Events for 2019 (In addition to our monthly speakers – see separate web page):
- Karen’s garden at Lan Farm, Talley is still open for visitors by arrangement under the National Garden Scheme. Click here for more on Karen’s garden.
- Brenda’s garden open day for the NGS at Bwlchau Duon on Sunday June 30th from 2 – 6 pm. If you can’t make this, Brenda’s garden is also open, like Karen’s, by arrangement from July 1st to August 31st. Click here for more details.
- Sunday 7 July, Ceredigion Growers Plant Fair, 10-3pm – forms for volunteers and cake/plant donations available at June’s meeting.
- Our August meeting’s growing challenge – edible flowers/leaves in any form, eg cordial, flowers, leaves, cake – edible leaves. For some more ideas on what we can grow, try looking at www.maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk/edible-flowers-list have lists of edible flowers, how to grow them and how to crystallise them. And also for some edible wild plants https://matteroftrust.org/14760/62-edible-wild-plants-that-you-didnt-know-you-can-eat;
- John and Helen’s garden, Ty’r Maes, is open for the NGS on Sunday August 11th from 1.30 to 5.30 pm. Click here for more details. And also open by arrangement from June 17th to October 31st.
Finally advance notice of a special opportunity to visit Hergest Croft gardens this autumn. Following on from Steve Lloyd’s visit to us in May, Fiona has been able to arrange a date with Steve and Mel for a group visit including the chance to collect seed, at the gardens at Hergest Croft on Thursday September 26th.
The visit will aim to begin around 10 a.m. and include a privately guided tour of the gardens by Steve, before the gardens open to the public. Mel says that there will even be bags provided for seed collection. We’ll just need to bring along pens to write down names!
Given what a tremendous year it’s been for tree flowering and seed setting, this is a unique chance for Cothi Gardeners to see the gardens at one of their most lovely times of the year, and bring back a special souvenir or two, since Hergest grows many trees and shrubs not widely available elsewhere. 
There will be a chance to have lunch at the very good Hergest tea room, after the tour. The cost will be £7.50 per person for this very special opportunity. More details in due course.
Cothi Gardeners’ Christmas lunch will be at the Forest Arms in Brechfa on Wednesday December 11 th.
In January 2020, our first meeting of the year begins with the AGM, on Wednesday January 15th, when amongst other things we’ll publish the excellent programme of speakers which has been arranged for 2020 by Fiona and Jenny. It will also incorporate a members’ supper, so do bring along a plate of food to share.
Following on from last year, there’ll be an auction of a few reliable snowdrops, provided by Julian, but we’d also like to broaden this a little this year as a way of raising extra funds to help pay for speaker expenses in the years ahead. So if you have any other plants or other suitable books or items which you’d like to be included in the auction – say art or craft work, then do bring it along early on the night to be included.
Items don’t have to be garden related things, just items that others will bid for!
The evening will conclude as usual with one of Derek’s challenging quizzes, to keep our brains working well, even in the depths of winter.
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Ferryside Lifeboat Charity Garden Crawl (SA17 5RR)
On Sunday 30th June 2019 come and discover the beautiful and varied gardens of Ferryside. The gardens are open each year to support Ferryside Lifeboat. Wander around the village and enjoy a variety of refreshments available in many of the venues, whilst listening to ‘live music’ in some of the gardens. Discover scarecrows, there will be characters popping up all around the village!
The Lifeboat station will be open and crew will be there to show visitors around the lifeboat.
The gardens will be open between one and six p.m. Programmes, including a map, are £3.00.
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Ceredigion Grower’s Plant Fairs 2019:
Plant Fair Aberystwyth,Saturday 13th April, 10 – 3,North Parade, Farmers’ Market Site
Ty Cwm Nursery Open Day,Sunday 22nd April 10 – 6
West Wales Plant Fair,Sunday 28th April 10 – 3 FREE ENTRY to Plant Fair & Gardens
Rhosygilwen Mansion, Rhoshill, Cardigan,SA43 2TW
Cae Hir Plant Fair,Monday 6th May 10 – 4 FREE ENTRY to Plant Fair & Gardens
Cribyn, SA48 7NG.
Scolton Manor Spring Plant Fair,Sunday 19th May 10 – 3
Haverfordwest. Free Entry
SA62 5QL on B4329
Ceredigion Garden Festival,Sunday 26th & Monday 27th May 10 – 5
Alban Square, Aberaeron. Free Entry
Welsh Wildlife Centre Plant Fair,Saturday 1st June 10 – 3
Cilgerran, Cardigan, SA43 2TB. Free Entry
Plant Fair Aberystwyth,Saturday 8th June, 10 – 3
North Parade, Farmers’ Market Site
Llanllyr NGS Open Garden,Sunday 23rd June 2 – 6
Free entry to plant fair. Fee to view garden
SA48 8QB
Norwood Gardens Plant Fair,Sunday 16th June 10 – 3
SA39 9DU. Free Entry
Cothi Plant Fair,Sunday 7th July 10 – 3
The Coronation Hall & field, Pumpsaint
SA19 8UW
Scolton Manor Autumn Plant Fair,Sunday 8th September 10- 3
Haverfordwest. Free Entry
SA62 5QL on B4329
Enquiries please telephone 01570 471571
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Been and Gone ….
Llandysul Winter Gardening Weekend 2019
Organised by Farmyard Nurseries, Llandysul. Click here for more.
This year held on February 15th, 16th and 17th at the Tysul Hall in Llandysul (postcode SA44 4QJ)
10 a.m – 5.pm.
Every Year as the days start to lengthen and plants start to grow we participate in this 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 Tysul 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 some wonderful speakers, some old, some new.
Gardening Weekend Speaker Programme 15/16/17 February 2019 :
Friday 15th February 2019
10.40 Julian Wormald – Snowdrops – Confessions of a Galanthophile. He will explain why he loves them (not difficult), tell you about Snowdrop species and distribution as well as some interesting facts about snowdrops. This coupled with snowdrops in the UK – myth and history, snowdrop cultivation, and some of his favourite cultivars. Penultimately you will learn a bit about his ongoing Historic Welsh Snowdrop Hunt. Finally we will end with a quick fire mini auction – 10 of his favourite snowdrop forms (some of which may be un-named) all for sale starting at 50p, sold to the highest bidder!! A great talk to kick off this lovely event!
1.00 Richard Bramley – Hellebores, an informative and humorous guide to these winter wonders. If, as we do, you love these amazing plants then come along and see what is available nowadays. Concentrating mainly on the Lenten Rose (Helleborus x hybridus), Richard will guide us through the many interesting new additions to the already vast range. Learn how to grow them and how to avoid any pitfalls. Also propagation, hybridisation and general maintenance
3.15 Roddy Milne – ‘Ornamental Grasses’ A very welcome return, Roddy will enthral us with his passion for these architectural and often majestic additions to the garden. Excellent for summer colour with the added bonus of winter interest. In his usual hands on manner this is not one to be missed. There will also be an up-date on the Picton Castle ‘Walled Garden Project’
Saturday 16th February 2019
10.40 Carley Green from NBGW – Californian expedition A new speaker and a new talk for the Winter Gardening Weekend. Carly Green will wow us with her pictorial talk on her visit to California, relating what she has seen in the U.S. to what we grow in sunny Wales. She will also briefly talk about her work at the National Botanic Garden of Wales where she is doing work on conserving Welsh natural plants. Sounds exciting!!!
1.00 Gareth Davies – A love affair with Roses. As many will know Gareth is one of the country’s leading authorities on Roses. No stranger to all aspects of this fascinating plant his knowledge is wide and detailed. Here he will give us a brief history of Roses, their uses in the garden, tips on their cultivation and the best of healthy modern varieties – the latter point being very important to those of us who live in wet Wales where the air is clean and growing Roses not easy. A must for all who love Roses.
3.15 Matt Granfield – Vegetable growing. This could well be the highlight of the day!!! Our very own Matt (many will know him from his amazing knowledge in our Carmarthen branch) will guide us through many aspects of vegetable growing. Very much a talk for the audience, this is set to be both informative and amusing. Proud owner of four allotments he has grown veg. for as long as he can remember. As it is his first talk Richard will be along to lend a hand if the audience get too excited.
Sunday 17th February 2019
10.40 Joe Atkins head gardener at Aberglasney – Plant combinations. What can I say a true plantsman who is always so popular. His enthusiasm is so inspiring and this new talk from Joe promises to be as good as his others. If you are looking for ideas then this is the one for you. As always another one that is not to be missed!
1.00 Bob Dyer – Woodland Plants. A new speaker to the Winter Weekend and hopefully one that will return many times. Bob is one of those amazing people whose knowledge of gardening and all things ‘planty’ is humbling. He is a VERY keen amateur gardener who grows things, in his Gower garden, to die for. Come and see how he nurtures some of the rarest plants around as well as the usual and popular. Can’t wait to hear this one!
3.15 Malcolm Berry, the dreaded gardener – Organic Gardening. Our most popular speaker and one who fills us with inspirational, often slightly controversial and extremely wildlife friendly advice. His following is legendary, and his talks are totally in tune with nature. If you want to grow plants organically then Malcolm is your man. A mine of information, don’t forget to follow his facebook page. (the dreaded gardener).
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- Thursday 11 April, 2pm. Farmyard Nurseries, Llandysul for nursery tour with Richard Bramley followed by tea/coffee and cake. Richard has asked whether we would like a demonstration or talk when we visit. If you have any preference, then please let Yvonne know and also confirm if you would like to attend.
Richard has a massive range of plants including the National Plant Collections of both Primula sieboldii, ( above, which will probably be at their peak in his polytunnels) and Sarracenia (Pitcher) carnivorous plants, so there will be lots to see. - Wednesday 22 May, 3pm. Mad Hatters Tea Party, Aberglasney. Afternoon tea £12 per person, plus reduced entry fee £7.25 per person (total £19.25) to be paid by April meeting, please.
Form on the entrance table at meetings, or let Yvonne know if you would like to attend. - Our annual Garden Safari, planned for Sunday June 9th. We’re looking for members to open their gardens, large or small, for members to visit.
It is always interesting visiting other people’s gardens as there’s invariably something new to learn, even for the more experienced gardeners among us. Is there someone willing to host a shared picnic lunch please? (members to bring food). Exact date to be confirmed in due course.
Cothi Gardeners 