ‘Grand Designs Live’ at London Excel in May 2010 and is also appearing on ‘The Daily Mail Gardening Question Time Roadshow’ throughout 2010. And maybe he will be back in Cropwell Bishop sometime in the future.

Judy Thomas

Lincolnshire Wall Cannot Hide Snowdrops (17-2-10)

Well it had to happen one day!

On Wednesday 17th February, 15 members and friends from Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club visited Easton Walled Garden in Lincolnshire to see the snowdrops - and it rained, something that has never happened before on a garden visit.

Not that we were disappointed. The visit began with a very entertaining and informative talk by self-confessed Galanthusite (mad about Snowdrops) plantswoman, Jacky Murry.

Jacky outlined the history of the Snowdrop in Britain and then provided a very practical look at Snowdrops and how to identify and grow them. We then viewed a specialist collection and heard how just one bulb had recently fetched £200 on eBay!

Wrapped up warm for a wintery walk in the gardens, we saw spectacular drifts of snowdrops intermingled with bright aconites. The promise of "Lots to see whatever the weather" was certainly true.

Take a close look in the grassed areas of the Pinfold here in Cropwell Bishop and you will see the beginnings of our own snowdrop planting. We were told by Jacky that these would multiply twofold each year - as long as we keep the mower away until the leaves have died back!!

Judy Thomas

How to succeed with clay soil (15-2-10)

With the opening of the Cropwell Bishop Allotments a matter of weeks away, thoughts of getting the best from the soil of Cropwell Bishop will be looming large for many people. Therefore, the timing of tonight’s talk at the Gardening Club could not have been better.

At The Old School over 30 people listened to an illustrated talk about Organic Growing on Heavy Clay Soil by Patrick Lynn. Patrick has a degree in Agriculture and is making a living out of growing vegetables on his farm near Southwell. It sounds like our soil is very similar Southwell’s – hence the usefulness of his talk.

Organic growing means that the intense use of pesticides is out, but that doesn’t mean that new ideas and technology cannot be used – far from it. Crop rotation is not new but modern methods are rather more complex. We may think of clover as a weed in our lawns but the organic grower sees it as a great source of biomass, a means of getting minerals from deep underground and a useful ally in breaking down clay soil.

Many of us have seen farmers use black plastic sheeting on their crops. Its ability to absorb solar radiation, retain moisture and suppress weeds would be valuable to any gardener, but who wants their soil polluted with bits of plastic at the end of the season? No one, but we did not realise that a biodegradable version was available: Patrick did and uses it for his own crops (see picture).

Can an allotment be maintained without having access to a mains water supply? Can enough water be collected from a garden shed and stored in a water but? Apparently, clay soil is good at retaining moisture so maybe you can be self-sufficient on your own plot.

Interestingly, on the subject of pests, some of Patrick’s biggest problems are not the tiny insects, but hares and birds. Even so, the Southwell slugs sound as numerous and hungry as their Cropwell cousins!

By the end of the evening, we all left The Old School a bit warmer and wiser, looking forward to the spring weather and our annual battle with soil, elements and hungry insects and slugs.

Tony Jarrow