DR NOEL KINGSBURY COMES TO COTHI GARDENERS

Cothi Gardeners  is holding two special events in October 2015 given by the highly regarded garden writer, lecturer and designer Dr Noel Kingsbury.

The first is a talk entitled:
‘Women, Men and Gardening’ – An entertaining look at whether men and women garden differently? If so, how and why? A bit of gentle (and entertaining) sociology illustrated with a wide variety of historical visual material. Some exploration of how gardeners in Britain and the US do things differently too.

This will take place on Wednesday, October 21st 2015 at 7.30pm in The Coronation Hall, Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, SA19 8UW.

Tickets are £5 each and are available on the door or in advance by contacting Daisy on 01558 650829 or Margaret on 01558 650887.

The second event is an all day workshop:

Noel’s description of the workshop …………….

The rabbit’s eye view – long term plant performance

How long will plants survive? Will they spread? How will my new border look in five years time? This full-day garden-based workshop aims at encouraging participants to observe garden and landscape plants, focussing on their growth through the year, looking at how they compete with each other, how to assess prospects for their longevity and their suitability for a variety of garden locations. Gardeners and designers can then use their experience and knowledge of plants to plan for the maximising of interest and the minimising of maintenance at all seasons.

I aim to get people thinking about how plants are linked to their natural habitats and ecology and how this connects to the way we use them in gardens. I am particularly interested in getting students to get ‘the rabbit’s eye view’ – believing that close observation of garden plant growing habits and lifecycles can add enormously to our ability to be good gardeners and designers but also add to a better appreciation of our plants.

Date: Thursday October 22^nd

Time: 10 am to 4 pm

Venue: Gelli Uchaf, Rhydcymerau, Llandeilo, SA19 7PY. Tel. No: 01558 685119

Cost: £35. This covers Noel’s fee and a small contribution to the NGS plus morning and afternoon tea/coffee and biscuits/cake.

Payment should be made at the time of booking your place(s) and is non refundable unless either you or we can find a replacement for you.

 A light lunch (homemade soup and rolls, plus dessert) can be booked for an extra £5. You are also welcome to bring your own packed lunch if you prefer.

 Currently all the workshop places are spoken for, however we are starting a waiting list for interested parties in case places come available, so please do get in touch if you would like to be added to it.

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UPDATE from Anne and Philip

JANE’S OPEN GARDEN PARTY IN AID OF THE ROY CASTLE LUNG CANCER FOUNDATION

     Barbeque Auction

 Georgina Cornock – Harpist

Heavy showers did not dampen the enthusiasm of the organisers, helpers, stall holders, cake makers and most of all the 250 plus visitors to Jane’s Open Garden Party at Glan yr afon, Pumsaint, on Sunday 5th July.

The garden with its naturalist and at times wild plantings was looking at its best. The huge Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose growing through an apple tree on the drive was in full flower. The air was filled with it’s scent as visitors selected choice plants at the Plant Fair with the 4 well stocked nursery stalls and a basket maker too.

The sudden sharp showers caused a rush at the tea stall that was weighed down with a huge selection of homemade cakes of every description. One of the helpers walked 6 miles to and from the kitchen with crockery for washing and re-use, such was the scale of the operation!

The combination of Jane’s inspirational story and the fact the garden had not been open to the public before made for an amazing day. A ticket only barbeque had been held the evening before with an auction and Georgina Cornock playing the harp so beautifully. Over the weekend an incredible £4,381.27 was raised for The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and the money is still coming in. There will be an up-date next month when all the raffle monies and donations will have been collected.

Jane was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, she had chemo and radiotherapy and after they finished she started a fund in January on the charity website http://www.justgiving.com/janeholmes-rclcf/ where you can read her inspiring story and find out how much she has raised so far. She had surgery less than 4 weeks before the Open Garden and is back running once more. She had hoped to raise £10,000 but the proceeds from the Open Garden Weekend have taken her beyond that. What a star!

Huge thank you to everyone involved and especially to Jane and Steven.

Anne and Philip Large

An equally big thank you to Anne and Philip for having the idea, getting it off the ground and being such amazing, hard working and generous hosts.

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A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Open garden weekend in aid of The Roy Castle Lung Foundation. Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of July 2015 at Glan yr Afon, Pumsaint.

This will be a unique opportunity to visit the beautiful private 3 acre garden set amidst the rolling hills near Pumsaint. Surrounding the old stone house, watermill and goat shed, it’s been developed over the last decade by Anne and Philip into a peaceful haven bounded by the loop of the stream you cross to arrive. Lush plantings of perennials and shrubs, many mature trees, colour themed borders, and meandering paths with viewpoints throughout enticing visitors to wander and explore. There’s even a shady pool linking to large productive vegetable plots, an orchard, and beyond … walks through nearly 20 acres of gently sloping meadows and woodland, teeming with orchids and butterflies. Come rain or shine, do visit and be inspired.

     
There will be plants for sale, including Keith Brown from Cilgwyn Lodge, Penlan Perennials and Aeron Acers, a raffle, a second hand stall of gardening and cookery books, a basket maker (see below for more info) plus much more. There will be live traditional Welsh music playing on the Sunday to add to the interest and get everyone in the mood for raising lots of money for The Roy Castle Lung Foundation.

 

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INSPIRATIONAL GARDEN VISIT – UPDATE

On Sunday 28th June Cothi Gardeners had their inaugural ‘Inspirational Visit’ to Llanllyr garden at Talsarn (https://www.facebook.com/Llanllyr). We enjoyed the sunshine and were shown around the wonderful and indeed inspiring gardens by their creators Mr and Mrs Gee, the current owners of the property. Highlights were the rose garden which was in full bloom, the scents and colours quite amazing, the pool and bog garden and the random flowering of white foxgloves throughout the garden giving a unity to the whole. The afternoon finished with a Welsh tea on the lawn – perfect!

INSPIRATIONAL GARDEN VISIT

Sunday, June 28th, 2015

In a break from tradition this year, Cothi Gardeners have decided not to have our ‘open garden visits’ to each others gardens but to organise a visit to ‘an inspirational garden’ instead. The garden chosen is Llanllyr, at Talsarn near Lampeter. We will meet in the afternoon (times to follow) and will have a guided tour followed by tea. The club will pay for members entry and teas – please let Daisy know if you wish to go.

Llanllyr is a large early C19 garden on the site of a medieval nunnery, renovated and replanted since 1989. Large pool, bog garden, formal water garden, rose and shrub borders, gravel gardens, laburnum arbour, allegorical labyrinth and mount, all exhibiting fine plantsmanship. Year-round appeal, interesting and unusual plants.