As the weather is so gloomy just now I thought that a backward glance at some sunnier moments might bring some warmer thoughts . These are photographs taken on a visit to Sicily of some of the ancients ruins still standing amongst the landscape and the abundance of flowers around them.

photographs by John Metcalf

It is with great sadness that we report that Bill died on 14th November 2014
There will be a service of Thanksgiving at Bergh Apton church (St.Peter and St Paul) on Friday 5th December at 2.30pm.
No flowers please. Donations to Parkinson's UK, may be sent to R. B. Copping Independent Funeral Services

Bill was a founder member of the Norfolk and Suffolk HPS Group. There will be a detailed tribute
to his horticultural life in the Spring issue of the Group Newsletter.

Clematis 'Henryi' was one of the early hybrids created as part of an attempt to get the largest possible flowers on clematis.  In 1855 Isaac Anderson-Henry of Edinburgh crossed C. Patens and C. Lanuginosa and obtained the white-flowered 'Henryi'.
It is early-summer flowering with a second crop later in the year.  It doesn't grow too tall - about 3-4m, depending on how hard it is pruned.  The main attraction is the flower which is 15 to 18cm across with 8 sepals that barely overlap.  What adds to its interest is the contrast of brown-tipped stamens against the pure white of the flower.  Each sepal has elegant veining from tip to base.
In his book on clematis Christopher Lloyd states that it is a 'difficult' plant and he does not like it.  However, he does admit that it never grew for him.

photo by Pamela Clark

This has been a year for some astonishing displays of blossom. Brenda Foster took these pictures in their house garden, Gable House, Redisham, Beccles, which just give some idea of the amount of flowers to be seen on many trees. Here are a couple of pictures of a catalpa tree in their garden.

click on picture for second one

Also a picture of very strange looking caterpillar, an elephant hawk moth.

click on caterpillar to enlarge

Liz Nicholls and Shirley Baxter, accompanied by Shirley's husband, Graham, and Liz's brother, David, had the signs up and their fee-gathering table set up in very good time and did a very efficient job of collecting the cash and the e-mail addresses. More people came than expected, so both hosts will have been happy with the results
We were very sorry to be told that John Alston had had a severe stroke during last year, and , whilst he had recovered his speech, was still unable to show us round the garden. He kindly described what we would see looking good and provided us with tour guides in the shape of two gardeners, Nathan and James.
We were also given a brief history of the coat of arms, which contained 16 'quarters' of the arms of other families which had been added to the Alston family arms.
Wisteria, Magnolias and other early flowering shrubs were very visible. We were surprised by the buds on Delphiniums in the walled border. The Guinea fowl were surprised by us and made a hasty exit through a grove of bamboo beside the huge pond.
Mr Alston had been very welcoming, but had also said he could do with an inch of rain, which, sadly, he didn't get today.

Over the longer lunch break that Linda had arranged for us, I spotted a few members at Peter Beales Nursery, and others owned up to having made it to Walnut Tree Nursery.

At Seamere we were met by Judy Watson, who showed us 'her cowslips', which turned out to be an almighty field full of them, This was part of a Stewardship project, which included a dipping pond.
The garden brought forth anguish and envy on a number of fronts, I noticed, with the range of really interesting plants, including a pretty parasite. Judy usefully explained that Lovage can be used for celery flavour in soups etc. Following a very interesting guided prowl round the mere, the various areas of the garden, and again, with a brief history of the house, Judy served us  very welcome tea and cake ,but not before I had snapped Graham by the moongate.

Chris Davies