Embedded Files
The Courtyard Garden at 'Wildside' in Devon, created by Keith & Ros Wiley
CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REVIEW 2024
It’s amazing to reflect on what we began in 1986 and successfully revived this year: our Summer Show.
This event was a wonderful success, filling the Mac Hall with vibrant displays and an air of excitement, as participants awaited the judging results. I extend special thanks to Sally Secrett and Mary Harris for their dedicated coordination of the show, along with our many volunteers who helped make the day a success. Happily, Sally and Mary have confirmed they’ll be back to run next year’s show as well.
In March, we also held our Spring Bulb and Bloom Show - a smaller but equally well-attended event. Many thanks to Mike Haines for his excellent work in organising it.
Our 2024 events offered a broad and engaging programme.
Highlights from our talks included Helen Picton’s insights on asters, Marion Stanton’s exploration of Himalayan plants, and Dominic Hamilton’s fascinating account of the Painswick Rococo Garden. Ken Thompson shared his knowledge on soil, and Paul Green of Green Leaves Nursery brought plants for sale, along with expert advice on plant selection and care. Later in the year, Sally Oates introduced us to her nature-friendly garden, and Nick Morgan provided practical tips on greenhouse management. We look forward to wrapping up the year with Pip Smith’s talk on fragrant plants at our AGM in November.
Our annual Plant Sale, skilfully organised by Sue Davis, was another highlight. Sue worked year-round, urging us to set aside extra plants or start a few additional vegetables for the sale. Her efforts paid off, and we raised approximately £1,000 to support our Society’s future activities.
Our members’ evening - hosted by Christine and Mike Haines, was another memorable event, offering refreshments and guided tours of their beautiful garden. Remarkably, the rain held off until the very end, allowing us to enjoy the evening fully.
I would like to extend my gratitude to our Committee for their dedicated work throughout the year.
They all intend to continue serving next year, except for Christine Haines. Since 2011, Christine has done an outstanding job as Programme Secretary, organising events, maintaining our website, sending email reminders, and contributing to the Village News. Her contributions have been invaluable, and she will be deeply missed. Thank you, Christine, for your many years of service. Thankfully, Christine has already completed our 2025 programme, and Charlotte Morris has graciously agreed to take on the role of Programme Secretary, with support from Nicole. Christine will continue managing the website for now, but we encourage any members interested in taking on this task to reach out to either of us.
Thank you once again for a wonderful year, and here’s to an even brighter 2025!
Mike Weeks. Chairman
---------------------------------------------------
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
to be held in Mackenzie Hall. Brockweir
at 7.30 p.m. on Friday 22th November, 2024
At this meeting, all the Officers and Ordinary Members of the Committee will retire. All members of the Committee, the Officers and Ordinary Committee Members, offer themselves for re-election. Please note that Christine Haines is retiring from the committee
The proposed for re-election at this AGM are as follows:
OFFICERS
Chair: Mike Weeks
Vice Chair: Sue Davis
Secretary: Martin Morris
Treasurer: Sue Davis
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Membership Secretary: Nicole Surrell
Programme Secretary: Charlotte Morris
Members: Gill Morris, Eileen Waycott, Caroline Cooper
Any other nominations for officers or ordinary committee members should be submitted in writing, before the meeting, to the Secretary, Martin Morris at: wyegardensociety@gmail.com
Please give the name of the person proposed, the office proposed, and the names and signatures of the proposer and seconder.
The Agenda for the 2024 meeting has been emailed to members
----------------------------------------------------
Money Off Seeds and Plants
The Dobies seed catalogue for the 2024/5 season is now available for members of our garden society. We benefit from a group discount of 50% off all packet seed, both flowers and vegetables.
This year, ] our discount on all other live products has increased to 20%. In addition to garden plants and bulbs, this includes potatoes, garlic, shallots, onions and fruit.
You can order on-line; by phone or by post as many times as you like, but please remember to keep a note of our unique group code, which you’ll find on the order form inside the catalogue. You won’t get the discount without it.
Please contact me (Sue Davis) via wyegardensociety@gmail.com if you’d like a brochure.
(Note that Dobies is not the same company as Dobbies garden centres.)
Plant Sale 2024
Despite the poor Spring weather, which delayed the growing season yet again, our annual plant sale on 21st April was a great success. Its reputation as a place to buy good quality plants at a very reasonable price has spread way beyond our three villages. One lady from Lydney said that although we don’t advertise the sale there, everyone knows about it. A man said that he’d been going somewhere else in his car but heard about the sale on his car radio, so he came to us instead. There was a long queue outside before we opened and our Chairman said that we were selling one plant every four seconds soon after we opened the doors.
One important development was that we were for the first time able to accept credit cards rather than cash only. Eileen Waycott did a wonderful job in taking the card payments and we’ll need to look at expanding the facility next year to avoid long queues.
Another great success was the stall organised by Nicole Surrell, with delicious cakes provided by her and other members of the society.
We have decided to move the date ofre our 2025 sale ito Sunday 4 May, so that, if the cold Springs persist, we’ll have more plants in bloom. The risk in doing that is we’ll be competing more directly with other sales and events, as well as commercial suppliers. So we will review the effect of the cnge after the sale.
Our thanks to all of you who provided plants and other things to sell, and to those who helped on the day.
Sue Davis
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse