Chairs Notes and Notices
Dear Members
With 2024 now behind us we now start the new year and with it comes a new set of monthly talks and visits which I hope you will all like to attend and enjoy.
On the 18th of January 2025, this Saturday at 2:30 pm, we have a talk being given by Derry Watkins on “Self Sowing Plants”. She will give a talk about Self-sowing Plants – allowing nature to help design your garden. Derry Watkins is the owner of Special Plants Garden and Nursery ( https://www.specialplants.net/shop/seeds/ ) and visited us in 2019 when she gave a talk on “Unusual and Long Blooming Garden Plants”. Her talk was very enjoyable, informative and very popular.
This is followed up in February 2025 with a coach visit to Colesbourne Gardens to see Snowdrops on Saturday 15th February 2025. This coach trip in late winter/early spring is a new venture for the club which I hope will become a regular feature and help blow away any cobwebs we may be harbouring and reinvigorate us all for the coming year. The cost is £9.00 for entry. The cost of the coach is being borne by the club. Booking forms are available on the club website.
The following month will bring us a talk on “The Honey Bee and Bee Keeping” to be given by Brian Miller-Hall on the 15th of March 2025. Brian has been managing bees for 15 years and currently has 12 hives. He is involved with the Herefordshire Bee Keepers Association and regularly goes out collecting swarms and is always happy to take calls to advise on keeping bees.
In April 2025 we have a talk on “The Scented Garden“ given by Gail Plant on the 26th April 2025. Gail is a plants woman and metal artist. She lectures on scented plants with a touch of science and history thrown in. She also designs and supplies scented gardens. All talks are interactive, with actual plants being passed around so you can enjoy the fragrances. Talks encompass some history, science and of course a lot of gardening for you to enjoy.
Our last talk before the round of summer garden visits is on “Christopher Lloyd, His Life at Great Dixter”. This is being given by Stephen Anderton on Saturday the 17th of May 2025. Shortly before his death in 2005, Christopher Lloyd asked Stephen to write his biography, which became the story of his house and garden, his often dysfunctional family and his life as a best-selling author, international lecturer, lovable eccentric, incurable writer of letters, and grand old man of English gardening. Stephen has written various books including Discovering Welsh Gardens (2009), Christopher Lloyd – His Life at Great Dixter (2010), Lives of the Great Gardeners (2016), Stourhead (2019). Lecturer UK and abroad, on plantsmanship, garden design and garden restoration. TV and radio work. Stephen trained as a professional gardener.
Please note all club meetings are held at Powick Village on the third Saturday of the month starting at 2:30 pm.
Events for Your Diaries:-
All the local NGS open gardens in the area can be found at :- https://ngs.org.uk. Look out for the Yellow Book at future meetings.
All the local and national events run by the RHS can be found on their website:-
Promoting the Club on Social Media and the Website
For those of you on Facebook, the club has a Facebook page where we currently have 108 followers:-
https://www.facebook.com/BlackPearGardeningClub
This is automatically linked to receive postings from our website.
We also have a Face Book Group page:-
https://www.facebook.com/groups/632642921411258/
You can become a member of this group which will allow you to post pictures of your own garden or any garden related item of interest. Don’t forget to also visit our website:-
Administration Assistance
Is there a club member out there who has administration/computer skills who would be willing to join the club committee and take on some of the tasks currently carried out by Brian Skeys? If so please let me or any committee member know if you are interested.
Best wishes Larry Gleaves
Finally Happy New Year to you all and thank you for your support of the Black Pear Gardening Club over the past year and your continued support going forward from all the club committee members and myself.
For Programme information please click on ‘Programme’ on the website.
Chair Larry Gleaves 07704339148
Other contact details are also on the website in ‘Contact Us’
If you are reciving this by post and now have an internet connection can you please let Brian know to save on postage. Thank you.
Black Pear Gardening Club. 