Welcome to the website / blog for Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society and Garden Club.
It is the place to find out about our meetings, and events including shows, plant sales and trips.
Please scroll down to find out about our next meeting.
Autumn
Somehow it is November already – and we have a lockdown looming before the end of the week. Normally at this time of year we would have been tidying our sheds and putting surplus tools and equipment to one side for the annual Gardenalia Sale at our November meeting. This year, however, things are a little different!
But that’s no excuse for not tidying the shed. If its anything like ours it is probably in need of a good sort out and a sweep. Its really quite surprising how roomy the shed can be once things start to be put away and tidied up so you can see some floor. What’s more it is excellent (and socially distanced!) exercise even when its pouring with raining and there’s a gale howling around outside. And if it is pouring with rain at least you find out whether the roof felt needs replacing!
So in the lonely weeks ahead let us tidy our sheds, sort out and clean the greenhouse, and make the most of our gardens – we know it makes sense. Wrap up warm and get some fresh air – move the plants that will need frost protection into the greenhouse; keep deadheading the still blooming plants (Cosmos, Penstemon, Dahlia . . .) for as long as possible; cut the grass if it is dry and growing; make some space ready to dry and store any Dahlia tubers that will need lifting; and its not too late to take cuttings of those tender plants such as some Salvias or ones you want to have more of in the garden.
And don’t forget to collect seeds ready for next year’s planting.
Virtual Show – the Grand Finale
Among the many photos received for the Virtual Show this last week have been quite a few taken at other times of the year so we thought as the final part of the Show we could have a round-up of this (very peculiar) year so far.
We start with January through to April
Then May
June
July
and finally August
We hope you have enjoyed this peek at members’ gardens and flowers over the last week. We have missed being able to meet up every month and our chats about our gardens over a cup of something after our speaker has finished for the evening – and we’ve really missed hearing all those inspirational and informative talks. This looks likely to continue well into next year as well, sadly. In the meantime we will try to keep the blog going with as many photos, hints, tips and links as we can find as it is one way to stay in touch with each other until something approaching ‘normal life’ can resume.
Virtual Show Part 5
After a flurry of late entries we are able to bring you lots of flowers from our gardens today – all the photos taken in the last ten days or so.
plus a few more
and even more . .
and finally Fiona sent us this photo with a note – “I know this one isn’t exactly flowers in my garden, but I got it into Garden News and members might be interested? I’ve raised over £1000 now for Little Hearts Matter (LHM.org) at the garden gate”.
Congratulations to Fiona – and “well done” to all the members who have managed to get photos here on time.
As a finale to our Show tomorrow’s slides will feature those photos taken at other times of the year – gardens and flowers.
Virtual Flower Show Part 4
Its not only flowers providing colour and interest at this time of year. We are harvesting fruits and the berries and seed-heads of other plants are attracting a variety of birds as well providing a bit of movement and brightness in the borders.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more flowers from our September gardens.
Virtual Flower Show Part 3
Virtual Show Part 2
Virtual Flower Show
This is the first installment of this week’s Virtual Flower (and Garden) Show from the Garden Club of the Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society. As we said in our last post – this is being held due to the cancellation of the Society’s Annual Show
We thought we would start the week with some flowers from our gardens in the last few days. Sit back and enjoy the show . . .
More pictures tomorrow . . .
September
Today (19th) should have been the 34th Annual Show of the Stone Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society.
Sadly it had to be cancelled so instead we asked our Garden Club members to go out into their gardens during the last week to take photos.
Starting on Monday we will be presenting our Virtual Garden and Flower Show here – featuring not just chrysanths and dahlias but all sorts of flowers, fruits, berries and seedheads that have provided colour in the gardens recently.
Hopefully things will be back to ‘normal’ by next September and we will be able to hold our Annual Show again, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy this peek into our gardens over the next few days.
Programme Update
We regret that owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic we have decided to cancel all our Autumn meetings. We will review the situation again in November.
We hope to be able to book these speakers to come again once it is safe enough to meet.
Please keep sending any photos of your gardens and plants to us (address on your membership card) and we will feature them here.
These are a few from the last month
More gardens open for visits
Not just gardens but Plant Fairs too.
Gardens are opening locally for the NGS – you will have to book a timed visit– and two to look out for are opening on Sunday July 26th:- Ruth and Clive Plant at Yew Tree Cottage are opening for the last time this season. and Peter and Margaret Hargreaves’s lovely garden is open at Grafton Cottage.
Then there are a couple of Plant Fairs to look forward to as well –
Sandon Hall Plant Fair on Sunday 2nd August will be taking place. The fair will be held on the grass and gravel frontage outside the North of the Hall (not inside the gardens) and there will be 10 plant nurseries and 3 garden accessories. The opening times have changed and the FAIR OPENS AT 0900 AND CLOSES AT 1400 .The entrance fee is now £2 per person and entrance to the gardens (a bit overgrown due to the pandemic we are told) is by donation.
The Plant Fair at Dorothy Clive Garden will also be going ahead on Sunday 30th and Monday 31st August.
A limited number of tickets will be available for the event from this Monday (20th July). There will be two bookable sessions as follows on both days: – 10am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm with a maximum of 300 places on each session. To reserve a place(s) please call Plant Fairs 01630 647237 or email info@dorothyclivegarden.co.uk Tickets can be posted to your home address.
The entry fee is £4 per person for entry to the plant fair and gardens.
Here are a few more photos from our Instagram posts
