FEERING AND KELVEDON GARDEN CLUB
RHS Affiliated Society No. 10545127
We are a friendly group of people who are interested in our gardens & plants, to the extent that we enjoy meeting each other on a regular basis. Anyone who has a garden no matter how big or how small, window-boxes or just a patio or who finds TV gardening programmes interesting is welcome to join us.
We hold our meetings in The Institute, Kelvedon on the first Tuesday of each month, save January, August & September, normally at 20:00 (8.00 pm), but the April & December ones start at 19:30 (7:30 pm). An invited speaker gives us a talk - usually illustrated with slides, sometimes with plants & items that can be bought. Now and again the talk is on something totally different from horticulture, just by way of a change. One year the speaker was a fingerprint expert from New Scotland Yard, highly recommended for his light-hearted and fascinating explanation of his work.
We have an interval for refreshments during which there is a raffle and our ‘Flower of the Month’ - a rather informal competition. Members can bring along a single flowering stem from their garden, and those at the meeting place a single coin (a mimimum of 10p is suggested) against the one specimen they like best, or, if one is feeling generous, an equal number of coins for each exhibit with an extra one for the bloom preferred. The value of coins is irrelevant, only the number, & points are awarded to the first three. At the Christmas Social, (yes, we have a Christmas Social, which is a proper sit down meal) the member with the most points is awarded a little trophy to keep until the following year and the accumulated money is sent to Perennial, the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society.
At the meetings, we also have items such as second-hand gardening books, seeds, plants or produce for sale on a 50/50 basis, i.e. half to the seller, half to Club funds.
On top of all these monthly meetings, we have outings. In high summer, one of our evening meetings is often replaced by a 'special invitation' visit to a garden open only occasionally. But for many, the highlights are the week-end coach outing or outings, usually in May, June or July.
In April in the Institute, we have a Members-only Spring Show, and in late August or early September in the Feering Community Centre a Summer Flower & Vegetable Show (with photography, art, craft, cookery, preserves & youngsters special sections) that is open to all. Don't be put off by some of the gardening programmes on TV that make you think of months of lavish care and devotion, endless hours of crimping and preening, up at the crack of dawn on Show Day with artists' sable-hair brushes and Cotton Buds to ensure that all is perfection. Not us! But the entries and exhibits still win prizes.
There may well be one for you.
If all this makes you feel that you would like to join the Club; it won't break the bank. Membership for this year (and probably next too) is only £4.00, whilst the part of the cost of some coach trips is subsidised for Club members. A small charge is made for the Christmas Dinner & Social, and usually for the evening garden visit. The Christmas Dinner & Social in Kelvedon Institute on the first Tuesday in December is the last meeting of the year . The next one after that will be the AGM on the first Tuesday in February.
For £1 you can come along to any meeting just to give it a try, or for £4 you can join for the year at any meeting and, after the Open Show, for £2 for the remainder of the year. We look forward to welcoming you.
PROGRAMME FOR 2009
February 3 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
March 3 Something Old, Something New Andrew Takely
April 7 MEMBERS’ SPRING SHOW
May 5 Chrysanthemums Peter Smith
June 2 Evening visit to Spencers garden, Great Yeldham
July 7 Hidden Nurseries of East Anglia Harry Gayton
August 29 ANNUAL OPEN FLOWER & VEGETABLE SHOW
October 6 Art in the Garden Bella D'Arcy
November 3 Bog & Water Gardening Ken Akers
December 1 Christmas Dinner & Social
COACH OUTINGS
Spring Sunday 26 April Pashley Manor (tulip day) & Merriments gardens
Summer Sunday 19 July Somerleyton Hall & gardens; visit Southwold
If you would like to join the Club you can contact
Roger Pitt——— on 01376 570569
John Benson —– on 01376 571127
Avril Edge ——– on 01376 570159
or come along to any meeting and join there & then