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 2018/19
| 2018 | |
| 6th January | Evening trip to Rosemoor for the Illuminations |
| 18th January | Working on Rivers for Wildlife - Tom Hynes Competition - Own photo of river |
| 15th March | AGM, Plant Swap and Social Evening Competition - Your own baby photo |
| 19th April | New Varieties of Flowers, Vegetables and Fruit - Tom Sharples Senior Horticultural Manager - Sutton Seeds Competition - Your own grown fresh vegetable |
| 17th May | Carnivorous Plants - Dennis Balsdon Competition - A stem beginning with 'C' from your own garden |
| 20th to 24th May | Gardening Club Holiday - South Wales |
| 3rd June | Coach trip to Picket Lane Nursery and Burrow Farm Gardens |
| 22nd June | Afternoon visit to The Croft at Yarnscombe - NGS Garden |
| 8th July | West Down Village Fayre - Plant and Produce Stand |
| 19th July | Climate Change Implications for our Gardens - Kevin - Met Office Competition - Arrangement in a teacup with maximum 4" diameter |
| 16th August | Passionflowers - Steve and Dawn Morgan Competition - Judge plugs |
| 18th August | Afternoon visit to Allenstyle Garden of Steve and Dawn Morgan followed by fish and chips at the Pelican if wanted |
| 15th September | Coach trip to Toby Buckland's Garden Festival at Forde Abbey |
| 20th September | The Development of Burrow Farm Gardens - Mary Benger Competition - Your own photo of a garden we have visited |
| 18th October | Yellowstone National Park - Howard Wills Competition - A yellow flower from your garden |
| 15th November | Do You Fizzle Out By August? - Jo - Marwood Gardens Competition - A spray of berries from your garden |
| 2nd December | Christmas Meal |
| 2019 | |
| 17th January | Changing Character of our Coast 1800 to Today - Dave Edgcome Competition - Own photo of coastline |