After a cold, bleak start to the day last Wednesday (June 27), the sun eventually came out for a Gloucester Garden Club gathering of 62 gardeners, including five visitors, to enjoy Margaret Blamires’ eight-year-old garden in Craven Close on the outskirts of Gloucester.
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After having no particular plans initially for the acreage, apart from some trees for privacy and wind breaks, Margaret put her previous 20 years’ experience in the nursery industry in Sydney to good use.
Lots of gypsum, with crusher dust added, perseverance and hard work has resulted in a now well established planting of trees and shrubs including beautiful camellia sasanquas, a large white Gordonia, annuals and perennials, rose gardens, immaculate vegetable gardens and fruit trees, with sweeping lawns in all directions.
Our sincere thanks go to Margaret for inviting us to her lovely garden.
Later in the morning, Margaret gave a very practical demonstration of rose pruning of different types of rose bushes, including floral carpet, floribunda and standard.
Peter Hazell described his magic method for germinating pea seeds and Roslyn McIntyre demonstrated propagating hydrangea cuttings.
Robert Sparke (6558 2520) is still taking bookings and $10 per head for the Garden Clubs of Australia Zone Gathering on our next meeting day on Wednesday July 25, at the golf club from 9.30am.
Please bring your own cup or mug and one spare.
Morning tea and lunch is included, and George Hoad, president of Garden Clubs of Australia, is guest speaker.
Members are asked to deliver their plant donations for the Trading Table to the rear of the golf club between 10am and 3pm the previous day, ready for committee to start pricing.
Please include the name of plant and deliver in leak-proof containers or bags.
Bruce Barnes and Eva Pawson are on the Narraweema garden roster this month – hopefully some of Bruce’s hundreds of bulbs will be appearing there soon.
The competition winners were:
Vegetables or fruit:
1st Merlene Curby cauliflower; 2nd Peter Hazell cabbage; 3rd Terry Curby crinkly cabbage.
Flowers:
1st Lorraine Groves Mr. Lincoln Rose; 2nd Annette Brackam pink Fairy Rose;p 3rd Anne Williamson Bergenia.
Lucky door prize winner was Helen Thomson; and Ray Fitzgerald, who was absent, missed out on the membership draw. Members are reminded the Gloucester Gardening Expo dates are October 13-14.