Our next meeting at the Christ Church Centre is on Thursday 11th April at 7.30pm. Our speaker will be Duncan Coombs who will give a talk on Ponds, Marginals and Bog Gardens.

There are still a couple of plant fairs in March including two this weekend –

Saturday March 23^rd Plant Hunters Fair at Sugnall Walled Garden  10 – 4   £1 free parking

Sunday 24 March 2024 Plant Hunter’s fair at Arley Hall Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA   Times: 10am – 4pm Admission: NEW FOR 2024: Entry includes full access to the gardens and the plant fair for the special offer reduced price of just £5.00 (Normally £12.00). Children under 16 free.

Good Friday 29 March 2024 Plant Hunter’s fair at Whittington Castle Near Oswestry SY11 4DF  Times: 10am – 4pm Admission: Plant Fair and Castle: Free Entry.

NGS Gardens are now opening for visits – see the Yellow Book or the website for details, or download the app to your phone. 23 St John’s Road in Stafford is open tomorrow (Thursday March 21st) and also Thursday April 18th. If you haven’t yet been to John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries it is open on Sunday March 31st. If you can’t get there (or to any gardens) you can take virtual tours of many NGS gardens and while away several wet afternoons.

On Sunday April 28th there is a Flower Power Plant Fair at Sandon Hall Sandon, Stafford ST18 0BZ  open at 11am.  Last entry to the fair will be 3.30pm. Admission £4.00 (card preferred, but cash welcome). You can also buy advance tickets online via Sandon Hall’s website.  Don’t forget to take cash for the plant stands.  

Finally – those pesky slugs and snails have been enjoying the wet weather but is it time to learn to live with them? Have a look at the Wild About Gardens website and read what they have to say – some slugs can actually be good for our gardens, but which ones?