This year we are running three coach trips that we feel will be of great interest to members and friends of our society. These trips are open to all members and non-members are invited to join us at a small temporary membership charge of £2.

Our first trip takes place on Tuesday 7^th May to the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley travelling by coach, which departs from Uplyme Village Hall at 7-45 am.    As our society is an affiliated member of the RHS, our members are able to visit these gardens without paying the normal admission charge so there will only be the coach fare of £15 per person to pay.  To book a place on this trip please contact Brian 07831 533580 by April 19^th.

The flagship garden of the RHS, Wisley captures the imagination with richly planted borders, luscious rose gardens and the state-of-the-art Glasshouse. Gifted to the Society in 1903, Wisley has evolved over time into a world-class garden. In the trials fields, the finest flowers and vegetables are identified from the countless new introductions. Elsewhere in the garden, cultivation techniques are tried and tested, and a series of model gardens answers the needs of a variety of conditions and circumstances.

Monday 17^th June trip to Hidcote Manor and/or Kiftsgate Court Gardens departing by coach from Uplyme Village Hall 7-30 am. These two gardens are within walking distant of each other with entry charges of £8-50 to Hidcote (or free if you are a National Trust member), and £6 to Kiftsgate which is not an NT garden. These entry fees will be paid direct by members on arrival and the cost of the coach £13 is payable in advance. To book a place on this trip please contact Brian 07831 533580 by June 1^st.

Tuesday 10^th September trip to Avebury Manor and Gardens (National Trust) departing by coach from Uplyme Village Hall at 8am Entrance to gardens is £9 payable on arrival or free to NT members. The coach fare £11 is payable in advance. To book a place on this trip please contact Rob 01297 631664 by 1^st September   

We have been contacted by Bridport Gardening Club who have some spaces on their Coach Holiday (Sewards Coaches) to Derbyshire visiting several gardens in May.
All the available details are below – further information available from either Lyn Streeter on 01903 733273  or Monique Pasche (after March 17th) on 01303 456762.

They have been organising holidays successfully for many years so are experienced in providing a memorable experience.

If you or anyone else you know are interested ring either of the above numbers.    As they are using Sewards Coaches I am sure there could be pick ups in Uplyme/Lyme if requested.

Bridport Gardening CLUB HOLIDAY TO DERBYSHIRE MAY 20TH – MAY 23RD 2013
We are planning the Club holiday to Derbyshire. Detailed below are outline details with approximate timings and cost.

The price for the holiday is £400 per person. This includes half board at the hotel for three nights, all entrance fees, transport and tips. The hotel is The Lee Wood at Buxton, one of the Best Western Hotel Group, ideally situated for visiting the highlights of the Peak District. Only ten single rooms are available, all of which have a supplement of £15 per night; a further 12 twin/double rooms have also been booked. The booking of the holiday and the rooms is on a first come first served basis.

• Monday 20th May Leaving Bridport from the Coach Park, we will stop for a coffee break at the Painswick Rococo Garden near Stroud. Set in a Cotswold valley, the garden was laid out in the early 18th century and the planting is limited to what was available until 1745.
• Tuesday 21st May A morning visit to Lea Gardens near Matlock. This garden is a haven for azaleas and rhododendrons, along with alpines and conifers. An afternoon visit to Haddon Hall near Bakewell. This medieval manor house has been the location for various films and TV programmes. The gardens, set out in Elizabethan times, are terraced and sweep down to the River Wye.
• Wednesday 22nd May A morning visit to Hardwick Hall (NT) near Chesterfield, home to Bess of Hardwick who first created the house in the 1500s. Set within parkland, there is a walled garden, herb garden and orchard. An afternoon visit to Chatsworth near Matlock, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The garden is famous for its 300-year-old cascade as well as a huge maze, rockery and cottage and kitchen gardens. 
• Thursday 23rd May Leaving the hotel on our return journey, we will visit the Bluebell Nursery near Ashby de la Zouch. As well as bluebells, this nursery has a rare collection of trees and shrubs.

If you are interested in attending the holiday please contact us on 01308 456762

Heavy deposits of snow around the area meant that Mary Benger’s talk on the development of Burrow Farm gardens was postponed by one week but nevertheless a good number of members turned out on the 30th January to hear Mary’s very interesting lecture about her beautiful gardens.

No snow but heavy rain greeted members and friends who attended our Barn Dance on 26th January. But despite a smaller attendance than in previous years, which meant there was more room for dancing, an enjoyable time was had by all and raised much needed funds to support our “Summer Show and Country Fayre” which takes place this year on 20th July.

Yes it was snow again when our party visited “Axe Valley Wetlands and Seaton Marshes “on 5th February but fortunately the worst of it held off until near the end of our outing, which was more than the freezing cold wind did. Despite this we enjoyed the shelter proved by the various hides where we could view many type of duck and wild foul feeding. Seaton Marshes is really worthwhile visiting with its glorious views of the river Axe, its flat walks and Visitors’ Centre which is adjacent to the sand martin and bat nesting facility currently under construction. The whole area is open to visitors 365 days a year and there is no admission charge so why not pay it a visit this spring?

Diary Dates

27th March 2013 7-30pm Uplyme Village Hall. AGM followed by “Cookery Demonstration – Wild Garlic” by Pam Corbin.

At our AGM we hope to gain some much needed new faces to join and support our current committee. We will shortly be losing Ann Prince our excellent secretary who is moving to be nearer her family, so we badly need new blood on the committee to bring fresh ideas and energy for the forthcoming years. So please think long and hard and please come to the meeting on 27th and take a seat on the committee. We usually have about ten short committee meetings a year at Uplyme Village Hall plus lending a hand at members’ meetings and society events. The more committee members we have to share the load the easier it is for everyone.

We are now taking bookings the coach trips to RHS Wisley on May 7th, Hidcote Manor & Kiftsgate Court Gardens on June 17th and Avebury Manor & Gardens on Sept. 10th. Full details of these outings and booking details can be found on your membership card or ring 07831 533580.

A small group of members braved the elements on February 5th for a winter visit to the Axe Valley Wetlands – Seaton.  The weather was somewhat mixed – chilly with bright, almost sunny spells and intermittent wintry showers of rain, sleet,hail and snow. However, when it really got unpleasant we were able to take refuge in the bird hides or visitor centre.

Doug Rudge from East Devon council met us at the cemetery carpark and gave us a clear explanation of how the area had been developed so far and what was still planned. We then moved on to visit the two hides in Black Hole Marsh for a bit of bird watching.  Our guide was able to help with identification, but we failed to spot anything unusual.  We hoped to see a Kingfisher or a Water Vole, but no luck. The latter have been reintroduced to the area a few years ago.  We were also shown the elaborate system for controlling the water level in the Marsh and maintaining the correct salinity.

After spending some time in the hides, we moved on to the main visitor centre for a welcome hot drink and to be told about the ambitious project for the next marsh development by Seaton.  We were also shown the Sand Martin wall that is being constructed at the moment with the help of numerous volunteers.  It is hoped that it will be ready for this summer and will be used not only by Sand Martins, but also bats and even nesting Kingfishers. Anyone interested in volunteering on the Wetlands would be most welcome. Contact (01395) 517557

It was a very interesting visit, thanks to all the explanations by our guide.  Much of the access is very good and there are several buildings with seats so that on a sunny day people can just go down and watch what is going on.

Find out more…

Our first event of the year, Mary Benger speaking on The Development of Burrow Farm Gardens was cancelled due to the weather but will be held NEXT WEDNESDAY January 30th 7.30 – SAME TIME, SAME PLACE  Uplyme Village Hall!
 
THE BARN DANCE on Saturday 26th is still going ahead so please support us if you can – tickets at Uplyme Garage and Stores,  Serendip Bookshop Lyme Regis  or phone 01297 444034

Just to remind you of the forthcoming events for the society and to say Happy New Year.

Jan 23rd (Wed) 7.30pm Talk ‘Development of Burrow Farm Gardens’ by Mary Benger – from working farm & old Roman clay pit to ten acre garden.

Members free Non Members £2 Details 01297 444034

Jan 26th (Sat) 7.30-11pm Barn Dance with Long Odds and Short Straws Band.

Tickets £8.00 (under 12s £4.00) incl. supper, available from Uplyme Stores, Serendip Bookshop, Lyme Regis or ring 01297 444034. BYO alcohol, soft drinks on sale. Almost always a sell-out, so get your tickets now and brighten up the dull days of January with a foot-stomping evening of fun!

Feb 5th (Tue) 10am -12 Visit and tour Axe Valley Wetlands- Seaton Marshes – only 15 places available. Cost £2.00 Depart in shared cars from Uplyme Village Hall 9.40am. Please ring 01297 444034 by Feb 1st to confirm. Bring binoculars if possible

Feb 27th (Wed) 7.30pm Talk ‘Plants for shade’ by Chris Birchall from Tale Valley Nursery. RHS GOLD Medallist. For more details contact 01297 444034

Members will be receiving their 2013 show schedule for our Summer Show and Country Fayre which is being held on Sat July 20th from 12 noon to 5pm – the earlier start time is the inspiration of our new show secretary, Sue Stones, to allow everyone to bring along their family and friends to enjoy the wide variety of Countryside attractions and help raise money for our chosen charity – the Axe Valley and West Dorset Ring and Ride.

With the traditional marquee on the field, full of your entries of flowers, veg, cookery and craft there will also be morris dancing, steam train rides, a falconry display, rural craft stalls and displays as well as the famous cream teas in the hall. A day to remember!

Don’t forget to read the schedule to see what classes you can enter so that you can get your seeds growing or your knitting started – after the rain of 2012 we would love to see an overflowing marquee to reward the committee for all their hard work in putting on the show.

Jenny Harding

Our final event for this year takes place next week on Wednesday 28^th November at 7:30 pm at Uplyme Village Hall. Once again this annual popular pre Christmas Quiz and Social evening has been prepared by question master Tony Cook with supplementary table question/picture identification sheets by members of the committee. So please come along  either as a team 4 or 6 or help to create a team on the night for some fun and prizes and enjoy the buffet snacks.

Members  free Non-Members £2  Details 01297 444034

If anyone would like to contribute to the buffet please let me know – thank you

Look forward to seeing you there

We will be collecting Membership subscriptions for 2013 at this meeting (£5 single £8 family) – cash or cheque (payable to Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society)

Tickets for the Barn Dance on Saturday 26th January will also be on sale – this has been a sell-out in the past so make sure you get tickets while you can!

Best wishes

Jenny Harding (Chairman)

tel 01297 444034

SUPPER & CONVERSATIONS: GROWING AND USING HERBS

The next in Trill Farm’s series of Supper & Conversations: Growing and using Herbs, with Anne McIntyre is coming up on Friday 23rd November. £17.50p

Anne, a renowned Herbalist, will share with us her immense knowledge of how healing herbs can be easily grown in the garden. Through touch, smell and taste she will introduce to us some of nature’s herbal bounty that can be used to bring balance and harmony to you and your family.

6.00pm Trill Winter herb tea & thyme shortbread

6.30pm Talk and conversations with Anne

7.30pm Mulled wine with aromatic canapés followed by supper created by Daphne Lambert.

To book, call Zoe on 01297 631113, or for directions and more details.

Following on from a very well-attended and lively talk about hedgehogs, we are proud to present Celebrate the Pumpkin with Lori Reichs of Shute Fruits www.shutefruit.co.uk

Wednesday October 24th, 7.30pm at Uplyme Village Hall

This is a family evening so bring your children/grandchildren or just yourselves! Halloween costume may be worn!

Bring a carved pumpkin/squash for a competition to be judged in 2 categories  – Traditional (ie halloween mask type) or Artistic/Decorative. 3 prizes in each class.

There will be a quiz and Lori will give a cookery demo, talk about pumpkins and there will be a display of different pumpkins from by Ashley from Trill Farm Garden which will be available to buy. Lori will also have some of her Shute fruit preserves for sale.

Also a bring and share buffet – prize for the most popular pumpkin related dish.

Look forward to seeing you there!

We will start collecting Membership subscriptions for 2013 at this meeting £5 single £8 family – cash or cheque (payable to Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society)

Writer and ecologist Hugh Warwick will be talking about one of Britain’s best loved animals – the hedgehog. He has studied them, on and off, for over 25 years, has written about them, rescued them, radio tracked them and talked, incessantly, about them. He will be sharing his insights into the madness of the extreme end of the hedgehog lover’s world while arguing that a little bit of hedgehog love in all our lives could be the key to the salvation of humanity. Hugh will be asking his audience to consider whether they have been seeing fewer hedgehogs of late. Because the latest report he was involved with concluded that, conservatively, there has been a 25% decline in their number in the last ten years, and the reality is probably far worse.

His hedgehog book, A Prickly Affair, was widely praised and remains possibly the only book to be published featuring commendations from both Jeanette Winterson and Ann Widdecombe on the cover. Like his talk, it is full of fun and laughter while at the same time carrying with it a serious ecological message about the way we impact hedgehogs and the planet.

So come and join the fun at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26^th September at Uplyme Village Hall!

For more information about Hugh and his work, visit www.urchin.info

Members Free, Non Members £2