Riseley Gardening Club

Riseley Gardening Club Spring Walk is planned for Tuesday 23 April.

We will meet at 10.30 at Sporting Targets (Knotting Lane, Riseley, MK44 1BX) where we can park. There will be time before we leave on the walk to place orders for lunch on our return to Sporting Targets. The walk will be approximately 3 miles through the scrubland returning to sporting Targets at around 1pm.

If you would like to join the walk, please let Glenda Suthers know - [email protected] or 07484 851128. If anyone would like to join us for lunch but not the walk, please also contact Glenda so that orders for food can be taken. The menu can be found at https://www.sportingtargets.co.uk/downloads/content/Cafe%20Menu.pdf

Past Events

Tuesday 28th November

combined meeting with Historical Society, talk by Dr Twigs Way entitled ‘Virgins, Weeders and Queens, A History of Women in the garden’.

Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Russell Attwood talk on ‘No Dig Gardening’.

Tuesday 13th February 2024

Trip to Willington Garden Centre for lunch, which can also be combined with Moggerhanger snowdrop walk. Shared transport, setting off at 11am, aim to return at 2.30pm.

Tuesday 5th MarcH 2024

Felicity Brimblecombe talk entitled ‘A Romp Through Garden History in Bedfordshire’.

April 2024

Gardening Club Walk, date to be decided.

Saturday 18th May 2024

Plant Sale at Alison Keating’s.

June 2024

Possible visit to Grimsthorpe Castle and gardens

https://www.grimsthorpe.co.uk/

Tuesday 9th July 2024

Gardening Club Social, which will include a visit to the allotments and walk through the orchard.

Late July

possible visit to garden in Irchester.

Minutes of the Riseley Gardening Club AGM 10th October 2023

1. Apologies – Sue Draper, Sue Watkins, Richard and Pauline Morgan, Karen Jones, D Bailey

2. Matters arising from the 11th October 2022 AGM – no matters arising

3. Chair’s report – There were a number of successful events:

A talk from Felicity Brimblecombe abut Humphrey Repton which we followed up by a visit there to her project at the Luton Hoo Walled Garden. Many thanks to Peter, Ron’s husband for hiring and driving the coach.

Successful plant sale from which we were able to donate £500 to Emmaus. This money will be used towards a gardening project aimed at self-sufficiency.

The garden visits & social was very pleasant, despite a wet start.

4. Treasurer’s Report - £803 in the bank, £211 in petty cash, so finances are healthy. The main expenditures are for the hall and speakers. Subscriptions of £10 per person can be paid by banker’s draft to Riseley Gardening Club 30-98-97 Ac 73019563 or by cheque payable to Riseley Gardening Club.

5. Election of committee – the remaining committee will stay, and we also welcome Alison Raby as a new member of the committee.

6. Future events

Tuesday 28th November

combined meeting with Historical Society, talk by Dr Twigs Way entitled ‘Virgins, Weeders and Queens, A History of Women in the garden’.

Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Russell Atwood talk on ‘No Dig Gardening’.

Tuesday 13th February 2024

Trip to Willington Garden Centre for lunch, which can also be combined with Moggerhanger snowdrop walk. Shared transport, setting off at 11am, aim to return at 2.30pm.

Tuesday 5th March

Felicity Brimblecombe talk entitled ‘A Romp Through Garden History in Bedfordshire’.

April

Gardening Club Walk, date to be decided.

Saturday 18th May

Plant Sale at Alison Keating’s.

June

Possible visit to Grimsthorpe Castle and gardens

Tuesday 9th July

Gardening Club Social, which will include a visit to the allotments and walk through the orchard.

Late July

possible visit to garden in Irchester.

7. Seed catalogues – Thomson and Morgan discount of 50% on seeds, 15% on all other products when ordered online. Discount code TM _GT164X

8. AOB – Tulip bulbs from Bedford Borough Council given out.

The village planter flower box at the Bletsoe Road end of the village is in a dangerous spot so will be moved to by the village sign opposite ‘The Old Five Bells’. Many thanks to Jean for her excellent job of maintaining the one at the Swineshead Road end of the village.

9. Meeting closed at 7.55pm. It was followed by a quiz devised by Sue Davies which all members enjoyed and learned something from it. Then tea and cakes made by members of the committee.

Riseley Gardening Club AGM 2023

Will be held on Tuesday 10 October at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall lounge. The minutes of last year’s meeting are attached. Limited copies will be available on the night.
We would welcome any volunteers to join our committee - please let me know if you are interested.
After the formal meeting is concluded there will be a short garden quiz followed by tea, coffee and cake.
Annual subscriptions will be payable after the AGM. Please pay by bank transfer to Riseley Gardening Club, sort code 30 98 97, account number 73019563 (please note our account is classed as a business account) or by cheque payable to Riseley Gardening Club. The amount will be confirmed on 10 October.

We collected tulip bulbs from Bedford Borough Council in the spring - these had been dug up from their displays - if anyone would like some of these bulbs please let me know and I will bring them on 10 October.
Looking forward to seeing you on 10 October.
Best wishes

Sue

Minutes Riseley Gardening Club AGM 11th October 2022

1. Apologies – Alison Keating, Mark and Alison Chamberlain, D. Bailey, Ann Hughes.

2. Matters arising from minutes of AGM 2021 – minutes were circulated and there were no matters arising.

3. Chair’s report – we had 2 talks during the year – a joint meeting with the Historical Society on Medieval Gardens, and a talk on Hedgehogs, a walk around Riseley lead by Ann and John Clark, many thanks to them for stepping in at short notice, the plant sale at Alison Keating’s, a very successful visit to Barnsdale in July, the garden walk and social also in July, and also a visit to Townsend Farm House at the beginning of October.

4. Treasurer’s Report – D. Bailey has taken over as treasurer. Many thanks to Christine Futter for her years of service. We are in good financial shape. The current balance is £1016.74 in the current account. We have changed to Lloyds banking as it is free, and we now do internet banking.

5. Election of committee – the current members are all willing to stand for a further year.

6. Future events – The next meeting is on Tuesday 29th November, a joint meeting with the Historical Society on Humphrey Repton’s gardens in Bedfordshire.
Members were asked about a possible visit to Beckworth, the consensus seemed to be in favour of a visit before Christmas.
Visit to Anglesey Abbey Tuesday February 7th 2023
Talk on Gardening in Drought conditions Wednesday 22nd March 2023
Late April Gardening Club walk and lunch
Plant Sale at Alison Keatings Saturday 20th May 2023
Possible garden visit June 2023
Gardening Club Social Tuesday 11th July 2023

7. Seed Catalogues – Thompson and Morgan have given us a discount code of
8. TM_GT132K. Sue Da has 4 catalogues to give out, otherwise individual orders can be made online using this discount code and will be delivered to you. We must spend £200 collectively to receive the discount next year.

9. AOB – Bruce Bonham mentioned a course on The History or Farming in this Area to start after Christmas.

10. The meeting closed at 7.50 and was followed by a talk from Ron Cooper on the Riseley Apple Orchard. People enjoyed refreshments of tea, coffee and cake.

List of Drought-Resisting Plants from Geoff Hodge

The following is a list of plants that survive dry conditions.
KEY* = evergreen

Trees

Betula pendula (silver birch)
Cercis siliquastrum
Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn)
Eucalyptus *
Fagus sylvatica (beech)
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst'
Laburnum
Robinia pseudoacacia
Sorbus aria (whitebeam)
Taxus baccata * (yew)

Shrubs

Abelia grandiflora *
Aucuba japonica *
Berberis (some *)
Brachyglottis (Senecio) 'Sunshine' *
Buddleia davidii
Buxus sempervirens * (box)
Caryopteris clandonensis
Ceanothus *
Ceratostigma (hardy plumbago)
Cistus * (sun rose)
Convolvulus cneorum *
Cotoneaster (some *)
Cytisus (broom)
Dorycnium *
Escallonia *
Euonymus *
Genista lydia (broom)
Halimiocistus *
Halimium *
Hebe *
Helichrysum *
Hibiscus
Juniperus *
Lavandula * (lavender)
Myrtus communis * (myrtle)
Osmanthus *
Perovskia
Phlomis fruticosa * (Jerusalem sage)
Phormium * (New Zealand flax)
Pittosporum *
Rhus (sumach)
Rosmarinus officinalis * (rosemary)
Salvia * (sage)
Santolina * (cotton lavender)
Spartium (broom)
Tamarix
Thymus * (thyme)
Ulex * (gorse)
Vinca * (periwinkle)
Yucca *
Zauschneria

Herbaceous Perennials

Acanthus *
Achillea (yarrow)
Alchemilla mollis * (lady’s mantle)
Artemisia *
Carex * (sedge)
Centaurea cornflower)
Cortaderia * (pampas grass)
Crambe cordifolia
Dianthus * (pinks)
Echinops (globe thistle)
Eryngium planum (sea holly)
Euphorbia (some *)
Gypsophila (baby’s breath)
Helianthemum * (rock rose)
Iris germanica *
Kniphofia * (red hot poker)
Liatris (sea lavender)
Melianthus major *
Nepeta (catmint)
Origanum
Penstemon
Sedum
Stipa *
Verbascum (mullein)

Bulbs & Bulbous Plants

Agapanthus * (African lily)
Allium
Canna
Crocosmia (montbretia

Climbers and Wall Shrubs

Abutilon (some *)
Ceanothus varieties *
Hedera * (ivy)
Jasminum officinale and J. nudiflorum (summer and winter jasmine)
Lonicera japonica ‘Hall’s Prolific’ (honeysuckle)
Muehlenbeckia complexa
Passiflora caerulea (passion flower)
Polygonum baldschuanicum (Russian vine)

Annuals and Bedding Plants

Calendula
Cosmos
Eschscholzia
Gazania
Helianthus
Helichrysum petiolare
Limonium
Mesembryanthemum
Osteospermum
Pelargonium
Portulaca

Visit to Anglesey Abbey and Snowdrop Tour

Tuesday 7 February 2023

The visit to Anglesey Abbey (Post CodeCB25 9EJ) is booked for Tuesday 7 February 2023. We have been unable to book the villager bus, and other coach options are too expensive, so we will arrange shared transport. Our snowdrop tour is booked for 10.30, so departure from Riseley will be around 9.30.

The group rate for admission to Anglesey Abbey is £14.25 per person and the cost of the tour is £5. If you are a member of the National Trust or the RHS your admission to Anglesey Abbey is free of charge, you will just need to pay for the tour.

The tour lasts about an hour, so there will be time for lunch and further wandering before our return to Riseley – probably leaving Anglesey Abbey around 2pm.

If you would like to come with us on this trip would you please let me know as soon as possible and definitely by Monday 30 January. Please let me know whether you can provide transport for others or need a lift; also if you are a member of the National Trust or the RHS.

This trip is open to non-members, so if you have a friend or relative that would like to join us please let me know.

Sue

Visit to Anglesey Abbey Tuesday February 7th 2023 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill

" Gardening in Drought Conditions" by Geoff Hodge, on Wednesday 22nd March 2023, Riseley Village Hall

Late April 2023 Gardening Club spring walk and lunch

Plant Sale at Alison Keating’s house on Saturday morning, 20th May, 2023

Possible garden visit, June, 2023

Riseley Gardening Club Social, Tuesday, 11th July, 2023

Seed Catalogues – we will continue to use Thompson and Morgan as they give a 50% discount. To order from Thomson and Morgan use the code TM_GT132K ( please note the underline between M and G). A Thomson and Morgan Order Form is below and you can find their website at: www.thompson-morgan.com

Minutes Riseley Gardening Club AGM 11th October 2022