Yapton & District Cottage Gardeners Society:
February 2010 Newsletter

1 Elm Cottages, Church Road, Yapton, ARUNDEL, West Sussex, BN18 0EW

Dear member.

Welcome to 2010 and a belated Happy New Year to you all from the Committee and we look forward to a successful growing season.
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At the Society's recent Annual General Meeting I am pleased to announce that Eileen Johnson-Thorne was elected as one of the Society's Vice Presidents, the Committee were all re-effected without any changes. One of the first jobs for the Committee must be to try and recruit new members as in the past few years numbers have dwindled, with people moving out of the area and sadly some going to that great big garden in the sky. The membership gift token has generated a little interest. But we do need more people to join the Society. Do you know any neighbours who are keen gardeners? The Society holds four shows each year as well as talks and other social functions including a barn dance and the Yetties evening. With the discount available at various local businesses they may be able to save their annual subscription of £5 in one purchase.
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Annual subscription is now due for renewal and to help, a renewal form is attached to this newsletter. By filling this in and bringing it along to one of our forthcoming events you will be helping our Secretary Carol to keep your details up to date and this will ensure you receive newsletters and any other information over the coming year.
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Talking of forthcoming events we start the year off on Saturday 6th February with the Primrose Sale held in the Club Room of Yapton and Ford Village Hall from 10a.m. until 12 noon. As well as primroses there will be other winter plants, herbs and hopefully some early vegetable plants. .
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Following on later in the month on Wednesday 24th February at 7.30 p.m. again in the Club Room we have the first of our talks for 2010 when we welcome Mr. Paul Templeton who will give an illustrated talk on the basics of gardening. This should appeal to the novice as well as the more experienced gardener as you are never too old to learn new ideas in the ever changing world of horticulture. As is the norm we will have a raffle and refreshments in the form of tea and coffee and if I can twist David's arm some of his famous chocolate cake. .
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March will see the first of our shows for 2010 when we hold the Spring Show in the Janet Phillips Hall on Saturday 20th March. The various classes will cover spring flowers including Daffodils, Tulips, and spring flowering shrubs as well as floral art, vegetables, domestic, photography and children's classes. Details and entry forms are in the current 2009-2010 schedule, or for more information contact Roy Phillips on 01243 552 822. Staging of exhibits is from 8 a.m. until 10.15 a.m. with the show opening to the public at 2 p.m. The usual range of stalls will be selling plants, cakes, jewellery and a raffle as well as refreshments tea, coffee and cake etc. .
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Finally in April we are holding the annual Barn Dance with Ian Kirby and a live band on Friday that's right the new day will be Friday 9th April and not 13th March as printed in the Schedule. Tickets are available from Roy Phillips on 01243 552 822 priced at £8 including a ploughman's. Other refreshments and a bar will also be available.

Although the recent wintery weather looked nice for a little while the snow did over stay its welcome causing a lot of damage to many trees in our gardens which shows we must try and brush it off as soon as possible. A lot of the winter bedding and tubs also look very sorry for themselves at present but hopefully with a few sunny days they will recover in time to herald the start of spring. Having ordered your seeds for the coming year and sown your sweet peas ready for the Early Summer Show it's time to prepare for the year ahead. If it's too cold or the ground is frozen the best place to be is in the potting shed or greenhouse where you can sow some summer bedding particularly those that take that little bit longer to germinate and grow such as Begonia semperflorens, Coleus, Impatiens and Pelargonium’s or Geraniums for planting out after all risk of frost has gone in late Spring. Those of you who grow vegetables can sow early varieties of summer cabbage, cauliflowers, peas, broad beans and main crop onions for planting out in March and April. Finish planting bare rooted trees and shrubs and complete any pruning of fruit trees, but not if there is a frost forecast or the ground is frozen. .

The leaves seemed to stay on the trees forever this autumn before they decided to fall so clear them from your lawn and don't forget the fish pond. Any leaves that sink to the bottom will slowly poison the fish and create a very unpleasant sludge in the bottom of the pond. .

I have been told by our friends over the water in Littlehampton that there are still a few seats remaining for their three day coach trip to Norfolk on 21st 22nd and 23rd of May. Staying in Norwich they will visit Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens, Sandringham the Norfolk retreat of the Queen and the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, the cost of £199 per person includes bed, breakfast and evening meals, all admissions and tips and with no single supplement to add to the ^199. For details or to book call Tony Squires on 01903 714 271. .

I leave you with a view of the 2009 Autumn Show during judging. I'm off to start preparing my exhibits for the Spring Show and I hope to see you all at the Primrose Sale on the 6th February. .

Best Wishes

Chairman