St. John the Baptist Church, Stowe by Chartley, part of the Mid-Trent Churches Team

Stowe Village Produce Guild – Garden Guild

In September’s meeting, members were delighted to welcome back Justin Harrison for a wonderfully seasonal talk entitled “Autumn Splendour”. Justin brought with him an impressive selection of plants, which were available to purchase, to demonstrate how, with the right choices, our gardens can continue to provide colour, interest and food for wildlife well into autumn and winter. Following what has been an exceptionally hot and dry summer, Justin focused particularly on hardy plants that can cope with drought and changing conditions. He showed us plants that had not only survived but thrived through the summer, explaining which varieties prefer full sun or shade, and which will tolerate different soils, from heavy clay to dry, sandy ground. Many of his choices were also excellent plants for pollinators, providing a valuable source of nectar for butterflies and other insects late into the season. There was something to suit every garden. The climbing rose Kew Gardens was a particular favourite, producing beautiful double cream to white flowers and proving adaptable to both sun and shade. Poet’s Wife, a fragrant yellow-cream shrub rose, was another popular choice. Justin also introduced us to different varieties of Honeysuckle, Sedum and Leucothoe ‘Curly Red’, a lovely shade-loving shrub with red foliage that lasts through to April before producing white flowers. Salvias featured strongly, with Justin demonstrating several varieties in different colours, heights and forms. ‘Clotted Cream’, ‘Ping Pong’, with its impressive height, ‘African Skies’, with beautiful blue flowers, and the compact coral-coloured ‘Magical Amore’; all showed just how much variety there is within this group. We were also given the useful tip never to cut salvias back before April, allowing them to provide protection for the plant over winter. Other plants included Muehlenbeckia complexa, useful both for suppressing weeds and as a trailing plant in hanging baskets; the delicate looking but remarkably tough hardy perennial Gaura; and Echinacea, which has performed particularly well in this summer’s dry conditions. Justin also introduced Helenium ‘Red Shades’, with its striking red daisy flowers edged in gold, which is excellent for biodiversity as well as making a lovely cut flower. For autumn colour, Justin recommended the new Cyclamen ‘Purple Wine’, which has a considerably longer flowering period than many traditional cyclamen varieties. Ornamental grasses were also highlighted as an excellent way of filling spaces and adding structure and movement to the garden. Festuca ‘Intense Blue’, with its blue foliage and silvery flowers, was particularly striking. Keeping the Churchyard Beautiful. If you think you might be able to help us, even on odd occasions, please contact me for a chat. My phone number is 01889 270366. Thank you. John Reed. Keen gardeners may wish to keep this article Finally, Justin showed us the beautiful Acer ‘Going Green’, which provides a changing display throughout the year: lime green in spring, green through summer, moving to warm yellow and orange in autumn, before returning to a luminous green through winter. It was a fitting example of the evening’s message — that careful plant selection can give us colour and interest throughout every season. for reference!

Our next meeting will be on the 21st October, “Hares” talk by Derek Crawley

We meet at 7-30pm every third Wednesday of the month with guest speakers, competitions, refreshments and a sales table.

Visitors are always welcome.

St. John the Baptist Church, Stowe by Chartley, part of the Mid-Trent Churches Team

Village Produce and Garden Guild

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