Visitors are always welcome on the first Monday of the month at Colwall Village Hall WR13 6EQ. We arrive from 7pm and a talk is given by a person well versed in their speciality at about 7.30. Arrive early, meet the members and enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee. While sipping your drink of choice join the group at the “Interest Points”; Garden Visits, What is it (plants)? Pests & Diseases and Vegetables. Bring your questions, thoughts and examples to discuss with other interested members

At our October meeting Troy Scot-Smith, Head Gardener at Sissinghurst in Kent, inspired an audience of over 120 members, friends and visitors at the Elms School on Monday 3rd October. This was the 30th Percy Picton Memorial Lecture, raising funds for the charity that supports students of horticulture.

His talk, beautifully illustrated, was entitled A Tale of Three Gardens. They were the Courts Garden, Bodnant and finally Sissinghurst. In 1990 The Courts welcomed 9000 visitors a year; when he left it was 45000. This was achieved by restoring the original concepts of the architecturally design. Re establishing the yew hedges, planting a particular boarder with varieties of perennials that as well as providing continuity of interest meant that only two hours a year were needed to maintain it. Garden the plants not the space between

After sixteen years he moved to Bodnant, another architect designed garden but in a totally different environment. The major challenge was dealing with the number of visitor, particularly in the last two weeks of May when 45000 arrive to view the Laburnum archway. Over-looking the Conway, the terraces below the house were re-planted. The rose terraces were stripped out and for two years planted with sacrificial plants (bulbs and annuals) whilst the soil was improved to receive the next generation of roses. The pergolas were rebuilt and after several attempts they got the colour right.

A small river runs through the estate feeding the pond; the weight of water filled the ponds with silt reducing their impact. This story introduced one of Troy’s favourite garden tools; the big digger, which was to appear regularly through the rest of his talk. Clearing the pond of silt provided 500 tons of shale for footpath maintenance. The magnolias and camellias when outgrowing their space are cut to the ground!

Moving to Sissinghurst in 2013, the digger appeared in many of the pictures. To keep the gardens up to snuff, in addition to the twelve staff there are 300 volunteers, 40 in the gardens at any one time dead heading, weeding etc. Rather than the bland corporate look of many NT properties, Sissinghurst is going back to the colour and design of the original garden makers, Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson.

With 200000 visitors a year this is a challenge but, numbers notwithstanding, grass paths are being restored, hard standing at the entrance is now a hay meadows (an echo of his early life in Swaledale) and the digger made most of it possible.

Next month we welcome Julie Richie of Hoo House Nursery, Tewksbury who will delight us with her talk on Easy Alpines and Low Growing perennials. Come early; make/meet friends and discuss your gardening interests and challenges. There are many experienced and knowledgeable gardeners who are happy to answer questions. New members joining now have their subscription, £12.00, paid to January 2017. Visitors are charged £4.00

TIM BEAUMONT