NEWS FROM THE RHS
RHS Newsletter November 2022
Please click to read.
Flower Festival to Mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Bovey Tracey Garden Club Summer Show 2022
Saturday 13th August – Parke View Meadow
Last year I circulated a letter on Facebook about the lack of help for the 2021 Summer Show. The Show is one of the major events for Bovey Tracey and is to be enjoyed by everyone. I invited you all to comment on the fact that we had to partly rely on two Rotarians from Kingkerswell to do a lot of the setting up because we received little or no help from our members. Several people did respond on face book so I would very much like to hear from them. I would be most grateful if they could please get in touch with me at the above email address. Even administrative help would be most welcome.
Plans for this year’s Show are well advanced with all the major events firmly in place. Meantime, we have no Show Manager. This position is very important and it could be for a couple of males or females who like to supervise/organise. Remember, no gardening experience or interest in gardening is required!
The Show Manager could be a person or persons, male or female, who doesn’t mind supervising, can be around when the hired marquee is erected on the Thursday morning, help put up the tables in the marquee in the afternoon and on the Friday morning help erect the gazebos outside the marquee. On the Saturday morning of the Show, help is required to get stall holders to their spot on the field. It might sound arduous but if we all pull together then the Show will work and we can enjoy ourselves and be proud of Bovey Tracey. Why not ask your friends and family to come and help? It is either this or there will be no Show next year!
Nigel Gillingham, our retired Show Manager, has offered to mentor the new person or persons throughout the event. His offer will be extremely helpful to us all.
Julia
St. MARY’S WELL GARDEN
Many of you will know that the little garden with the trough next to PPT Church is looked after by the Club, namely by Richard Taylor. The three trees there have been in need of a prune for a couple of years and I am pleased to say that Mike Neck, Graham and Tom from Dartmoor Heathers and Gardens have just pruned them for us, free of charge.
Our thanks to Mike
13TH AUGUST 2022 SUMMER SHOW
You may remember that I wrote a short piece on the results of last year’s Summer Show. One or two points were highlighted, most importantly, the lack of local support to help with setting up. Sadly, the Garden Club’s letter to members elicited such a poor response for help the Club had no option but to approach the Rotarians. In the end, thanks to the Kingkerswell Rotarians who came with much good humour and hard work we were able to put on the Show.
We are now making plans for the 2022 Summer Show. The marquee, tables and chairs have been ordered. We have a keen Show Committee where each member has a specific job to do but what we are now lacking is a Show Manager/Organiser. Nigel Gillingham who has been a wonderful Show Manager for several years is stepping down but he is prepared to give help and support to the new person or persons. This person could be more than one, male or female. This is a purely voluntary position with some interesting work involved but he/she will have great support from the Committee who will make it all enjoyable and fun.
Remember that without a Show Manager/Organiser there will be no Show this year so, please, do consider and help us keep the Bovey Tracey Summer Show going. After all, it has been running for over 150 years so it would be a shame if we were not able to hold it again. One or two people did respond to my report after the last Show which was put on our web site so could these volunteers kindly contact me. If anyone who is keen and interested please get in touch with me.
Julia Mooney
Chairman, Bovey Tracey Garden Club
Tel: 01626 830 332 (tonyandjulia1@btinternet.com)
Open Garden Scheme 2022 Bovey Tracey Gardens
The gardens listed below are open on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June.
Ashwell. TQ13 9EJ. Jeanette Pearce. A sloping garden with a vineyard, fruit garden, vegetable garden, and lovely views. No wheelchair access.
5 Bridge Cottages. TQ13 9DR. A productive, imaginatively designed and quirky cottage garden within a historical pottery site. Partial wheelchair access.
Footlands. TQ13 9JX. Jon and Helen Elliott. Recently redesigned, with unusual and colourful shrubs, conifers, young trees, perennials and grasses.
Gleam Tor. TQ13 9DH. Gillian and Colin Liddy. A lovely, flat garden with graceful grasses, a “white” garden and long borders. The Liddy’s provide a wonderful, and now legendary, afternoon tea.
Green Hedges. TQ113 9LZ. Alan and Linda Jackson. This garden is owned by two of the most knowledgeable gardeners in Bovey
2 Redwoods. TQ13 9YG. Julia Mooney. Our Club Chairman’s garden is a mixture of woodland and prairie planting.
11 St. Peter’s Close. TQ13 9ES. Mini railway. Full of colour.
Please support the Scheme by visiting these gardens. Their owners have worked for months to present their gardens and deserve your support.
FAREWELL TO JENNIE AND ROGER
Jennie and Roger Hottot, Bovey Tracey Garden Club / Horticultural Society members for many years, will be leaving the UK for Australia later this month. Roger is an expert rose grower and won the Sir Ben Smith Rose Bowl many times. Bovey’s loss will be Australia’s gain and we wish them health and happiness.
SOUTH-WEST IN BLOOM 2021
Bovey Tracey was awarded Gold in the ‘Pennant’ category at the South West in Bloom awards presentation held in Weston Super Mare on 7th October. The town was one of only two Gold’s awarded in the pennant category. Dartmouth who were also awarded Gold were the overall category winners. This is a very pleasing and welcoming result for the town which is recognised for it’s horticultural attributes.
The judges feedback included the following comments:
‘Bovey Tracey is a charming small town. The initial impression is of a well kept and caring community, cherished by its residents.
Hanging baskets and containers throughout the town are well planted and maintained.
There is a real sense of pride evident within the community. This is supported by the various heritage related initiatives, but also by the way the historic structure and architecture is being preserved and enhanced.’
The Royal Horticultural’s Society’s Britain in Bloom campaign is one of the largest campaigns in Europe, involving over one thousand communities across the United Kingdom each year.
South West in Bloom is one of eighteen regional/national competitions which makes up RHS Britain in Bloom. The aim of the community groups that take part each year is to improve and regenerate the local environment and neighbourhood.
RHS Britain in Bloom is focused on three core pillars:
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Horticultural Achievement (40%)
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Environmental Responsibility (30%)
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Community Participation (30%)
One of the strengths of RHS Britain in Bloom is there is local control of the campaign and each community will focus on relevant initiatives according to their own needs and objectives.
In Bovey Tracey the South West in Bloom campaign is significantly based on the following activities:
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Park cleanliness and maintenance
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Planting and maintaining floral features
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Creating wildflower meadows
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Community engagement projects
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Educating the community about environmental initiatives and issues
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Introducing environmental initiatives (e.g reducing the use of natural resources, balancing seasonal and permanent planting, reintroducing natives plants)
The competitive element in South West in Bloom is designed to be fair to everyone, with entries grouped into categories based on population taken from the electoral role.
The town’s Bloom leaders work closely with the Town Council, elected members, local businesses, residents and gardening enthusiasts.
The recently formed Friends of Mill Marsh Park will be a useful additional resource to help the town to retain its Gold award status next year.
The above report was supplied by Garden Club member Richard Taylor, who is the person chiefly responsible for our entry and the person who must be thanked for its success.
THANK YOU RICHARD
WANTED
Two Bovey Tracey gardeners willing to open their gardens in 2023
under the National Garden Scheme as part of a Group Opening
Please get in touch with Julia Mooney at email tonyandjulia1@btinternet.com
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
The Bovey Tracey Garden Club held their Summer Show last Saturday 14th August in Parke View Meadow. The Show was judged to be very successful despite the fact that entries were disappointingly down for plants, vegetables, flowers and Handicrafts. However, it was very pleasing to see a good number of Domestic entries. Our Tea Tent proved very popular with tea and homemade cake served all afternoon by four dedicated ladies. Two non-members volunteered to man the entrance gate.
By 1.30pm the Show was fully opened and Cllr Sheila Brooke, Mayor of Bovey Tracey performed the official opening.
We do acknowledge that the fine warm afternoon helped enormously in encouraging visitors to attend.
Besides the flowers in the main marquee visitors enjoyed the Torbay Brass Band, Newton Bushell Morris Dancing, Classic Cars, Dogs Agility and numerous side stalls. If you came to the Show, would you like to help with the organisation for another Show next year? It is a stark fact that unless the Garden Club receives help there will be no Show next year. This year apart from a couple of members who kindly helped with the setting up we resorted to asking the Dartmoor Vale Rotary Club for help. We could not have managed without their assistance. The Rotary members who came were from Kingsteignton. This is certainly not ideal and the Show Committee feels that volunteers should come direct from Bovey Tracey. Also, we had to manage with only four people on the Show Committee who worked on the administration and organisation side.
WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS?
IF YOU WANT A SHOW NEXT YEAR THEN PLEASE COME FORWARD AND HELP!
DAFFODILS IN DECEMBER?
The photo below was taken at St. Mary’s Well Garden on the last day of 2019! The garden is tended by Richard Taylor on behalf of the Garden Club.
Daffodils in December
Please send contributions for this website to Marion
Sky Garden – London’s highest public garden
Situated on the top of 20 Fenchurch Street in the City of London, this garden is a delightful place to visit while in London. It is free but it is best to book in advance at https://skygarden.london/. The nearest underground station is Monument.
Turn up 20 minutes or so before your reserved time as there is likely to be a bit of a queue to go through security and wait for one of the huge lifts which will whisk you to the 35th floor.
Tree ferns
The Garden is attractive, lots of tree ferns and strelitzia and there are plenty of places to stop for a seat as you climb up the garden, which occupies about three storeys.
There is an open terrace for views of London, or you can stay inside and get 360 deg views as you walk around the garden.
There are a couple of restaurants (pricey but the menus looked good) and you can spend as long as you like in the Garden.
View from the Sky Garden
The views are stunning, as you can see.
View from the Garden
The 2019 AGM was held on Tuesday 12th November in the Methodist Church Hall, Bovey Tracey. Refreshments were kindly provided by the Committee members. The first photo below shows the Chairman, Julia Mooney, giving her annual Report. On her right is the Treasurer and on her left the Secretary.
Any entrant (including non-members) who wins the same trophy in the Summer Show three years running is presented with a small trophy to keep. The two photos below show the trophies and the winners who were:
Lynda Pewsey three times winner of the P&W Waldron Cup for 1st in Division C (flowers)
Lynn Dunnell three times winner of the Jean Elliott Cup for handicraft
Roger Hottot three times winner of the Sir Ben Smith Rosebowl for roses
Nigel Gillingham three times winner of the Brookfield House Cup for fuchsias
Julia Mooney three times winner of the Cyril Groom Memorial Trophy for a planted container
Roger Hottot is missing from the photo below as he and Jenny spend their winters in Australia.
Gail Banham and Jeanette Pearce have (28th July) been to Wildside and sent me this lovely photo of agapanthus in the Canyon Garden
Agapanthus at Wildside
My new Begonia apricot shades (grown from corms started off in February) from Thompson and Morgan have turned out to be pink and upright rather than orange and pendulous. What a disappointment. They have just sent me a replacement – 15 small plug plants which are of little use in mid-July. Will not be buying from them again!
Folks, if you were inspired by Peter Burks’ talk to go and buy some Jack’s Magic Compost, you may interested to know it is currently £6.99 for a single 60 litre bag at Fermoy’s and £3.99 for the same size at Trago Mills!
From Marion Edwards and Nigel Gillingham .
A very warm Garden Club welcome to our new Secretary, Gillian Millington
Already in flower January 2nd
St. Mary’s Well Garden
You may have noticed that someone has driven into the corner of the flowerbed nearer to the Church! It needs professional repair as the mortar is drying out and much of the wall is therefore weak. It turns out that the area is not owned by the owners of Church Style, and the Town Council has been asked who is responsible for maintenance of this attractive area.
We are hoping the wall will be repaired before the plants Richard Taylor put in last year come into flower.
Update: the wall has now been repaired; the owners of Church Style kindly paid the bill. It turns out that no one actually seems to own this bit of ground! The Town Clerk has suggested that if (when) this happens again he applies for a grant to cover any work needed.