Who can forget last week’s thunderstorm when Winchester High Street was flooded and submerged cars had to be rescued by the fire service? Some of the clay soil from the Sun Lane development ended up in Nursery Road. I hope you were not affected. One of our gutters was overwhelmed and we had a Niagara Falls moment. But the warmer weather has certainly had an effect on our gardens. Shrubs and trees have put on a growth spurt and many herbaceous borders look very colourful. I’m sure the hollyhocks and hydrangeas have never looked better.
So now we concentrate on the Alresford Show and hope that many of our members and the general public too will enter those beautiful flowers as well as fruit, vegetables, culinary, crafts and photographs to make this yet another wonderful Show. Please remember that the closing date for entries is 5.00pm on Tuesday 3rd September. Entry forms can be posted in the box at D&G Hardware in Broad Street or posted or delivered to 22 Sun Hill Crescent, Alresford SO24 9NJ. Enquiries to bennybrundish@aol.com. As usual, exhibits can be brought to the front of the show tent on Friday evening 6th September between 5.30 and 7.30pm. However, on Saturday morning we have been asked to ensure that all exhibits should only be delivered to the show tent via the Orange Gate and not through the main entrance to the show ground where there is likely to be a lot of heavy show traffic moving around. There will be clear signage to the Horticultural area from the road and having parked you can then access the back of the tent. Further details are given in the Show Schedule. We need your tombola prizes too and these can be brought to next Wednesday’s meeting or delivered to Val Ramshaw at 1 Oak Hill. Cash is very acceptable. The tombola is our main fund-raising event and we rely on your very generous donations to keep our funds in good order.
Our annual visit to Wisley has been arranged for Wednesday 25th September. The cost will be £22 and application forms have been sent out to members and more will be available at the next meeting. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 18th September and is on a first come first served basis so please get your applications in early to avoid disappointment.
This year’s container/hanging basket competition was judged by Stephen Morley and Benny Brundish. The winner was Janet Pooley and the runner up was Jeremy Ashmore. You will find a photograph on the web site.
Keeping to the theme of colourful plants we look forward to our next meeting on Wednesday 14th August when we have Gerald Ponting talking to us about the flowers of roadside and verges. With less mowing, our roadsides have been transformed and we hope to learn more about what effect this has had on our native wild flowers and the insects which depend on them.
Janet Pooley
Chairman