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
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West Down Gardening Club – Programme for 2019/20
| 2019 | |
| 17th January | The Changing Character of our Coast - David Edgcombe Competition: Own photo of coastline |
| 21st March | AGM and Creative Gardening with Bulbs - Christine Skelmersdale - Broadleigh Gardens Competition: Flowering stem from a bulb in your garden Sunflower seeds to be handed out for September competition |
| 18th April | The History of the Gardens at Arlington Court - Julia Bigham NT Competion: A pretty unpainted seashell |
| 16th May | Creating Wildflower Meadows - A Haven for Flora and Fauna - Cyril Cole Competition: Own photo of flower meadow |
| 19th to 23rd May | Gardening Club Holiday - East Midlands |
| 20th June | 6.00pm Evening Visit to NGS Garden - Samlingstead in Woolacombe |
| 7th July | West Down Village Fair - Plant and Produce Stand |
| 18th July | 12 Months of Colour - Neil Lovesey - Picket Lane Nursery Competition: Colourful arrangement in a wine glass |
| 26th July | Coach Trip to Andrews Corner Garden and Wildside Garden |
| 15th August | Plants of the Swiss Alps - Richard Horswood Competition: Flowering stem beginning with 'A' |
| 19th September | Late Autumn Season Colours/The Hot Garden - Emma Marsh - Rosemoor Competition - A single sunflower stem grown from seed |
| 17th October | Sweet Peas - Phil and Joyce Kenton Competition: A bloom from a climber in your garden |
| 21st November | Snowdrops, Cyclamen and Associated Plants - Jo Hynes Competition: An autumn leaf from your garden |
| 8th December | Christmas Meal |
| 2020 | |
| 16th January | Setting up a Bee Project in Uganda - Roger Gill Competition: A 'Bee' item |