Painter's Forstal Gardeners' Club

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Subscriptions

If you are a member of the Painters Forstal Gardeners Club you'll be keen to know when it is you need to pay your subscription. These are due in February so if you have not yet paid then when you come along to the next club meeting you'll be able to pay at the same time.

This year subscriptions continue to be just £5.00 per person and if you prefer can be paid using online banking. If you've not already received the banking details then please get in touch and we can share this with you.

Next year, as agreed at the recent AGM, subscriptions willl rise to £10.00. Still exceptional value, I'm sure you'll agree.

Coming up next...

The Plant Sale and Coffee Morning

Lorenden School Hall

Saturday 17th May

10am to 12 noon

Yes, its that time of year and if you're like me and you're a bit late getting your seedlings going then this is your opportunity to grab a couple of garden bargains.

Who knows, the plants you buy now could end up being show winners at our summer show!

As always we rely heavily on our club members to support this event by bringing along any spare plants they'd like to donote or by buying them, as well as enjoying some excellent home baked goods washed down with a nice cuppa.

All the proceeds from this event go toward our club funds so do please come along to support!

Previously...

Runner-up Best in Show - Spring 2025

The Spring Show

A huge thank you to all of the exhibitors that took part in this years Spring Show and thanks to all of you that came along to marvel at the excellent displays.

Thanks too to the committee members for providing support as ever and for providing much needed refreshments.

If you liked what you saw, or you think you might like to take part, don't forget our Summer show later in the year. It's not too late to get planning now!

Our Spring Show Winners

Spring Show Winners 2024

The Spring Show Cup for most points overall Violet Croll

Best Bloom in Show Violet Croll

Runner-Up Best Bloom in Show Paula Hammond

Culinary Section Jenny Fagg

Photographic Section Sharon Williams

Childrens Pebble painting Arthur Younger

Childrens Paint a Pebble - Spring 2025

Alan Harvey

A Talk on the topic of Propagation

Lorenden School Hall

Monday 10th March 7:30pm

We we're delighted to welcome back Alan Harvey for an updated talk on Propagation. He also brought along a selection of plants for sale which were avidly picked up.

This excellent event was very well attended so thank you all for coming along.

The AGM

Monday 10th February 7:30pm

The AGM was well attended again this year which, given the dreadful weather was great to see. Thanks to everyone who came along to show your support, it really is appreciated

The AGM was followed by an incredibly interesting talk on Japan by one of our club members, Peter Hammond. This really was a most excellent talk and I think any speaker that follows this years will have a hard act to follow!

Christmas Get Together

Held at The Alma

Painters Forstal

Monday 2nd December 7pm

The Christmas get together was once again held at The Alma pub in Painters Forstal. This years event was very well attended, the food was excellent, as were the party games and quizzes.

Shall we do it again next year!?

News

John Clarke

John Clarke was one of our clubs founding members who helped to make the club what is it today and was club chairman for many years.

Sadly John passed away at the end of November 2024 at the age of 94 and will be greatly missed.

Farm to Fork

A talk by Chris Elworthy

Lorenden School Hall

Wednesday 16th October 7:30pm

Chris Elworthy is a local farmer from Plumford Farms who presented a talk in which he shared his expert knowledge on the farming process, protecting the environment and promoting biodiversity.

Our thanks to Chris for such an interesting and informative talk, what a fantastic speaker for our last talk of the year for the Club.

I think we all appreciate a lot more of what lies behind a rosy apple on the supermarket shelf. A gratifying audience turnout which did justice to this talk. Thanks members.

Rosy Hardy

Lorenden School Hall

Wednesday 16th October 7:30pm

Rosy Hardy is a nurserywoman who, for over 30 years, has run Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants amassing a staggering 24 RHS Chelsea Gold Medals along the way. Rosy specialises in peat free grown and peat free produced hardy herbaceous perennials, growing these in her 13 acre site in Freefolk, Hampshire.

The talk was extremely well attended as Rosy enlightened us on the planting of perennials that attract garden wildlife which was both entertaining and fascinating.

The Autumn Show

Saturday 14th September

The Autumn show this year did not disappoint, in spite of the most unwelcome recent hail.

All the entries were of a very high standard again as you can see from the pictures.

We also had a new section for members to enter a pencil drawing as part of the arts and crafts section.

If you fancy giving it a go next year, be it an entry in a single section or going for broke for most points in show then now is the time to start preparing, have a read through your club booklet and start planning!

Our Autumn Show Winners

Autumn Show Winners 2024

The Ros Williams Cup - Best Bloom in Show: Henry Bryant

The Colin Mitchell Cup - Best Dahlia: Henry Bryant

Best Vegetable in Show Cup: Violet Croll

Most points in sections A, B and C: Paula Hammond

Banksian Medal: Violet Croll

Statuette for Section A Henry Bryant

The Roy Frier Challenge Trophy for Section B Paula Hammond

Statuette for Section C: Angela Jeffry

Vase for the most points in section D: Jenny Fagg

Bell for most points in Culinary: Jenny Fagg

Trophy for Photography: Frances Moskovits

The Garden Picnic

Belmont House and Gardens

Monday 12th August

For the club garden get-together this year we were lucky enough to visit Belmont House garden and have the pleasure of Head Gardener, Graeme Watts, who gave an excellent talk and tour of the gardens.

The weather was fabulous as were the amazingly well-kept gardens. If you weren't able to join us and you fancy popping along then please do, the pictures you can see here simply don't do it justice.

Previously...

The Club Visit

'No Name Nursery', Ash

Tuesday 23rd July 2pm

The club had a very special and privileged meeting at the No Name Nursery following a very warm welcome from Steve Edney and Louise Dowle. A tasty choice of liquid refreshment was warmly received.

The horticultural delights which followed quite frankly stunned us. An incredible achievement to have such beautiful, established, interesting and unusual Plants all looking as though they have been there forever.

Steve gave us an incredibly detailed talk and garden tour.

Our thanks to both Steve and Louise for making us so welcome and improving our knowledge and appreciation of the plant world. We hope one day we will be able to return and enjoy it once again

The Plant Sale

Our ever popular annual plant sale proved to be a real hit. With an increased number of plants and visitors we managed to raised nearly double what we'd achieved last year.

As ever it would not have been possible without your help and with the help of the committee members who managed to sell very nearly every plant

A Huge thank you to all of you that came along!

Best in Show - Spring 2024

The Spring Show

With the weather turning wet and windy just before the show, expectations weren't high for a great turnout but the members surprised us with an excellent display of truly superb exhibits, well done to everyone who took part and our thanks to all of you who came along.

Thanks too to the committee members for providing support as ever and for providing much needed refreshments.

If you liked what you saw, or you think you might like to take part, don't forget our Autumn show later in the year. It's not too late to get planning now!

Our Spring Show Winners

Spring Show Winners 2024

The Spring Show Cup for most points overall Val Anderson

Best Bloom in Show Henry Bryant

Runner-Up Best Bloom in Show Violet Croll

Culinary Section Jenny Fagg

Photographic Section Paul Moscovits

Runner Up - Spring 2024

Alan Harvey - Biodynamic Gardening

Monday 12th March - 7:30pm

Lorenden School Hall

Those of you who came to see Alan last year will, no doubt, remember what an excellent speaker he is, his talk on propagation was both informative and entertaining. We invited Alan back to give another talk this year, this time on Biodynamic Gardening, a holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to gardening.

Those of you who came will agree, I'm sure, that Alan's approach to both gardening and presenting is very entertaining.

The Club AGM

Monday 12th February - 7:30pm

Lorenden School Hall

The AGM this year was surprisingly well attended, thanks to all of you who came along to show your support.

The quiz at the end of the meeting was taxing but hopefully not too challenging and the teas, coffee and cakes were very welcome.

What a turn out!

As an added extra to the AGM there was a presentation of the 2023 Banksian medal, awarded to the gardener who won the most points at the club shows.

As we sadly had to cancel the Autumn show this meant only the points awarded at the Spring show would count. It was very close but the winner was Paula Hammond

A Christmas Gathering

Monday 4th December 7pm

The Alma Painters Forstal

This years Christmas club social gathering was a little different as we decided to hold the event at The Alma. It was an extremely popular event with over forty of you who came along to enjoy the festivities.

There were quizzes and Dan, Dan the magic man. I'm still trying to figure out where he was hiding that bowling ball.

Thank you all for coming and helping to make it a magical evening. Also a very special thank you to Clare, Richard and the team who provided the most superb buffet and were attentive throughout the whole evening.

Below is a video of the magic show Dan treated us to, enjoy!