MHHS Yearbook 2009

You should have received your copy of the Yearbook with your newsletter this month.  Please take a look inside and see what we have planned for the year ahead.   All the details for the Summer and Autumn shows are included as well as the other competitions we run during the year.  While you are planning your vegetable sowing and flower planting schemes see what classes you could enter in the shows.  Whether you are a regular competitor or have never entered anything before do keep the shows in mind as the more entries we receive the better the display for visitors and you could be the one going home with a cup at the end of the day!

Best Kept Allotment Competition

The allotment has once again over the past few years become fashionable - not so much dig for victory but more a statement of a family’s green credentials.  Recent figures just released indicate that there are over 10,000 people on waiting lists throughout the UK and it is estimated that approximately1.5 billion pounds worth of produce will be grown in this country on allotments during 2009. 

Your Society has worked with Maldon Town Council to promote allotments and are, with some reservations about the destruction of the Millennium trees, pleased that the Brickhouse Farm site is to be expanded to accommodate some of those on the Maldon waiting list.  If you are already an allotment holder in Maldon and proud of your horticultural skills why not enter our revamped allotment competition?  This year we are asking you to put yourself forward and plan - not only in this time of financial recession to feed your family well - but also take a pride in the appearance of your plot. The details of this year’s competition can be found in the new 2009 Yearbook along with the marking scheme to help you determine what the judge will be looking for on your plot.  

The competition will be judged in ?????  (sorry, that’s a secret!)  but what we can tell you is that the judge is keen not only to see the staples but a good range of fruit, vegetables and especially a continuation of crops right through the year. 

So what are you waiting for?  Sign up today for the MHHS main competition of the year and good luck to all competitors.  Peter Gaywood, MHHS President 

Special Offer for all MHHS members

From the garden company at sandon

To celebrate our new ‘Grow Your Own’ area we are offering 

2 free packets of our new range of Unwin seeds 

with any purchase during March, on production of your current MHHS membership card.

We look forward to seeing you….. 

Mayes lane, Sandon CM2 7RW   Tel. 01245 223524 

Danbury & Little Baddow Horticultural Society

Friday 6 March, talk on ‘Bees and Beekeeping’ by Steve Beechey, Danbury Village Hall, 8.00pm

Saturday 21 March, Spring Flower Show, St Johns School, Danbury 2.30pm

Purleigh Gardeners Society

Wednesday 25 March, talk on ‘Vegetable Growing’ by Peter Morris, Purleigh Village Hall 

Visit to Hazeleigh Hall Wood ~ Friday 24 April, 6.30pm

It was unfortunate that last year’s visit to Hazeleigh Hall Wood had to be cancelled, however, this year we are planning a visit again on Friday 24 April.  We shall have a guided walk through the ancient 60 acre site where we’ll see a working charcoal kiln, on site saw-milling, and you could try your hand on a traditional pole lathe.  Also, we shall learn the local woodland’s history and management techniques such as coppicing.  There is a varied and rich flora and fauna – choosing this date should coincide with the arrival of the nightingale and hopefully we’ll see some bluebells out. 

We shall meet at 6.30pm at Hazeleigh Hall itself – take the A414 out of Maldon, turn left into Lodge Road, left into Hazeleigh Hall Lane.  A map will be included in the April newsletter.  Should you need a lift please contact me on 01621 851848.  It would be best to wear suitable clothing and shoes and could I please ask you for the correct entrance fee - £3.00 – this will save so much time.  Please phone me if you would like to come, many thanks, Rita Davis

Outing to Harry Brickwood’s Garden on Saturday 30 May

If you came to February’s meeting you would have seen slides of Harry’s lovely garden, ‘Orchard Cottage’ at Rayleigh.  I visited the garden last year with the Cottage Garden Society and was so impressed with the planting and Harry’s enthusiasm that I thought that maybe you, the members, would like to visit it too. 

The visit, by car, will be on Saturday 30 May at 2.30pm.  At that time Harry’s collection of Aquilegias, the State series - an introduction from North America, should be in bloom.  Lilies and roses will also be flowering then.   The entry fee plus tea and cake is £4.00 and directions will be in the May newsletter.  Please let me know if you would like to go and whether you would like a lift.  Rita Davis

Results of Bumblebee Nest Survey 2008

(Taken from Bumblebee Conservation Trust  - BBCT – website), Gillian Lye, PhD Student

Many thanks to all those that have found a bumblebee nest and completed one of my questionnaires!  So far I have received 350 records for 2008, from all over the UK. This will help provide us with a detailed picture of the numbers of different bumblebee species nesting in gardens, and the types of places that they most like to nest in.  

Of the 350 records, only one was of a bumblebee nesting in a bumblebee nest box!  Ironically, bird boxes seem better for bumblebees than bumblebee boxes – roughly 10% of recorded nests were in bird boxes – but far more people have bird boxes than bumblebee boxes.  The most popular nesting sites in gardens appear to be under sheds, decking or other man-made structures.  Compost heaps also seem very popular. One thing all bumblebees seem to prefer is the presence of nesting material – for example, an old mouse or bird nest, or man-made materials such as wall/roof insulation.

Therefore, if you would like to encourage bumblebees in your garden, the take home message is do one or all of the following: 

• Improvise dark, sheltered cavities, using rocks, wood, paving slabs or anything else that comes to hand.
• Start composting.
• Put up bird boxes.
• If possible, provide a space under your shed or decking.

In all cases, putting in some dried moss, dried grass, or a handful of roof insulation might help.

I would be delighted to receive any more records of bumblebee nests – details of how to join the nest survey are given on the BBCT website: bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk.

If you would like more information about providing nest sites for bumblebees in your own garden a fact sheet is available on request from the BBCT. Please contact us by email, enquiries@bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk  or in writing to:

Bumblebee Conservation Trust
School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling  FK9 4LA

Shirley Thorp

Hyde Hall, ‘Grow Your Own’ Open Day ~ 7 March, 10.00am to 4.00pm

There will be a free ‘Grow your own’ open day at RHS Garden Hyde Hall with advice and inspiration for both experienced and novice vegetable growers.  Also arts and crafts activities will be arranged to keep the children entertained.

Open Gardens 2009

The 2009 Yellow Book is now out listing more than 3,600 gardens which are opening for the National Gardens Scheme.  These gardens, whether large or small, raise money for charity whilst giving us a chance to see other peoples gardens and gain inspiration for ours.  Gardens are also listed on www.ngs.org.uk where you can search by area to find local open gardens.  I will look out for gardens opening locally for NGS, Red Cross etc and list them in the newsletter. 

If you know of any that are worth a visit please let me know.  KH

Any items for the newsletter, comments or requests please contact me on 01621 858624 or email karenhutchings@hotmail.com

Karen Hutchings, Editor