Yapton & District Cottage Gardeners Society:
Winter Newsletter

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

NEWSLETTER - January/February 2005

Dear member.

Well here we are again in week three of 2005, and already I can see many of the spring bulbs beginning to show green through the soil. Some people say the seasons seem to be changing, well some of the well-known garden centres are a bit confused, I could not believe it when I saw seed potatoes for sale before Christmas. Who knows perhaps one day we may have a class for five new potatoes in the Spring Show! I am pleased to report the 2004 Annual General Meeting had a better attendance than the 2003 meeting, and Mr. Terry Booker and Mrs. Anne Hollis were voted onto the Committee - welcome to you both.

After the business of the AGM, the Cheese and Wine also proved to be popular, so a well done to all the Committee. Perhaps this theme should continue for the 2005 AGM, it may entice a few more members to attend and who knows we could have a little party on our hands! The Society's first event our 2005 is the popular Primrose Sale.
The event will be held on Saturday, 12th February 2005, at 10.00 a.m. in the Club Room of Yapton and Ford Village Hall. Yes we will have a large selection of coloured primroses, and planters. If you have a spare pot why not plant it up and give it as an Easter present, or better still on the Monday following the sale (Valentine's Day).
Carol has already bagged a table at the Primrose Sale for those of you who wish to renew your Membership. Inflation generally seems to be on the up but not for Yapton Cottage Gardeners' Society as we have managed to keep the subscriptions to £3 per Household. Carol has said that the more of you who can come along on the 12th February to rejoin, will save our legs by not having to knock on your doors, but I think she really means her legs.

Moving into March, the Society will stage our ever-popular Barn Dance, in the Janet Phillips Hall, at Yapton and Ford Village Hall. Please note that the date for this event is Saturday 19th March 2005 and not Saturday 12th March as previously published. For further details and tickets (£7.50 each), that will be shortly available please contact Tricia on 01243 552 054.
The next event in March is the Society's Spring Show, which will be held on Saturday 26th March 2005. Entry forms for this show can be found in the 2004/2005 Schedule. However, if you have mislaid your copy please do not hesitate to contact myself or our Treasurer Mike Millis, who I am sure will be only too willing to run a copy off for you. Mike's contact number is 01243 587 219. Hopefully, the hall will be filled to capacity with exhibits, particularly the interpretation of the floral art classes obviously excluding the Easter Bonnet, the decorated Easter Cake, and the miniature winter garden in a seed tray for the children.

Before I forget, Ken our Website Guru has asked me to remind those of you with computers and/or access to the Internet to visit our website and don't forget we have some very useful links on the home page. Hope this makes sense, it all seems gibberish to me. Anyway our website address is www.yaptongardens.co.uk

Looking some way ahead now to our long hot summer and no doubt the planning of garden parties, well the BBQ's don't have to be put off by any of that wet stuff remember the Society does own three marquees. The sizes of the marquees are two at 40ft x 20ft and one of 20 ft x 20 ft (framed), and can be hired from as little as £65 per day plus £15 for any additional days. For further information please contact me on 01243 552 822.

After the success of the 100th Annual Show and the evening entertainment from the Yetties, the Committee discussed and agreed to invite them back to Yapton in 2005. The booking has now been completed and the date for your diary is Friday, 16th September 2005 at 8.00 p.m. in the Janet Phillips Hall, of Yapton and Ford Village Hall. Although the tickets, at £7.50 each may not be ready to send out you can pre book your seat by contacting me, Roy Phillips again on 01243 552 822.

Just a reminder with all these social functions going on we must find time to get out in the garden. With winter digging to be finished, and the last of the fruit trees to be pruned there is not a minute to spare. Don't forget to order or buy your seeds if you have not already done so. With the Early Summer Show in June and classes for roses why not buy a couple of bare rooted plants which are readily obtainable from most garden centres, and ironmongers and plant in the corner of the garden or even a prominent place and have a go at the show.
Our Ken could certainly do with the competition - sorry Ken. I understand Carol's husband Alan has started potting up his dahlia tubers to start them into growth to take cuttings for this year's plants.
There is never a dull moment when gardening even if the weather is wet, why not sow seeds for early bedding plants such as Begonias, Geraniums, Cineraria, and Verbena, which take much longer to germinate and produce plants of a suitable size to set out after all risks of frost has gone. Of course before doing this work in the greenhouse all of last years debris must be removed and the glass thoroughly cleaned to make the maximum use of available light at this time of the year. Also don't forget the heater, is it paraffin and does it need a new wick, or is it gas, and the gas bottle empty? All these things must be checked before you start. Last of all, on a sunny day in the winter with outside temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, inside the greenhouse the temperature will rocket so make sure any automatic ventilation system works, or you will need to open the door slightly when the sun comes out to avoid cooking your young seedlings.
Having just browsed through the classes in the Spring Sow for goodness knows how many times, if you do not have any vegetarian recipes just pop along to the library and either borrow a book or photocopy some recipes - see no excuse for not entering that class. Time for me to sign off, and hunt for those seed catalogues that I got last October/November and put somewhere safe. If only I knew where that safe place was, still I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Primrose Sale on 12th February. Best Wishes,

Best Wishes

Chairman