On: Monday 11 June 2018

At: South Marston Village Hall

Time: 7:30pm to 8:30pm

Update from meeting on Monday 14 May 2018

Speakers: Pete and Bob Biggs, Wanborough Herb Nursery

Title: “Culinary Herbs and their Uses”

They gave us an interesting talk and overview of a selection of herbs from their collection.

Mint: There were at least 10 different mints on the table, such as “strawberry mint”.  One way to use is by laying leaves at the base of a cake batter and remove once the cake is cooked.  As a refreshing tea or add chopped leaves into a yogurt, in smoothies or in a fruit salad.

Geranium: Two unusual varieties on the night were “Rose” and Cola”.  The smell from these two varieties was unbelievable.  Leaves can be used as a refreshing drink and again by layering the leaves under a cake batter.

Lemon Verbena: Leaves can be used as a tea, in cakes or dropped into a hot bath.

Marjoram/Oregano: Can be used when cooking meat, fish or pasta.  The flowers are loved by bees and butterflies.

Strawberries (alpines): Unusual yellow fruited plants.

A couple of Hints and Tips

Coriander: Likes to be grown on its own and not with other plants. When cutting to use, don’t cut at the base and only use the top part of the plant.

Chive: If you suffer from “rust”, cut the plant to the ground and soak with a bucket of water.

Clay soil: Is the best soil for growing.  To improve its drainage add grit, sand or gravel and add a mulch such as manure or composted bark.

On: Monday 14 May 2018

At: South Marston Village Hall

Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Pete and Bob Biggs of Wanborough Herb Nursery will speak about “Culinary Herbs and their Uses”.

They will bring along a large selection of herbs and talk about how they can be used in cooking.

Herb Plants will be available to purchase at the end of the evening.

Cost: £3 entry fee on the door or £12 for full Membership.

A warm welcome awaits you along with tea and cake as well as an optional raffle.

Update from Meeting held on Monday 9 April 2018

Speaker Stuart “The Wildman” Mabbutt from Oxford gave us a very interesting and entertaining talk about Wildlife in Everyday Gardening.  Stuart had 10 Challenges for us to improve Wildlife in our Gardens which are:

• • • 1: Is gardening essential or is it social conditioning?
    • 2: Tidiness is down to interpretation
    • 3: Are you hearing or are you listening? Are you seeing or are you looking
    • 4: Birth is just as important as death and decay (there is no such thing as pest and disease)
    • 5: It’s really only down to 4 things
      • Water
      • Dead wood
      • Different grass heights
      • Different flowers, trees and shrubs
    • 6: Hedgehogs and bee’s
    • 7: The connected garden
      • Corridors in between neighbouring garden
      • You as part of a much bigger picture
    • 8:The alternative garden: moon gardening and ant nests
    • 9: Natives and non-natives are not worth fussing about too much, diversity is what we need. Ethical seeds (buy British seeds not imported ones.)
    • 10: Caring for garden birds.

Please note next months Gardening Club is Monday 9 April and not 2 April

On: Monday 9 April 2018

at: South Marston Village Hall

@ 7:30 to 9:30pm

South Marston Club is hosting speaker Stuart “Wildman” Mabbutt.

Stuart will talk about attracting wildlife in our gardens and how we can begin to appreciate it better by using our senses and exploring our collective psychology and sociology.

“We look but do we see, we listen but do we hear, we touch but do we feel, we sniff but do we smell, we eat but do we taste”.

This is also an ideal chance to get a signed copy of his wildlife gardening books and a highlights cd of his radio show.

Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt has been a professional wildlife gardener for nearly 29 years.

He writes widely in magazines on the subject and recently published his first 2 books and is busy writing the next.

He leads nature workshops for business people, individuals, children and families to show how engaging with nature with the 5 senses can help manage stress and pain. As well as be a good team building tool.

He is a wildlife sound recordist and makes the independent wildlife radio show, Going Wild With Wildlife, which transmits 25 times a week on 7 different stations across Britain. He’s working on a pilot and first series of a new countryside TV/Online show ‘The Peoples Countryside’.

He’s developing some academic research with Oxford University into the benefits of nature on the human body.

Stuart has an ambition to perform on the main stage at the O2 Arena in London and is developing a stage show, 3-day countryside retreat to start the ball rolling in getting him there.

You can see more on Stuart at: https://www.wildmaninspires.co.uk/

£3 entry fee on the door or £12 full membership.  A warm welcome awaits you along with tea and cake as well as an optional raffle.

Monday 5 March 2018 Meeting Update

After two months absence, we welcomed back 19 of our existing members.  We kicked off the evening with our AGM.  Our finances are looking so much better than last year and this was due to the amount of fundraising the Club organised last year.  The speakers we have booked for this year will take a large chunk of the money. The same Committee Members were re-elected.

Unfortunately, due to the recent bad weather our booked speaker for the evening “Pennard Plants” had to cancel.   The evening was saved by Barry Thunder and Anne Featherstone who stepped in to do a presentation to the group on behalf of the Parish Council Open Spaces Working Group.  They asked for the help of the Gardening Club, to work on the War Memorial in its 100 years since the end of WW1.  A few of the Gardening Club Members signed up to be involved with the planning which will be fed back to the Club.  Once decisions have been made with regards to the planting material required, the Gardening Club will help grow some of these plants.

2018 Programme

Monday 5 March: “AGM” followed by Pennard Plant of Somerset. Bringing along their collection of Heritage and Heirloom Seeds and Plants available to purchase at the end of the evening.

Monday 9 April:  Speaker: Stuart Mabbutt – Wildman Environmental Learning of Oxford Talk Title: Wildlife in Everyday Gardens

Monday 14 May: Speaker:  Pete and Bob Biggs of Wanborough Talk Title: Culinary Herbs and their Uses

Monday 11 June: Plant Sale Time: 7:30pm to 9pm

Monday 2 July: Members BBQ Time: 7pm till 9pm Where: Catsbrain Farm

Saturday 7 July: South Marston Fete (Gardening Club have a stall selling Plants, Produce and Cakes) Time: 2pm to 5pm Where: South Marston Playing Field

Sunday 29 July: Open Garden Event Time: 2pm – 5pm Where: South Marston Village

Friday 17 August: Registration for the Annual Flower and Produce Show (Gardening Club Members, South Marston Allotment holders and South Marston Residents only). Time: 7pm to 8:30pm

Saturday 18 August: Annual Flower and Produce Show (see above). Time: Refer to schedule (available from Mike New or Angela Newton)

Monday 3 September:  Speaker: Paul Green of Newent, Gloucestershire Talk Title: It’s Not All about Flowers – Foliage and Stem Interest

 Monday 1 October: Speaker: Geoff Hodge of Peterborough Talk Title:  Bugs & Garden Plagues – Pest & Disease Control

 Monday 12 November:  Workshop – Floral Display

 Monday 3 December:  Social Evening

The above to be held in South Marston Village Hall @ 7:30pm to 9:30pm unless otherwise stated.

£3 entry fee on the door or £12 full membership.

A warm welcome awaits you along with tea and cake as well as an optional raffle.

 For more information, please contact Mike New on 827807 / 07999914751 or

Angela Newton on 832034 / 07789068340 / angelanewton01@gmail.com

Monday 5 March

“AGM”

Followed by “Pennard Plants of Somerset”

Bringing along their collection of heritage and heirloom seeds and plants, available to purchase.

South Marston Village Hall @ 7:30 to 9:30pm.

£3 entry fee on the door or £12 full membership.

A warm welcome awaits you along with tea and cake as well as an optional raffle.

For more information, please contact Mike New on 827807 or 07999914751

Monday 6 November 2017

“Workshop” Christmas Table Decoration

Have fun putting together your own table decoration in time for Christmas.

South Marston Village Hall @ 7:30pm.

£10 for non-members (this includes materials for the decoration and 1 years membership).

A warm welcome awaits you along with tea and cake as well as a

raffle.

For more information, please contact Mike New on 827807 or 07999914751