Monthly Programme 2017

3rd January 2017
Greenhouses, past, present and future – Charlie Paton RDI
Did you know that Hackney once boasted the world’s largest hothouse which stood for 100 years – Loddiges, off Mare Street? The Crystal Palace went up in 1851, stealing its thunder and buying up all their plants. Charlie will give us a rapid catch up since then to include both rooftop and seawater greenhouses and look ahead to how we are going to crack food insecurity in the Horn of Africa.

Charlie Paton is a design engineer with a passion for growing things. He owns and manages an ancient woodland and designs greenhouses for applications in the most unlikely places, such as urban rooftops and the hottest and most arid deserts.
www.light-works.co.uk
www.seawatergreenhouse.com
www.rooftopgreenhouse.co.uk

7^th February 2017
Planting a Wildflower Garden in de Beauvoir – Jennifer Benyon

Jennifer Benyon is a garden designer for the de Beauvoir Estates.  In addition to discussing her wildflower garden, she will talk about some of the unique challenges of gardening in this area such as the poor soil.

7^th March 2017
AGM and member’s experiences

Marie Murray is coming from Dalston Eastern Curve to tell us about why the garden is again under threat.  Juliet Webster will be telling us about her course at Capel Manor.

4th April 2017
The Rose Garden plot – George Dunnion

Ten years ago we took on a jungle of brambles, couch grass, old bedstead and carpets. After 6 months we grew our first potatoes and reckoned each one cost us ten quid. Our passion  for roses took over and we stopped counting how many we had at 150. There are examples of every kind from the most ancient to Austin’s latest offerings.

We still grow veggies but only the most beautiful and ones you can’t get in Sainsbury ‘s. Yacon, Fat Baby Achocha, Cucamelons. ….

After we had shooed the ducks off our second plot and drained it we created a huge exotic border… Paulownia, Tetrapanax, Eupatoriums etc. We also grow a wide range of perennials, dozens of exotic grasses, a fernery and a specialist Alpine bed. Oh, and an Australasian border complete with a dead tree and a naked lady carved out a a dead tree fern.

2nd May 2017
The Benefits and Challenges of running a community garden – Will Gould

William Gould l has been looking after the garden National Trust garden at St John’s Jerusalem in Kent for the last 17 years and for the last 5 years he has been leading the Community Kitchen Garden Project in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The Kitchen Garden Project is a council run scheme which transforms little used corners of RBKC in to thriving kitchen gardens. In these gardens residents get the chance to grow their own produce in allotment style plots, creating a sense of ownership and community among the diverse residents of the borough. There are currently over 60 kitchen gardens affiliated to the scheme and over 1200 residents who are able to grow their own food.

He loves to grow a wide range of plants but am especially interested in naturalistic planting styles where plants can create self sustaining communities. He likes the textures and patterns created by dramatic foliage plants and also like to grow plants for scent and food. His favourite vegetable of the moment are Brussels sprout ‘Kalettes’

14th May  – Plant Sale 11-1pm

Across the street from St Peter’s. Bring plants before 11 and come an buy

6th June 2017
Propagation Workshop – Andrew Luke & Miranda Janatka

Andrew and Miranda will do a hands-on workshop on propagation.  Andrew is a hardy plant propagation specialist at Kew, overseeing the woodland garden, grass garden and order beds.  Miranda is in her last year of the Kew Diploma course.

24th June 2017
Coach Trip to Englefield House

The Benyon family, whose family built de Beauvoir, have invited the De Beauvoir Gardeners  for a tour of the gardens at Englefield House followed by tea.  We also plan to visit another National Garden Scheme (NGS) garden near Englefield House and are looking for a good garden centre to stop and shop.The cost will be £25 for DBG members and £30 for non-members.  This will include the coach and the entrance and coffee to the NGS Garden. As we will be the guests of the Benyon family, in lieu of the usual entrance fee,  Jennifer Benyon has suggested a contribution of about £7 per person to de Beauvoir Welcomes Refugees fund which is fund-raising to support a family of Syrian refugees coming to live in de Beauvoir.  This will be collected on the day. To join us on this trip, please complete email the club.

4th July 2017
Walkabout

We spend the evening visiting several local gardens as a group. Route to be announced.

1st August 2017
Annual picnic

Members each bring a dish to share. Venue to be announced.

3rd October 2017
The history of gardening in 40 objects – Emma House

Emma House is the Curator of the Garden Museum. She will base her talk on 40 objects in the Museum collection which tell a story.

7th November 2017
Designing, planning and planting a De Beauvoir Garden – Avril Broadley, Juliet Webster and Stephen King and others

Local gardeners will talk informally about what they wanted to achieve when they designed their gardens, how they went about it, and what challenges they encountered. Topics will include ensuring all-year interest in a shady garden, working with foliage and colour, and the use of trees in town gardens.

5th December 2017
Make a table decoration and minced pies and mulled wine

Anna Day of the Flower Appreciation Society https://www.theflowerappreciationsociety.co.uk/ is coming to teach us to make a Christmas table decoration.  She will bring the forms and the wire, but please bring your own decorations (e.g. baubles, tinsel etc.) and greenery (and extra if you have any to spare).

9th January 2018 (note this is the 2nd Tuesday)
The Garden Classroom 
Rosey Lyall and Phoebe Nevill

.Lots of us take nature for granted. It’s part of who we are. We enjoy creating beautiful flower gardens, growing vegetables, walking in parks and forests and getting into the countryside.  However many of our Hackney and Islington children and young people have missed out on these experiences and that’s why The Garden Classroom, born in local King Henry’s Walk Garden and now based on Newington Green,  is going from strength to strength.

Founder trustee Rosey Lyall will tell us how The Garden Classroom came about and share the joys and perils of running a small local charity.  Education and Community Officer Phoebe Nevill will explain why outdoor learning is so important for children, tell us how The Garden Classroom works and reveal some exciting plans for the future.  And if you’ve got children, grandchildren or are a child at heart you’ll definitely pick up some tips for making a visit to the park an educational experience!

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