Wye Garden Society

OUR MEETINGS

We meet monthly: January June / September - November, either In St Briavels or Brockweir.

We hold a Plant Sale In May (2025) and a Members' event or garden visit during July

 See our 2025 Prgramme here

Contact us: wyegardensociety@gmail.com

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Our next meeting

From Grain to Bread: A History of Heritage Wheat and Bread

& Spring Bulb & Bloom Show - the perfect opportunity to showcase what is in our gardens!

We are unlikely to grow grain at home, although it is satisfying to incorporate some garden seed in homemade bread, (poppy and fennel are especially easy). However, there is increasing interest in incorporating unusual grains in our cooking, whether for flavour or health reasons. Wild grain was collected and eaten from at least 104,000 years ago, with the earliest evidence of cultivation of edible grasses from 21,000 BCE, in the Levant, the so-called fertile crescent. By around 9500 BC, emmer and einkorn wheat were being cultivated. By contrast with ancient grain, modern flour is derived from highly hybridized wheat cultivated for high yields, disease resistance, and strong gluten production. Our speaker, Dede Liss, will be talking about alternatives to our everyday flour, and have some samples for us to try.

FRIDAY 20 MARCH, 7.15 pm

St Briavels Assembly rooms]

Non-members very welcome, £5 entry.

KEY BENEFITS OF SMALL GARDEN PONDS

In the UK garden ponds – no matter how small – are vital ‘stepping stone’ habitats that support an incredible two-thirds of all British freshwater species. With nearly 70% of natural ponds lost due to drainage and infilling, garden versions now represent about 80% of the country’s remaining pond habitats. Even a ‘pocket pond’ made from an old sink or bucket provides essential drinking and bathing water for hedgehogs and birds, and a breeding ground for declining amphibians such as common frogs and newts. I made one out of a lined wooden barrel, which quickly attracted these amphibians during the first year, and even hosted a beautiful grass snake for a while.

Beyond biodiversity, water features provide natural pest control by attracting predators of slugs and snails and aphids, and can improve a garden’s microclimate by helping to regulate temperature and increasing local humidity. For gardeners, there are health benefits as well: the presence of water has been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure by offering a tranquil focal point that connects urban and even rural spaces to the natural world. The contentment and pleasure one gets from watching various species of dragonflies and damselflies flitting about the garden and around a pond in spring and summer are hard to describe. And a pond can provide wonderful educational opportunities for hands-on learning for children, such as observing life cycles. A garden pond is a vital feature for any garden, no matter how small. But, do remember to ensure it is kept safe for children.

To help people get started with creating a pond in their garden, the Garden Society is planning to introduce a grant scheme for members in the near future.