Bridport Literary Festival welcomes ALAN TITCHMARSH to the Electric Palace on Wednesday 9 November at 6.30pm. Local journalist Rene Wyndham will talk to Alan about his life in the spotlight.

Alan is a National Treasure whose hugely popular Gardener’s World and Ground Force TV series have made him one of the country’s best loved television presenters. He was the star of The Alan Titchmarsh Show for eight years and is now host of Masterpiece, a TV game show featuring antique treasures.

The author of over 40 books on gardening, Alan has also written three volumes of autobiography as well as seven best-selling novels which have won him a whole new readership.

Alan’s eighth novel:  Mr. Gandy’s Grand Tour is guaranteed to be another hit.  The hero of the book, Timothy Gandy, has for 40 years aspired to abandon his humdrum existence and embark on a Grand Tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of eighteenth century aristocrats. When the opportunity arises, he is propelled into adventures that he could never have foreseen and which amount to a voyage of self-discovery as well as the wonders of humankind found in unexpected places.

Tickets are £10 each from the Bridport Tourist Information Centre, telephone 01308 424901. See Bridport Literary Festival’s complete programme on their website HERE.

Spring bluebells and wild garlic in the Lim Valley

TALK Wild Flowers in East Devon
by Mike Lock of Axe Vale & District Conservation Society
DATE Wednesday October 26th, 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

Dr. Mike Lock is a well known botanist who worked for a number of years at Kew Gardens before he retired to Musbury. He leads several botanical walks locally every year and speaks authoritatively about our local flora.

The Axe Vale & District Conservation Society is the largest conservation society in the area covering the civil parishes in the catchment of the Rivers Axe, Yarty and Lim.  It was formed with the aim of protecting wildlife, environment and architecture in the area. See current events on their website HERE.

For those of you who watch Gardener’s World, you will have seen that Monty Don feels that the gardening year starts now, in October: this year’s leaves are falling to make next year’s compost and leaf mulch, spring bulbs are ready for planting, and seed catalogues are tempting us with the excitement of the year ahead.  We can reflect on the glories of 2016 and plan for the year ahead.  The same is true for our Horticultural Society.

In 2016, we have had some wonderful talks and fantastic coach trips – it has been a good year with Chris Beardshaw having us all laughing perhaps as our highlight.  At last year’s AGM, we were not sure if the Summer Show could go ahead in 2016 without a Show Secretary – well it did, and it was a great success.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and we raised funds to support our programme, as well as making significant contributions to support Uplyme Village Hall, the Playing Fields, and the School.  We could not have done this without a team of volunteers who gave just a few hours of their time to make it a great day.  So we thank all of them once again for their efforts.

So now the Committee are planning next year’s talks and trips, it is well underway.  And we would like you to be involved (yes, you!).  Few of us want to serve on Committees, but the success of a society like ours is that we spread the load as thinly as possible – this is definitely many hands make light work, and not too many cooks spoil the broth!  So if you would like to give a little help with anything, we would be grateful.  It could be anything from making the tea, to helping with publicity for our meetings.  If you are a regular competitor in the Summer Show, we would like your input into what you think would be the best classes for next year, or whether you would like to help with an Autumn Show next year.  Have you got an idea for a coach trip?  Now is your chance to have your say.

We have some long-standing committee members retiring this year, and they have all pledged to continue to volunteer to do things for the Society.  We will be looking for new Committee members – why not try it for just one year?  But if that is not for you, just volunteer and help in other ways.  You will all be welcome.

Please contact Jenny Harding (01297 444034) jennyhlyme@hotmail.co.uk or Brian Tomsett (01297 444962) arthurbriantomsett@btinternet.com or any other committee member HERE

SEPTEMBER MEETING
DATE Wednesday September 28th
TIME 7.30pm
TALK ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’
by CHRIS BEARDSHAW
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

TV and radio presenter, garden designer and author, Chris Beardshaw discusses the science of gardening and how to feel more confident and knowledgeable about your plants, and how to care for them.

His RHS Chelsea Show Garden design for the rooftop of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital was a Gold Medal winner this year.

Tickets for this special talk are on sale now (and going fast) from Jenny Harding 01297 444034: price £6 members, £10 non-members.

See more about Chris Beardshaw – go to his website by clicking HERE.

VISIT TO
LUKESLAND GARDENS (Ivybridge)
and BUCKFAST ABBEY 
DATE Tuesday October 11th
DEPART Uplyme Village Hall
by coach 9.15am

Lukesland has 24 acres of woodland gardens, with spectacular autumn colour. There are herbaceous borders planted for late-summer and autumn flowering, with a stream cascading over waterfalls and through ponds in this beautiful valley setting. See the website for Lukesland HERE

Our other stop at Buckfast Abbey, a working monastery where a community of Benedictine monks live self-sufficiently, gives time to see the Abbey, gardens and shops, and to have lunch.

At the heart of the site is the Abbey Church, a spiritual haven surrounded by gardens, pictured above.

Within the Abbey precincts are a bookshop and gift shop, and the Monastic Shop which sells products made by nuns and monks across Europe.

The Grange Restaurant serves tea and homemade cakes and a range of hot meals and light snacks.

Cost £16 for coach and admission.  Please ring Rose Mock  01297 34733 or Jenny Harding 01297 444034 to book. See the website for Buckfast Abbey HERE.

VISIT TO
GARDEN HOUSE
AT BUCKLAND MONACHORUM
DATE Sunday July 3rd
DEPART Uplyme Village Hall
by coach 9.15am

This ten-acre garden set in a tranquil Devon valley near Tavistock is owned and administered by the Fortescue Garden Trust. There are several gardens within the 10 acres with nearly 6,000 plant varieties to admire. See the Walled Garden (above) and Bowling Green Terrace, as well as outstanding examples of naturalistic planting in the Acer Glade, wildflower meadows and cottage garden. Stunning views and hidden treasures are around every corner in this plantsman’s paradise. Tea room and plant sales. Cost £20 total for coach and admission. Please ring Robin Britton 01297 442794 to book.

JUNE MEETING
TALK New Tricks for Old Gardeners
by Katherine Crouch
DATE Wednesday 22nd, 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

‘Gardening is in my blood… and also under my fingernails’ says Katherine Crouch, Garden Designer based in Ilminster, and BBC Gardener of the Decade. With her superb knowledge of plants and gardening, Katherine will give us a lively and amusing talk on garden styles, low maintenance plants and helpful planting techniques, as well as bringing a display of her favourite tools and gadgets that make gardening easier in retirement.

Katherine also claims to be able to reveal the secrets of Charlie Dimmock’s underwear drawer and whether or not Alan Titchmarsh dyes his hair……

Tea in the award-winning WILDLIFE GARDEN AT PINECROFT, Greenway, off Somers Road, Lyme Regis DT7 3EY (above) on May 28th and 29th from 2.30 to 5pm. Come and enjoy the delightful, friendly, relaxed atmosphere of this stunning wildlife garden with amazing views. Cream teas, cakes, home-made stall, and children’s activities. And see how we can all encourage wildlife into our gardens a little bit more. Entry to garden: adults £2.50, children £1. All profits to Tearfund – the water and sanitation project in Zambia.