Greenfingers Garden Club: Chairman reports back at AGM
Membership has increased over the last year and meetings are better attended when held at a garden venue, so please volunteer your garden.
CLUB chairman, Caroline van Hilton, welcomed members to the January AGM which was held in the Scottburgh Library activities room.
Caroline thanked the committee members for last year’s work, and for standing for re-election.
Annetjie Lottering was thanked for collecting subs and monthly fees, Des Cuff for getting refreshments to the various venues and the competition judges for showing members what to look for.
ALSO READ : Greenfingers Garden Club: New garden was a delight
Membership has increased over the last year and meetings are better attended when held at a garden venue, so please volunteer your garden.
February’s meeting was in the garden of Ione Bowman who had a garden of five years’ which needed leveling, a retaining wall built, a pool placed and then the garden laid – it was lovely.
Erika Jones’ garden in Bazely was a lovely terraced garden with sea views.
The April visit was to Steph Howell’s beautiful park like setting and an ideal place for the Easter egg hunt.
Cecelle Ebworth hosted the May meeting in her garden, which is a fun garden with all sorts of quirky things around.
Des Cuff ‘s old garden, lovingly turned to new with a stream and bridges, was the June venue and Lynette Rob hosted members in July, when her artistic talent with flower pots and container gardening was enjoyed.
In August it was off to Chris Makepeace where members admired the beautiful orchids and ornaments hidden around the garden and in September it was on to Relton Hall for an interesting talk on the SA Guide Dog Association.
October’s meeting was held in Jane and John Downey’s cycad garden where we learned a lot from a very knowledgeable John.
Marina van Leer’s lovely wildness was our last outing for the year, and was also our Christmas meeting with all the lovely eats.
Thank you to everyone who opened their gardens to us – we enjoyed them all.
The 2019 trophy winners are as follows:
Rose Bowl – first Rina Mason; second Elmerie Brown and third Chris Makepeace.
Indigenous – first Elmerie Brown; second Dion Pienaar and third Chris Makepeace.
Best fruit – first Elmerie Brown; second Liz Thompson and third Wendy van de Heever.
Best veg – first Des Cuff; second Elmerie Brown and third Dion Pienaar.
Best herb – first Elmerie Brown, second Dion Pienaar and third Steph Howell.
Caroline then gave some gardening tips for the next month:
* Check nerines, clivias and amaryllis for the black and cream lily borer caterpillar and use spray or insecticide.
* Feed tropical fruit trees while the soil around them is moist.
* Sow seeds of indigenous annuals such as Namaqualand daisies, felicias, and heliophilia and interplant with indigenous bulbs.
* Start planning for winter in the veggie garden with broccoli, cabbage, celery, and cauliflower.
The results of the February competition are as follows:
Rose Bowl, best bloom – first Don Pienaar, Rona Jones, Caroline van Hilten and Rina Mason. Alanah Pointer was second.
Hibiscus – first Des Cuff and second Elmerie Brown.
Indigenous – first Steph Howell, Dion Pienaar and Caroline van Hilton. Second were Rona Jones, Rina Mason, Chris Makepeace and Elmerie Brown.
Best veg – first Alanah Poynter, Wendy van de Heever, and Elmerie Brown. Second place went to Des Cuff.
Best herb – first Elmerie Brown, Wendy van de Heever and Steph Howell and second Dion Pienaar.
The competitions for March are one stem flowering shrub or one stem flowering creeper; one stem flowering plectranthus, and the herbs are mint or fennel.
The March meeting is at Sezela Dam on the 19th. Please follow the signs.
Remember your equipment and we hope to see you all there.
SHIRLEY BRITTAIN
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