April and May have apparently set records for being the warmest months in the UK for some years but while the temperature and rain might have suited the shrubs in our gardens, I know that we gardeners would all benefit from seeing more sunshine. But hope springs eternal.
The Alresford Show catalogues are printed so please take one and pass them onto your friends. As last year, there will be no charge to enter. We are asking you to sign up at the meeting to indicate how you might be able to help on the day. There are many roles to fill and something for everyone. The tombola is always popular and makes a valuable contribution to cover some of our expenses so we are now looking for prizes which can be brought to a meeting or delivered to Val Ramshaw at 1. Oak Hill. Please don’t leave it till the last minute or we shall start to panic!
June is renowned for roses and we are lucky to have two National Trust properties close by, both of which are worth a visit. At Hinton Ampner there is a new rose guide which identifies rose ‘hot spots’ in the gardens and there will be pop up stalls on 22 and 23 June where you can buy plants. Also, from 8th to 30th June there will be a festival of flowers in the main house celebrating the delight of flower arranging. At Mottisfont where there are nearly 500 varieties of roses, the gardens are open until 8.00pm from 8th to 30th June, an extended opening time.
Continuing the theme of roses, we look forward to our next meeting on Wednesday 12th June when we welcome back an old friend, Gillian Taylor who is an expert on roses. She will be describing how she transformed a farmer’s field in France into a cultivated garden. Gillian will be judging our Rose Show that evening at 7.30pm and will give her talk after the break. So please bring along a single stem of your favourite rose and your own vase in which to display it for a chance to win the Society’s Rose Bowl. The rose can be a single rose or multi headed.
The next item on our programme is our Summer Garden Party which this year will be held at the home of Val Ramshaw, 1 Oak Hill, Alresford SO24 9IZ from 6.00-8.00pm. Please bring a plate of food to share and possibly a folding garden chair.
Finally, the hanging basket/container competition will be judged in the early part of July so we will be taking names at the next meeting of those who would like to enter. There is no specific theme this year so the judges will be looking at design, colour and quality – no pressure there!
Janet Pooley
Chairman