2016 CLUB GROWING CHALLENGE
After a successful Tomato Growing Challenge last year, this year’s challenge is very different! “What can you grow in one pot?” There is no limitation on the type and size of pot used – we have the freedom to choose whatever appeals most. Bear in mind that the pot needs to be transportable as there will be a grand display of our efforts at the August meeting . As a guideline a medium-sized (about 20 cm diameter) plant pot might be most suitable. You can grow whatever you like in the pot, flowers, vegetables or both!
As with all our challenges, it is not a competition, just good fun and a chance to be creative.
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on Sunday 7 August (1 – 5pm). Admission £3.50, children free. Home-made teas.
4 acre garden with splendid views. Herbaceous and shrub beds – formal design, exuberantly informal planting, full of cottage garden favourites and many unusual plants. Burgeoning arboretum (200+ types of tree); wildlife and lily ponds, pergola, gazebos, post and rope arcade covered in climbers. Gloriously colourful; spring (rhododendrons, azaleas, azaleas, primulas, 1000’s bulbs); late summer (tapestry of annuals/perennials).
Craft, produce, books and jewellery stalls!
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National Meadows Day on Saturday July 2nd 2016
The 11 acres of meadows are being gradually restored to increase floral and fungal diversity and include both hill, and valley bottom wet pastures. A photographic display of the progress so far, will be available, and weather permitting, some of our manual hay making techniques may also be on view.
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Llanllyr NGS Garden Plant Fair
June 26 @ 12:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Ceredigion & District Growers Association hold a Plant Fair at Llanllyr Garden on their National Garden Scheme Open Day. Entry to the Plant Fair is free, however normal NGS charges are payable to go into the garden. Ample free parking. Please note the Plant Fair finishes at 5.00pm and the Garden is open until 6pm.
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Aberystwyth Summer Plant Fair
June 11 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
A host of great nurseries from three counties on the Farmer’s Market site from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Summer bedding, veg and perennials amongst others. FREE. Organised by Ceredigion & District Growers Association
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Talley Open Gardens
Talley, near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Saturday 11th June 2016
10.00am to 4.30pm
Talley Open Gardens Day is organised by the Talley Community Amenity Association.
Talley Abbey
Private gardens, large and small, showing a wide range of design styles will be open to the public by kind permission of their owners. Both the Community Woodlands and the Church will be open to visitors. As well as the gardens, the village offers other attractions for the visitor, including the Community Woodlands, the Abbey ruins, the famous lakes, the old smithy and the ancient parish church with its unusual box pews.
Light refreshments will be available during the day. Please note that some gardens have limited wheelchair access.
All proceeds will be split between the Talley Community Amenity Association and St Michael and All Angels Church, Talley.
Plant sales:
Plants will be on sale in some of the open gardens.
Cost:
£5.00, children under 14 free.
How to get event passports:
Tickets, including a map to locate the open gardens, can be purchased on the day from any open garden. All participating gardens will display a sign at their entrance.
Further information:
Phone: 01558 685 741
Email: rogerbpike@outlook.com
Web: http://www.talley.org.uk
Directions:
Talley is on the B4302 approximately 7 miles north of Llandeilo.
Location:
County: Carmarthenshire
Postcode for Sat Nav: SA19 7YP (please verify before travelling)
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Ceredigion Garden, Craft & Food Festival, Aberaeron
May 29 @ 10:00 am – May 30 @ 5:00 pm
Free entry
Now in its 7th year and expanding all the time. Held on Alban Square Field, Aberaeron and organised by Ceredigion & District Growers Association, this is the premier event of its type in West Wales.
Over 70 stalls selling plants, craft and food, together with music & entertainment. Something for everyone and FREE ENTRY.
No dogs allowed on the field (except service dogs).
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Cothi Gardeners Visit to Picton Castle, nr Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
Wednesday, May 25th , 5pm for picnic, 6pm guided tour by Roddy Milne the Head Gardener
Picton Castle Gardens are described as one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ Great Gardens of West Wales. As their website says:‘What you can see today is the result of many centuries of gardening styles, each overlaying the next, where no one style predominates.’
In the 40 acres of the garden there are woodland walks, a medicinal herb border, a fernery, a walled garden and jungle garden all in the wonderful setting of the 13th Century Castle.
Picton Medieval Entrance
As the talk is in the evening (6pm) we plan on meeting at 5pm in the car park for a bring your own picnic within the grounds.
If you have not already put your name down please do think about coming and let Margaret know at or before our next meeting on April 20th. It should be a really fun and interesting outing and if we can get a group of 20+ together we will qualify for reduced entry of £4.50. Otherwise the entry charge is £7 (concessions £6). Car sharing is available for those who prefer not to drive so please don’t be put off by the distance. From Pumpsaint to Picton should only take about 1 ¼ hrs.
May is a lovely time to visit a garden, but particularly one with an abundance of mature Conifers, Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias such as Picton. To quote from their website for May last year: ‘With the first half of May seeing the wonderful old Magnolias between the castle and walled garden coming into flower, pay a visit to Picton Castle and Gardens this month and you’ll quickly understand why they are famed for its Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias and Magnolias. Some have enormous scented flowers and others, such as the Japanese Azaleas, have many intensely coloured flowers borne in great profusion.’ See the Picton Website for more details http://www.pictoncastle.co.uk/
Rhododendron ‘Old Port’, reputed to be the largest Rhodie in the world! Photo May 2015
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NBGW Annual Members and Volunteers Plant Sale May 14 and 15th
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Gerddi Cae Hir Gardens Plant Fair
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Cae Hir Gardens Plant Fair. Come and enjoy this lovely six acre garden in the heart of Ceredigion. It is an RHS Partner Garden and entry to the Garden and Plant Fair is free. There is a small charge for parking at the local school.
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HARDY PLANT SOCIETY – West Wales Group PLANT FAIR
Sunday 24 April 2016 10.00 am – 3.00 pm
Rhosygilwen Mansion, Rhos Hill, CARDIGAN, SA43 2TW
Free parking & entry to the Plant Fair and the Gardens. Cafe & Toilets. Tombola – every ticket wins! Now in its 17th year this is a spring time event not to be missed!
Nurseries attending (updated regularly – click here to see website)
Penlan Perennials, bog plants, ferns, hardy geraniums, woodland and shade plants. Peat free and organic.
Ty Cwm Nursery, perennials, carnivorous, bedding, veg, climbers, shrubs.
The Water Margins, all things aquatic for your pond.
Aeron Acers, Acers, grown peat free
Tradewinds Nursery, hardy perennials, shrubs and trees.
Gwynfor Growers perennials, sweet peas, fruit trees and bushes. Peat free
Llangolman Nursery, alpines, heucheras and wide range of perennials.
Rhos Hill Garden Plants, huge range of herbs and shrubs, all grown peat free
Sir Gar Plants, rare and unusual perennials
Picton Castle Nursery, shrubs, ferns and perennials
Martins TLC, peat free composts and soil improvers
Farmyard Nurseries, wide general range, inc climbers, fruit, bedding
The Flower Bulb Company from Solva. Summer flowering bulbs, Dahlia, Lilies, Crocosmia and potted spring bulbs.
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PEN PONT GARDEN OPEN
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Tickets for the following event are available in advance from Llinos Morgan (llinos.morgan@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk) or you can pay at the door.
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FARMYARD NURSERIES Winter Gardening Weekend 2016
This year held on February 19th, 20th and 21st at the Tyssul Hall in Llandysul.
Every Year as the days start to lengthen and plants start to grow we hold our annual event. Originally intended as a showcase for our spectacular hellebores it has gradually grown into a festival of all winter plants and much much more.
The Tyssul Hall, in Llandysul (only 1 mile from the nursery) has been recently improved and is the ideal venue for our prestigious event. Unlike the cold wet weather outside this lovely heated venue defeats the elements in the heart of winter.
Here you can spend three days being thoroughly entertained by our array of speakers whose talents are provided free of charge regularly throughout each day. Tea and cakes or sandwiches are on tap, as well as a vast array of plants for sale to suit every taste. A small selection of other garden related stands are also there to whet your appetite.
Coach parties are, as always, welcome. Please let us know if you’re coming ‘en masse’ so we can make sure that the tea and coffee – oh and the cakes – don’t run out on that day!!! A shuttle bus from the Tyssul hall to the nursery can be provided if required.
This year we have an action packed event with one of the best array of speakers that we have had for a long time.
For more details of our speakers this year please go to our website (click here) and look at our calendar (top row of our main page).
We are pleased to welcome:
Keith Brown (Cilgwyn Lodge – Vegetables, Hellebores)
Tim Newby (Llanerchaeron gardens)
Richard Bramley (Farmyard Nurseries – Hellebores, Winter Shrubs)
Derry Watkins (Special Plants – bold late colour in the garden)
Joe Atkins (Aberglasney – plant associations)
National Botanic Garden of Wales (The new lake restoration project)
Ivor mace (RHS lectures – Vegetables)
Cothi Gardeners 