Last updated: 13-Sep-2011

North Dartmoor Garden Club

The new season starts in September. Subscriptions £6. New members welcome.
Meetings are on the fourth Thursday in the month. 7.30pm Belstone Village Hall

Newsletter
We may still be waiting for summer and those balmy nights when you don’t have to shut up the greenhouse, but nights are now drawing in, autumn is just around the corner and your committee very much hopes for your company for the new season of the Garden Club at 7.30pm on Thursday  22nd September 2011, in Belstone Village Hall, when Tom Hynes will introduce us to North Devon’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - a huge area so designated because of its blend of special landscapes and wildlife areas, rich cultural heritage and communities that care about it and want to sustain it into the future, where conservation and sustainable development goes hand in hand.
TALKS: We continue the season with Going for Gold (Oct); Willows in the Garden and for Conservation (Nov); Gardeners’ Question Time (Jan); Fuchsias (Feb); From the Western Cape to Devon (Mar); and Wildflowers, their Folklore and Uses (Apr).  All of these talks are on our usual night, the fourth Thursday of each month.  
We hope this range appeals; we have asked all speakers to bring plants for sale where possible.  If you have come across any good speakers, let us know and we’ll book him/her.  Or if there’s a subject you find  particularly interesting, tell us and we’ll try to find a speaker for next year.
SOCIAL: Tea and coffee will be available from the kitchen hatch before each evening’s meeting, free and for nothing.  November is our “Christmas” meeting, so we will offer coffee and mince pies (and clotted cream, of course) in the interval.  Your committee much enjoys the opportunity to circulate and chat.  We hope you do too, and will join us again. 
FEES: This year’s membership fee remains at £6.00 which represents very good value for money.  We would be grateful if you could pay at the first meeting (or send a cheque).  If you know of friends, neighbours or family who enjoy gardening and the company of like-minded people, do invite them to join us (we also welcome visitors, for £1.00 per visit).
SEEDS: As the Club is currently a member of the NSALG (Allotment Society) you also have the opportunity to buy top quality flower and vegetable seeds at heavily discounted prices from Kings of Kelvedon.  Catalogues will be available at the September meeting.  All you then do is spend an enjoyable hour choosing next year’s extravaganza, fill out the order form and follow our simple instructions (NB there is no minimum order).  You can also order onion sets, grass seed, plant food and nets (but not potatoes – delivery is too difficult – sorry).  With luck, we will have the orders for distribution at the November meeting (plants and cold frames will be delivered direct to you).  This scheme raises a little money for the Club and so keeps the membership fee down.
And don’t forget that you can get 10% discount on plants, trees shrubs, seeds and bulbs at Eggesford Gardens just by showing your membership card.
OUTINGS: As yet, no decisions have been made for this season’s outings, but we’ll keep you informed.  If you have recently been to a garden that you feel the Club would enjoy (and is accessible by coach) please mention it to Malcolm Brewer. And if there is anywhere you particularly enjoyed on a previous Club outing, tell us and we’ll consider repeating it.
PLANT SALES: The main event has been booked for Friday 4th  May 2012  in Belstone Village Hall when we will invite the professionals with their treasures.  Please bear the Club in mind when you plan your seed sowing or get to grips with perennial-splitting, and pot on extra for the Club Stall.  The Plant Table will continue at monthly meetings, where you can bring any surplus bits to pass on to other members: there is often no charge for these plants, but if you would like to make a donation the Club will gratefully receive it!
KEEPING IN TOUCH: More and more people have access to the internet and I could usefully use this medium to keep Club postage costs down and to advise members of events coming up.  If you would like to receive information this way, would you email me with your email address?

Regards, and best wishes for the coming season, from your Committee 2011-12:
Keith Mansfield (Chairman), Robin Hill (Treasurer), Malcolm Brewer (Outings Organiser), Sue Bizley, Roger Bowden, Lyn Evans, Amanda Peters, Barry Starling and Jacqueline Yeates.
Marion Walpole (Secretary), tel: 01837 840498, email: chris.walpole@mypostoffice.co.uk