Main details: The club meets every second Monday (except when we have outings in spring and summer: 3) at Ashcott Primary School on the Ridgeway. The annual membership is currently £10 with a monthly £1 sub. Visitors pay £2.50 and can come three times to check us out before they are asked to join. The AGM is in November.
Ours is a friendly and jolly group, not all keen gardeners but definitely all loving the whole ethos of growing and enjoying, whether it be for eating or for the sheer joy in the beauty of flowers, trees and shrubs. We meet on each second Monday in the school except when we sally forth to visit other gardens and establishments to whet our appetites with new ideas for our own gardens.
This year we have visited ‘Lift the Latch Cottage’ near Chard on a Sunday afternoon for a tour of a beautiful cottage garden and tea of course. In June we will spend a Saturday, by coach, at RHS Rosemoor when they have a Rose event, and a splendid restaurant! In August we will gather for supper in the under croft at Wells and then have a guided tour of the Bishop’s Palace garden, a rare treat to be sure.
Our visiting speakers are many and varied and much enjoyed for their wit, enthusiasm and expertise. In bleak February Yvonne Bell came and talked about Grandma’s Garden and how it was all done in Edwardian and Victorian times. For March we were introduced to our wildlife friends and foes in our gardens and how to recognise them and tell the difference.
We are very keen to forge good community links and our Plant Sale has become a central event on the village calendar. There’s nothing like choosing your new plants over a cuppa and a slice of yummy homemade cake. We have also donated a cup for one of the competitions at the Harvest Fayre. Last year this was awarded to the ‘Beginners Class’ in flower arranging but can change from year to year.
I think that our proudest initiative is our involvement with the school garden club which is now up and running after school each week. Some of our club members help with practical tasks and have assisted in drawing up a programme for the year which is linked to the curriculum. There is not too much to see at the moment but before too long the children will be seeing the fruits of their labours. It is so important to pass on knowledge and skills and it is hoped that growing to eat will be a real focus and encourage the children to eat what they grow and enjoy it and even sell some to fund further seeds and plants.
If you would like more details about our club and would like to join us you can be sure of a warm welcome. Contact Keith Prime (chairman) on 01458 210485). Our annual membership is £10, with a sub of £1 on the night at the moment and members enjoy various subsidised ‘treats’ for their money. If you are not ready to join but would like to come along as a visitor we will charge you £2.50 which includes refreshments. Our AGM takes place in November which means that membership after that is pro rata.
Our next meeting will be on Monday July 8th when we have a bit of a social evening with a ‘bring & share ‘ supper. This year Chris Smith from Pennard Plants will come to talk about the Victorian Walled Garden which was postponed from snowy January.
Freda Prime
Secretary to Ashcott Garden Club