2011 sees the 125th Anniversary of the founding of Hayling Island Horticultural Society. The event will be celebrated by an Anniversary Dinner and some special classes in the Shows. The cover of the 2011 Year Book is a special edition with illustrations of Victorian Gardening, specially designed by artist Mich'll Kenworthy.
The Society holds three Shows a year at the Hayling Island Community Association Centre. The Shows are open to both members and non-members. Admittance is £1.00, but any exhibitor showing more than two exhibits has free entry. Children get in free with accompanying adults.
The Spring Show in April has the theme of Daffodils, the Early Summer Show is held in June with the theme of Sweet Peas and Roses and the Main Summer Show takes place in September with the theme of Dahlias and Horticulture.
Hayling Island Horticultural Society is proud of being awarded Hampshire Show of the Year on many occasions and last won it in 2006 for the Spring Show plus a Large Gold Award. Show of the Year has now been discontinued by the Hampshire Federation, but may be resurrected for special years.
For details of Shows, please contact Gill Swift, Show Recorder, 023 9246 8359 or Jan Mitchell, Publicity Officer 023 9246 5147. To become a member, please contact Janet Lark, Membership Secretary, 023 9246 3538.
Talks, which are free to members and just £1.00 for visitors, including refreshments, are held at the United Reformed Church Hall, Hollow Lane, Mengham, Hayling Island, at 2.30pm on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Wednesday 26 January "Clematis – a comprehensive talk on this large family" by Marcus
Dancer.
Wednesday 23 February "Looking Forward to Summer" by Brian Kidd.
Wednesday 23 March "Staunton Country Park" by Chris Bailey.
Wednesday 27 April "Are you sitting comfortably?" by Gwen Appleton.
Wednesday 28 September "Cultivated Orchids, the Basics, the Truth" by Roger Grier
Wednesday 26 October "Autumn Lights" by Marion Catt.
Wednesday 25 January "Flora Thompson – Beyond Candleford" by John Owen-Smith.
Wednesday 22 February "Summer Garden" by Annette Wood.
The A.G.M. will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 23 November 2011 at the URC Hall.
This year's outings have been organised by Eve Osborne, Outing Organiser.
Thursday 2 June Leeds Castle
Thursday 20 July RHS Wisley
Thursday 1 September Buckingham Palace
Booking for all outings is from 26 January 2011.
The HIHS Holiday will be a coach trip to Monschau, Germany in September 2011. All details can be obtained from Bill Biggs, Chairman, 023 9246 8789.
The Trading Centre offers an extensive range of gardening supplies at very favourable prices. Items not displayed may be specially ordered from the catalogue on request at the counter.
The Centre is run by volunteer members for the benefit of all members and there is usually somebody on hand to give advice and help when needed.
Membership cards must be shown when making purchases.
The Centre is on the telephone - 0780 0839 911 - for enquiries during opening hours and on Thursday mornings. To help, contact the Trading Manager, 023 9246 4654.
February to June inclusive
Sundays and Wednesdays 9.30am to 12.00 noon
Thursdays 9.30am to 10.30am
July to January inclusive
Sundays 10.00am to 12.00 noon
The Centre is closed over the Christmas period.
We welcome new members who are able to help at the Trading Centre and with many aspects of the three shows - setting up, stewarding, catering and clearing up.
To contact us: Janet Lark, Membership Secretary, 023 9246 3538
A crowded URC Hall saw members enjoy a great talk to kick the New Year off. Ray Jones introduced Marcus Dancer, a nurseryman, who gave us a comprehensive talk on the large Clematis family, illustrated by his own slides. Marcus, who started his career with Hilliers, has been at Sandleheath, Fordingbridge for 20 years. You can find out all about his nursery on http://www.clematisplants.co.uk/ (external website)
Marcus stated that most people are interested in when and how to prune clematis. He went on to illustrate the three main pruning groups with his brilliant slides. Full advice can be found on the web site. He recommended "Early Sensation" which can be grown as a patio plant for 4-5 years. It is a winter flowering evergreen with summer dormancy. Osmocote is recommended for all pots and when re-potting it is advisable to root prune, removing one third.
There are now some Montanas that can be grown for ground cover and not all Montanas are as rampant. "Montana Sunrise" is a double clematis that can be controlled. To control clematis wilt in large-flowered hybrids, bury them much lower than other groups. When pruning, use a systemic fungicide and preferably, use two different fungicidal sprays alternately. "Denny's Double" is a superb large-flowered hybrid as is "Vyvyan Pennell"
The Viticella group has few pests and is very free flowering, whilst the Texensis group can be used to scramble. Mildew is controlled by some organic gardeners by using a spray of 1 part of milk to 9 of water. Herbaceous clematis can be used to scramble over shrubs or grown on obelisks . "Buckland Cascade" is great for hanging baskets whilst "Cassandra" has a great perfume and does well on the patio.
Finally, Marcus recommended a slow release fertiliser and mulching for clematis. For the eternal question on pruning, consult his web site!
Over 100 members attended the February talk at the URC Hall, given by Radio Solent broadcaster Brian Kidd, retired Environmental Officer for Portsmouth. Portsmouth-born, but now living at "cold, wet Waterlooville", Brian joined Portsmouth Parks Department in 1954 and after his apprenticeship he studied Parks Management at Reading.
"Looking Forward to Summer" began with Brian in autumn, but he skipped winter because he hates snow.
He began with a joke and the laughs kept on coming. I don't know whether we learned very much, but his wide-ranging slides were very entertaining. I'll just pass on a few of his tips. When your daffodils don't flower any longer, dig them up and give them to a friend: they will flower like mad in the change of soil. Give your roses each a teaspoonful of Epsom salts. When did you last need 500 lettuces? So - plant a few every two weeks. If you have a camellia or a pieris, go to a jumble sale and buy an XXX lady's dress. If frost is threatened when they are at their best, go out before dark, place the very large dress over the shrub and secure the neck with two pegs. Next morning, take the wet dress and peg it on the line to dry out.
We saw beautiful pictures of formal bedding in Southsea and the secret is to plant close enough to prevent weeds. One bed required reddish leaves as a border, so Brian planted beetroot. It looked lovely, but a councillor said that they'd be pulled up and eaten by the kids. Brian retorted that not one child in Portsmouth knew what a growing beetroot looked like! We also enjoyed shots of Britain in Bloom gardens and businesses in Portsmouth and Southsea. We were privileged to see some pictures of Brian's own lovely garden and allotment.
It was a most enjoyable afternoon for all.
Jan Mitchell