Bridport Gardening Club

Christmas 2019 activities with the Gardening Club

The annual Christmas shopping outing headed for Salisbury to coincide with the Christmas market in the square. There were fewer stalls from Europe this year, but delicious and attractive purchases could be still made from the colourful kiosks. A very windswept Highland’s End hosted the club Christmas dinner, attended by over seventy guests.  A lovely meal and convivial company was much enjoyed by everyone including our guests of honour, our patrons, Clive and Diana Groves. Sue Langdon’s huge raffle concluded[…]

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Images of Dartmoor

Tony Burges’ talk in November 2019 took his audience on a tour of the moors through all seasons; from spring bluebells to snowy peat-bogs and rocky tors.  He shared his interest in Ancient History and also delighted his audience with myths and ‘fairy doings’ in the wilderness. Tony was born and bred in Devon and his passion for Devon & Cornwall was inspired while he was on Dartmoor training to become a Royal Marine.

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What to do if you’re not receiving Gardening Club Emails

Several members are reporting that they no longer receive Gardening Club emails.  The most likely reason is that they are going straight to Spam or Junk mail.  This is what to do if you spot a “bridportgardeningclub@gmail.com” address amongst your Spam/Junk mail: Tick the box next to it – then: a) You will now see the option to move it to your Inbox. b) Also, there is usually a ‘This is not Spam’ button you should click which, hopefully, will[…]

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September outing to The Garden House

September saw two very busy weeks for the Club beginning with a return visit to the Garden House, on the fringe of Dartmoor.   After hearing a brief history members, were free to wander the grounds, still resplendent in late summer colour: hydrangea paniculata catching everyone’s eye.   Of special delight was the walled garden, where dahlias, heleniums, rudbeckias, fuschias and asters glowed. The grasses in the naturalistic borders was a theme continued at the monthly meeting, when Malcolm Mills (Gold Club)[…]

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2019 Club Holiday in Wales

We spent our first day at Bodnant, a Grade One listed garden in Snowdonia’s foothills, with excellent mountain views.  There are 80 acres of Italianate formal gardens with shrub-filled glades, historic plant collections and 42 UK Champion trees.  We rounded off the day with a trip on the Great Orme Railway around the promontory overlooking Llandudno Bay. The second morning was spent at Portmeirion Village, which was created by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis (C.W.E.).  The site he found had everything[…]

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2019 Summer Show – A Success

On the day of the Show the United Church Hall in East Street is always a delight with the scent and colour of flowers, the wonderful vegetables large and small and all the fruits of the labour of Bridport Gardening Club members and friends over the summer. With figures overall very similar to last years with 59 exhibitors and 471 exhibits, a record number of entries in the horticulture classes made sure the Show was a success.  Fine entries in[…]

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British Bees

We were treated to a beautifully illustrated talk by Briget Strawbridge Howard in July.  It was surprising to learn how many species we have in Britain, the varied forms they take and fascinating to hear the complex life cycle of some. The decline in the  insect population is due to a number of factors; gardeners can provide vital nectar and pollen by planting blooms of differing shapes and depths, flowering all through the year, from early bulbs to winter ivies.

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Outing to Tapeley Park

An outing in July 2019, literally, took us to pastures new – Tapeley Park, near Instow, North Devon. The Christie family has owned the Tapeley Park for almost 300 years. It overlooks the Torridge estuary with wonderful views across to Lundy Island and Saunton Sands. It looks out on to terraced gardens in a wide variety of styles and plantings as well as an ice house, a shell house and a permaculture garden developed by Hector Christie demonstrating principles of[…]

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Trekking in the Himalayas

An entertaining evening was much enjoyed when our Patron,Clive Groves, came to speak on “Trekking in the Himalayas through the Eyes of a Nurseryman”. Following retirement in 2010, Clive, together with Diana, journeyed to Costa Rica, for an enjoyable trek despite adverse conditions. In the Himalayas they both achieved the climb up to Everest Base Camp. Altitude sickness, perilously narrow paths, cold, snow, ice and “yak attack” were all overcome.  The reward was breathtaking beauty and finding plants growing in[…]

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