Notices for our
Upcoming Meetings for 2021
Thursday 11 March
"Companion planting for a balanced garden"
- Dr Ian Bedford
Many plants have properties that can either attract or repel bugs. This talk explains some of them and how they can be used in our gardens to create a natural balance system for attracting nature and keeping the pests under control.
Ian has been fascinated by insects and other invertebrates for most of his life.He ran the Entomology Dept at the John Innes Centre in Norwich up to his recent retirement after 42 yrs. He now provides independent entomological advice to companies that are developing environmentally safe plant protection products and promotes and encourages wildlife-friendly home gardening.
As well as visiting Garden Clubs, Horticultural Societies and National Garden Shows to give talks on various insect - related subjects he talks on a number of radio shows and has featured in several TV shows.
Thursday 8 April
"Grow your own veg"
- Geoff Hodge
This practical demonstration will give you hints, tips and ideas on how to grow veg at home – whether you have a veg garden, a couple of raised beds or just a few containers on the patio and whether you’re an experienced grower or just getting started. Come with any questions you want answered or problems that need solving.
Geoff is a freelance garden writer, writing for various national gardening magazines and websites – as well as lots more besides! Previously, he was the Web Editor for the Royal Horticultural Society, Gardening Editor of Garden News magazine and Technical Editor of Garden Answers magazine. He has written eight gardening books, with titles ranging from pruning and propagation to allotments and vegetable growing. He broadcasts on the gardening programmes on both BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and BBC Essex. And he appears on Q&A panels at flower shows across the country and give lots of talks and demonstrations at garden centres and for gardening clubs.
Thursday 13 May
"Spring into action and get set for summer"
- Adam Pasco
Packed with ideas and inspiration for the gardening year ahead, this timely gardening talk runs through a wide range of activities that can be put into action through the spring months.
Adam shares his wealth of practical gardening experience to help you get the very best from your garden, filling it with colour, fragrance, cut flowers and delicious fruits, crops and herbs.
Topics covered include:
* Choose foolproof flowers that flourish.
* Plant perfect summer pots.
* Fill your garden with fragrance.
* Crops and salads to sow and grow.
* Bring in the birds, bees and butterflies.
* Spring lawn care advice.
* How to beat pests the organic way.
* Win the war on weeds.
* New varieties of flowers and crops to try this year.
Adam has been a leading gardening journalist in the UK for over 38 years, successfully launching and editing BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for 22 of these.
He has twice been crowned 'Editor of the Year' by the British Society of Magazine Editors, and been awarded 'Practical Journalist of the Year' by the Garden Media Guild.
He has written a gardening column for The Daily Telegraph, and wrote and edited 'The Collins Complete Garden Manual', as well as contributions to many other books, magazines and web sites.
Adam has also made guest appearances on Gardeners' World and Gardeners' Question Time, and over the years worked alongside a host of leading gardening celebrities on television, at events and gardening cruises including Alan Titchmarsh, Carol Klein, Monty Don, Geoff Hamilton, Rachel de Thame, Joe Swift, and a host of others.
Thursday 10 June
"Naples Botanical Garden: more than pretty flowers"
Britt Patterson-Weber
Britt is the Vice President of Education & Interpretation, Naples Botanical Garden, Florida.
She will give an overview of the history of the Garden and then look at their work in education and conservation, discussing their work and why it matters.
Thursday 9 September
"The adventures of a seed detective"
Adam Alexander
Adam is a lecturer, writer and vegaholic. In this talk he tells the story of his vegetable-hunting journeys including a trip to Syria in 2011 just as the conflict was taking hold and of the vegetables he discovered – most especially Syria’s broad beans, the oldest cultivated crop in the world – and of the need to conserve native varieties around the world and the small-scale horticultural infrastructure where families have grown and saved seed for generations. Other seed detecting trips have been to Myanmar and Indo-China, Africa, throughout Europe, Australia, The Far and the Middle East; places where he has made some very exciting discoveries of heirloom vegetables including a truly remarkable butter bean from Shan State in Northern Myanmar which he has grown successfully – The Angry Bean – and he will tell the story behind its name.