Maldon & Heybridge
Horticultural
Society 
Maldon & Heybridge
Horticultural
Society
Newsletter
August
MHHS Summer Show 2008
Our Summer Show caters for everyone – young and very young, and everyone in between. What a great show you all put on! The flowers were beautiful, the vegetables very edible, the cakes very tempting, the handicraft very hard work and what about the juniors – their entries were astounding. All the judges were very complimentary, our vegetable judge said “It was a clean and very well presented show”, our domestic judge said “There was good quality cooking” and our handicraft judge said “A lot of skill had been put into the entries” but most of all she thought the children’s classes were very well represented and showed a great deal of imagination and hard work.
WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!
It was a beautiful day and there were plenty of visitors, with a large plant stall, raffle and refreshments all day, it was a most rewarding day. Our THANKS go to everyone who gave their time throughout the day, who provided plants to sell and goodies to eat, with help on the door and in the kitchen with the refreshments, also who helped to set up the show on Friday and put it to bed on Saturday. Our grateful thanks also go to the Mayor and Mayoress for presenting the cups and certificates to all the winners. Gillian Coppen – Show Secretary
We also had a large plant sale this year together with our shop and raffle and of course refreshments which were enjoyed by many. We wish to pass on our grateful thanks to all our members who volunteered and helped us out on the day; we hope every one enjoyed the day. Gillian CoppenCUP WINNERS
Highest points in Juniors, 7 & under – ‘The Children’s Cup’ – Eloise Pomkins
Highest points in Juniors, 8 to 11 years – ‘The Rex Page Cup’ – Megan Wheeler
Best Exhibit in Juniors – ‘The Gerveaux Dunn Cup’ – Holly Tolson – String Picture
Highest Points in Vegetables – ‘The F Powell Challenge Cup’ – Robert Lee
Best Exhibit in Vegetables – ‘The Alfred Edward Ife Cup’ – Joe Cook - Shallots
Heaviest Marrow – ‘The J & G Matthews Cup’ – David Hart – 3lbs 3 ½ oz
Highest Points in Flowers – ‘The J & G Matthews Challenge Cup’ – Michael Shrimpton
Best Exhibition in Flowers – ‘The Frank Barbrook Challenge Cup’ – Shirley Thorp - Orchid
Winner of the Fuchsia Class 49 – ‘The Edward Turner Cup’ – Ken Thorp
Highest Points in Flower Arrangement – ‘The Lilian Belcher Memorial Cup’ – Mrs Churchill
Best Exhibit in Flower Arrangement – ‘The Frederick Hayward Cup’ – Mrs Churchill – Afternoon Tea
Highest Points in Domestic – ‘The Mrs G W Free Cup’ – Kay Martin
Best Exhibit in Domestic – ‘The Harold Finch Challenge Cup’ – Claire Speedie – Bread Rolls
Highest Points in Handicraft – ‘The Silver Candlestick’ – Kay Martin
Best Exhibit in Handicraft – ‘The Arthur Carter Challenge Cup’ – Gillian Coppen – Pottery Bowl
Garden News Top Tray – 1st Robert Lee, 2nd Joe Cook
Garden News Top Vase – 1st Michael Shrimpton, 2nd pat Hart, 3rd Linda Lister
Highest Points in Vegetables & Flowers - Fred Lewis Shield – Robert Lee
Highest Points in Flower Arrangement, Domestic & Handicraft - .The Rev Alexander Shield’ – Kay Martin
‘Banksian Medal’ given by RHS – Joe Cook
Best Kept Allotment - Alderman Turner Cup – 1st Mr G Shirmer, 2nd Mr J Cook, 3rd Mr R Cooper
Diary Dates
Thursday 14
August MHHS Committee Meeting, Moot HallThere are no August Members Meetings
Thursday 11 September
MHHS Committee Meeting, Moot Hall, 7.45pm
Tuesday 16 September MHHS
Autumn Show, URC Hall
Outing to Bressingham Gardens
Maldon and Heybridge Horticultural Society made a visit to Norfolk’s Blooms of Bressingham Gardens on 12th July and enjoyed a pleasant day. There was the jollity of the roundabout and stalls for families with children and splendid narrow-gauge railways to take visitors round the nursery and gardens. Every boy’s dream in the shape of restored steam locomotives, Royal railway carriages and a working steam water pump to see. A gift shop and art gallery and an exhibition featuring Dad’s Army with vehicles and actual footage of Home Guard training were indoors and the garden centre next door. However the main attraction was to experience the tranquil beauty of the six acre gardens in the height of their summer colour. The late Alan Bloom had bought Bressingham Hall in 1946 and developed the 47 famous island beds along with the nursery business. The vivid crocosmia Lucifer he had raised in 1957 was among the displays of ornamental grasses, nepetas and geraniums, eryngiums and masses of different plants in bloom. A particularly peaceful area called Foggy Bottom had been developed by his son Adrian and it included a wood with mature specimens of his arboreal collection. Our President, Gillian Coppen, thanked Rita Davis for organising the outing. Tony Froom
Our next outing is planned for 12 October when we will be visiting Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Gardens in Norfolk. See attached booking form.
Friary
Walled Garden
Since
the last work day and open day in June, various volunteers have been
very busy with weeding and planting and watering, especially in the
new West Wall bed. A group of WI volunteers have taken over the
care of part of the East Bed and have been busy weeding and planting
there. On Monday 30th June there was a working party doing
strimming of the grass, weeding, etc but we were mainly there to get
rid of lots of garden rubbish - "green" material that was not fit
for composting. This was collected by the local "Garden Waste"
truck and saved us a lot of car journeys to the tip.
Sunday 6th July 2008 was another open day and work day. There were
plenty of volunteers in the morning but only a single person in the
afternoon. Slight rain occurred now and again but it was not enough
to stop the work. The main work done was the collection of rubbish;
the cross path near the apple hedge was thoroughly weeded and raked
clean. A start was made on clipping back the vigorous Kiftsgate
rose on the north wall. The compost bin was moved after clearing a
space for it. The old compost heaps were shifted away from the west
wall where intruders jumping from this wall have damaged the compost
bin lid although it is still usable. Raised beds No’s 11 and 12
were weeded. Barley straw was put in the pond to clear the weed.
Sunday 13th July 2008. The tightening wires on the new plant support
were fitted. The West wall bed is
now looking very good and it is amazing how the plants there have
grown. The unusual plant Feijoa sellowiana (pineapple guava) is in
flower again but I doubt that there will be any fruit. This
shrub flowered in 1998, 2004 and now once again in 2008.
The next open day (and work days) will be on Sunday 3rd August and
Sunday 7th September. Arthur Cox.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall – Mediterranean Day - 12 August, 11.30am to 4.00pm
As part of the RHS ‘Grown your own veg’ campaign there will be a Mediterranean themed day ay Hyde Hall where you can learn about growing vines, tomatoes and herbs. There will also be Italian and Spanish cooking demonstrations.
It is also worth noting that children under 15 get free entry to Hyde Hall with a paying adult throughout August. Visit www.rhs.org for more information.
Open Gardens
August is a quiet time for open gardens but I would be interested to hear from any members who could recommend local parks and gardens that are worth a visit. For example, one hot and sunny evening last week we had been to Chelmsford and it was too nice an evening to go straight home so we went for a stroll round Hylands Park. We came across the One World Garden which is hidden away by the path between the lake and Hylands House. This area was landscaped last year to celebrate the World Scout Jamboree which was held at the park. It has a water feature that curves around the paths and planting, disappearing underground and bubbling up again like a spring, there are secluded seating areas, informal planting and at the far edge there are views over the fields and surrounding countryside. This was a welcome contrast to the formal flower beds planted with garish colours in the manicured lawns by the lake! For pictures see the Chelmsford Borough Council website www.chelmsford.gov.uk
Unfortunately this is not a good time to recommend this garden as Hylands Park will be out of bounds for much of August due to the V Festival. But on a sunny September day it will be well worth the visit, entry to the park is free, there is a café in the old stable block and squirrels everywhere! KH
Sunflower Competition
How tall are your sunflowers? Do you want to enter the Society’s Tallest Sunflower Competition? The closing date is 15 September so measure your plant as soon as it flowers and use the entry form in next month’s newsletter to let us know your result. The competition is open to all residents of Maldon and Heybridge and children attending school or playschool in Maldon and Heybridge and all paid up MHHS members. Please do not remove your sunflower until the end of September in case it qualifies for a prize.
The winner will receive the Mrs Leslie Pinkham Cup and a prize of £10 to be presented at the AGM in October.
