Gardening Club
West Down Gardening Club was formed in 2001 by three enthusiastic gardening ladies in response to a lot of keen gardeners in the Parish. From its lowly beginnings of getting speakers to come along and inform us on a non existent budget we now have over 60 members and have a busy and vibrant membership from both West Down and surrounding areas.
Apart from talks from gardening and associated speakers we have had open gardens to visit in the local area, mini shows, quizzes, visits to gardens and nurseries and from 2012 long weekends away with trips to Yorkshire, Sussex/Kent, Staffordshire and Worcestershire, Portsmouth and The Cotswolds taking in the famous gardens of the areas. We have had talks from RHS Rosemoor’s/Radio Devon’s Sarah Chesters, Pippa Greenwood, Andy McIndoe ex Managing Director of Hilliers Nurseries, Chris Beardshaw to name just a few well known people and, of course, the local and not so local nurseries with a wealth of facts and tit bits of interest. We are affiliated with the Royal Horticultural Society.
Meetings are held on the third Thursday in the month (apart from February) at 7.30 p.m. at West Down Parish Hall (EX34 8NF) unless otherwise stated in the programme below. There is a monthly competition for members. We always welcome non members to our meetings. Some of our meetings are by ticket entry only so for more details please contact Jan Oades, Chairman, on 01271 879599.
Look at Current events to see what is happening this year! Click here
-oOo-
West Down Gardening Club – Programme for 2017/18
2017
19th January New Zealand Trip - Malcolm Pharoah
Competition: Your own photo of a plant from New Zealand
16th March AGM
North Devon Hedgehog Rescue - Annie Nicholls
Competition: Hedgehog ornament
Competion: Pelargonium plug to grow on
20th April Peonies and Irises - Sue Applegate
Competition: A single stem from a bulb in your garden
18th May Pelargoniums - Brian Carson
Competition: A single stem from your garden beginning with 'P'
11th to 15th June Gardening Club Holiday
15th June Ruth's Mystery Visit
9th July Village Fayre
20th July Wildlife in the Garden - Neil Lovesey, Picket Lane Nursery
Competition: Own photo of wildlife in your garden
17th August Roses - Emma Van-Huysse, Rosemoor
Competition: A single rose from your garden
21st September Tender Perennials - Kay Tudor, Atlantic Botanic Nursery
Competition: The best pelargonium from March's plugs
19th October Behind the Scenes of the Chelsea Flower Show - Andy McIndoe
Competition: Your own photo of a RHS Garden
16th November Winter Cheer/Spring Tonic - Chris and Lorraine Birchall, Tale Valley Nursery
Competition: Any stem from your garden
3rd December Christmas meal
2018
18th January Working on Rivers for Wildlife - Tom Hynes
Competition: Your own photo of a river
15th March AGM and Social Evening