12th - 15th June 2017

John and Brenda Foster arranged a packed itinerary from Monday 12th June  through Thursday 15th June, staying over the three nights at Tewkesbury Park hotel.

Leaving from Notcutts, by special dispensation because we behave ourselves, and stopping only briefly at Birchanger on the way, lunch and the first visit were provided by Farleyhill Place Gardens, originally the vegetable plot for the house up the hill, bought five years ago by the present delightful owners, who have renovated the site and grown some lovely plants.

The hotel was set in a golf course, had wonderful views and we were looked after by young, mostly foreign, very cheerful and competent staff. Mrs Overall, who served us on the last evening turned out to be a lovely lady.

Driven by Alisdair, on Tuesday we visited Bourton House, where the garden was tended by obviously competent gardeners, showing unusual plants, well grown in lovely surroundings.

In the afternoon we visited Kiftsgate, which needs no introduction, but had an interesting variation in levels and planting.

Sezincote House, on Wednesday, was John's surprise for us. A private house, built in the Moghul style, with a beautiful orangery and furnishings. The immediate garden was in the same style. I have a photo of Colin and a large baby elephant. Colin is the one in the green shirt. The rest of the garden was English landscape and contained an extensive range of beautiful trees, well disposed in the surrounding valley.

In the afternoon we went to Hidcote, just as well known, though completely different from Kiftsgate, although a near neighbour. The poor level of customer care by the National Trust raised it's ugly head, on this occasion with till failures because they were fitting new ones - on a visitors' day.) This was a very warm day.

In the evening some of us played croquet, and Colin was severely bruised. Linda won.

We left on Thursday morning, first visiting Rousham Park, which was a most beautiful place, with formal gardens and traditional lawns and water. Another of John's gems!

We had a surprise last visit, which John had had to change at short notice, and visited Ascott House, a Rothschild home, looking old, but quite new, with interesting interior decor and an interesting collection of Oriental ceramics. Thus was also run by the National Trust, and whilst they kindly provided us with a sandwich lunch, the house was unaware that they should expect a coach party!

Good weather and a lovely, friendly group completed the holiday.

With heartfelt thanks to John and Brenda for taking such good care of us. Here's to next year!

Chris Davies

8th April 2017

The North Norfolk countryside was looking at its best as we drove to Chestnut Farm on a sunny and warm spring day.  We were greeted by our hosts, John and Judy's and divided into two groups for a guided tour of this three acre garden.  

John and Judy's have gardened here for 54 years and trees  they planted as saplings are now stately giants.  The garden is mostly informal in character, but near the house is a sunny area with paved paths and now full of tulips and other spring flowers including muscari Saffier, which John told us is sterile.  Useful information if you love to grow them, but don't want them seeding everywhere.  Much admired were the white and pale yellow double primroses along one of the paths.

In the woodland part of the garden many interesting shrubs have been planted enjoying the dappled shade cast by mature trees, including stachyurus salicifolius - so much more graceful than other forms of this interesting plant.  A very large skimmia Kew Green had been planted some years ago,  I had no idea they could grow so large, likewise Pittosporum Tom Thumb, my five year old plant is less than two foot high, at Chestnut Farm, after 35 years it is about twelve foot tall.  In the understorey,  many herbaceous perennials were flowering, including chrysosplenum davidiaum, saruma henri and scilla bithynica had spread and made a large, attractive patch in dappled shade.

The front lawn was dominated by a magnolia x soulangeana in full flower and a border shaded by the Chestnut trees which give the farm it's name, was filled with anemone blanda  and other ephemeral spring flowers which will be strimmed to the ground when they have finished flowering.

Finally, a relaxing cup of tea and a slice of cake on the back lawn, and a closer examination of the pots and troughs of alpines and dwarf bulbs that Judy grows.  On the back of the house rosa Maigold and a purple wisteria were just showing colour and will look magnificent in a week or so's time.

If you were unable to make this trip the garden will be open again on Monday, May 29th and  Sunday, July the 9th, well worth a visit

Margaret Tyler

25th March 2017

Norfolk and Suffolk Group can be proud of themselves following the successful hosting of the Diamond Anniversary of the Society's Annual Lecture Day.

Of the 173 attendees, 53 were local Group members, showing their support. These included the ALD committee and all the volunteers for the day.

Speakers were Matthew Biggs on 'Lessons from Great Gardeners' and Alan Gray on 'What is Hardiness?'.

During the long lunch break Norfolk Radio was broadcasting 'The Garden Party'  from an adjacent room, and members could drop in and ask questions of the panel between lunch and shopping at the plant stalls, books and raffle, plus garden ironmongery, until it was time for the AGM, during which stallholders and other non-members could drop in on them.

New Hon Treasurer and Hon Secretary and their introductory speeches made the AGM a long one.

The celebration cake was ceremoniously cut by Flora Bloom, before the cake that was cut earlier was served with tea or coffee, Then Flora, second wife of Alan Bloom, and the other founders' descendants, Penelope Hellyer and Fabian Sambrook, were presented with baskets of our Norfolk and Suffolk Heritage Plants, with their smart labels, and one of the lifelike sugar-paste hellebores taken from the cake, before inviting Alan to give his talk. Alan was also given a set of four mugs sporting hand-painted characatures of his own cats, since he had given his talk free of charge. (Matthew was given a Heritage Plant)

A number of volunteers stayed back to help clear up, for which the Catering Manager was very pleased. I explained to him that most of us were old ladies with well-trained husbands.

Chris Davies

11th March 2017

This was the title of the talk by Jaime Blake in which he described his choice of plants with reference to a world map, picking plants from countries and regions as he went, beginning with the UK, France and Western Europe, detailing several snowdrops and a favourite hardy geranium, before moving on to Italy and some of its anemones, asters and lathyrus.

Then there was Greece, with Acanthus, among others, followed by Turkey with alchemilla, hellebores and fritillaries, and their attendant Lily-beetles, leading onto the kniphofias  and amaryllis of  North East Africa.

After that Jaime moved onto Nepal and Northern India, noting an arisaema, adiantum and favourite miscanthus. Thailand raised another arisaema, and Malaysia the hardy begonia B.evansii.

China was the source of a number of lovely plants, including cherries, peonies and Hostas , to name just a few, whilst Japan was the source of astilbe and other miscanthus species.

The USA provided the infamous Leylandii conifer, but also trilliums, verbena, phlox and a number of favourite 'daisies'.

Jaime arrived back in the UK in Liverpool, mentioning a couple of aquilegias, explaining that

 Norah Barlow was the granddaughter of Charles Darwin.

For a longer round the world trip with Jaime, you will have to wait for the next newsletter.

Chris Davies

John & Brenda receiving an award at the weekend from John Plumtre of the NGS [Suffolk] following 40 years of opening their garden for charity.