Bexrose Bulletin

January / February 2005

Published by the Bexleyheath & District Rose Society.

Patron:-                                     Dr. David G. Hessayon

President:-                               Mr. F.H. Boardman

Vice President:-                       Mr. W. Skinner

Chairman:-                               Mr. S. Burch

Vice Chairman:-                       Mr. B. Rainsbury

Hon. Secretary:-                      Mrs. J.Newton

Hon Treasurer:-                      Mrs. Z.Neale

Show Secretary:-                    Mr. A. Neale

Membership Secretary:-        Mrs.D.Taylor,

Other Committee members:- Mr. R. Jones, Mr. R. Pulling, Mrs. D. Carr, Miss V. Rochester, Mrs. D. Lemon, Mrs. M. Cornell, Mrs. J. Dyer.

Web Site:-       http://home.btconnect.com/cadoss/bexrose

Email:- cadoss@btconnect.com

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Next Meeting  Tuesday 22nd February 2005,     Annual General Meeting.

As usual we meet at St John Fisher Parish Hall, Thanet Road, Bexley, Kent. The hall opens at  7-15 pm, meeting starts at 8pm. The first half of the meeting will be taken up with the Annual General Meeting and after tea there will be a slide show of some of the holidays that the Society undertook in 2004.

Obituaries.

We were sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. J. Ashburn, our sympathies go to her husband and family.

We were also sorry to hear of the death of John Dyer, Committee member Jane's husband. He had been ill for several years. Our condolences go to Jane and her family.

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Alec Lowery. Alec had been a member for many many years and always exhibited at our Summer Shows with great enthusiasm, bringing Joan and their dog along with him. He grew some beautiful roses and quite often won our major prizes. Last year he won the Joan Farrell sponsored Junior Members Championship.  It was he who instigated the revamping of the show as it saddened him to see fewer and fewer entries on the show bench. Our sympathies go to Joan and their family. Joan wishes to hold a private family funeral but if any members who knew Alec over the years feel they would like to make a donation either to Greenwich and Bexley Hospice or the Macmillan Fund in his name it would be greatly appreciated.

We also heard of the death of the gardening broadcaster and writer Bob Collard. Bob was well known to members who listen to Radio Kent and he also visited the Society to give us talks.

Welcome to new members

Mrs. Y. Love.

Membership Renewals

Don't forget that your membership is due for renewal on 1st January. If you are unsure how many years credit you still have please ring the Secretary  who has the information to hand. Membership fees are 50p per year but please use up your remaining credit before paying any more money. We will only accept 4 years credit. If those members who receive their bulletins by post would care to send us a small donation to help with postage the Society would be most grateful. Postage is becoming increasingly more costly and we post about 170 Bulletins every month. Any members who would be interested in delivering Bulletins in their area, even if it is only 1 or 2 , it would be most helpful. Areas needing cover are Crayford, Bexley, Sidcup, Abbey Wood, Dartford,  Swanley/Willmington/Hextable.

A big thank you from Prickles.

Just before Christmas the Society sent a cheque for £300 to Mavis Righini who runs  "Prickles Hedgehog Haven". This was collected by members through contributions to Floral Art table shows,

donations of books, magazines and produce for sale and a raffle on the Valkenburg trip where the first prize was a watch that had been donated. Some members also handed over their piggy bank collections of small change towards the total. Many thanks to all for this great effort, we still have until April to finish our first year when we will let you know the final total. The Committee have decided to carry on with Prickles for a further year.

Letter from Mavis.

Dear All,

What a wonderful surprise I had when I received the Cheque for my Hedgehogs. It is so very kind of you to support my work with my prickly bundles. Thank you all so very much.

One of my latest rescues is little Audrey, that had been badly damaged to her face. Sadly she has had to have an ear removed so looks a sorry state. She has also lost one of her back legs. She has settled in well here and loves her food so hopefully will do well. She won't be able to go back into the wild but after the tough life she's had, I think she'll be glad to take life a little easier.

With thanks for your interest, care and support,

Best wishes Mavis and Colin Righini.

A thank you from Pat Powell.

Pat Powell would like to thank all those members who kindly sent her cards and good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. They were very much appreciated but there were too many to reply to individually. " Thank you all so very much. I hope you all had a happy Christmas and send you all best wishes for 2005". 

Tombola

Don't stash those unusable Christmas presents at the back of the cupboard and forget about them. We need them for the Tombola stall at the Summer Show. Last year you came up with some lovely presents so get de-cluttering and pass them on to any Committee member.

Dates for your Diary

15th & 16th February  RHS London Flower Show, Lawrence Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster.

15th & 16th March  RHS Spring Flower Show, Lawrence Hall, Vincent Square, Westminster.

8th -- 10th April Spring Gardening Show Capel Manor, Bullsmore Lane, Enfield.

12th & 13th April RHS Spring Flower Show Lawrence & Lindley Halls, Vincent Square.

22nd -- 24th April RHS Spring Show, Cardiff.

13th -- 15th May Malvern Spring Show,Three  Counties Show Ground, Malvern.

24th -- 28th May Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

15th -- 19th June BBC Gardeners World Live, NEC Birmingham.

18th June Bexleyheath & District Summer Rose Show, BB Centre, Bexleyheath, Kent.

25th & 26th June RNRS National Summer Show, Squires Garden Centre, Shepperton.

2nd & 3rd July RNRS National Northern Show, Daisy Nook Garden Centre, Failsworth, Manchester.

5th--10th July Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

9th & 10th July RNRS National Show for Miniature Roses, Shugborough, Staffs.

20th -- 24th July Tatton Park Flower Show, Tatton Park, Cheshire.

30th & 31st July  Summer Gardening & Enfield & District Fuchsia Show, Capel Manor, Enfield.

5th & 6th September City of London Flower Show, Guildhall, Gresham Street, EC2.

13th & 14th September  RHS Great Autumn Show, Lawrence and Lindley Halls, Vincent Square.

16th -- 18th September Great Autumn Show, Yorkshire Show Ground Harrogate.

16th -- 18th September RNRS Great Autumn Rose Show, Yorkshire Show Ground, Harrogate.

17th & 18th September RHS National Orchid Show, Vincent Square.

24th  & 25th September Malvern Autumn Show,Three Counties Show Ground, Malvern.

4th & 5th October Autumn Fruit and Veg Show Lawrence and Lindley Halls, Vincent Square.

15th & 16th November Late Apple and Pear and Ornamental Plants Show, Vincent Square.

The Borough's Allotments problem.

As you know, last year there were rumblings amongst the Rhubarb when Bexley Council came up with a plan to modernise allotment sites borough wide and close and sell off for housing other sites that were under used.  The February Bulletin started the ball rolling and for several months there were new developments to report. As far as we know now everything has gone back to the drawing board with

consultations with Allotment Association members and Council planners. Hopefully a compromise will be reached some time this year, we will let you know as soon as we hear. Of course if you hear first do please let our Secretary know.

Winter Jobs

It doesn't matter how many leaves you pick up, as soon as your back is turned another lot sneak in so with the recent high winds it looks like another clearup is in order. There is a Y in the month so you can venture out to prune your Wisteria. If you were lazy before Christmas and didn't clean up your tools and tidy up the garage and potting shed you had better start now, spring will soon be upon us, the bulbs are popping up already. Get your Lawnmower in for a service if it was a bit stressed at the end of the summer, the queue won't be too long at the moment.

The Rose Growers Calendar.  By kind permission of Don Charlton.

Once again we will print the month by month guide to good rose growing. Hopefully the wonderful exhibition of members roses last summer was due to you all following this guide.

January

1.          Continue planting new rose bushes and rootstock when the soil is not too wet or frosted.

             Water in new bushes and rootstock if the soil is at all dry.

2.          For those who have budded their own rootstock, now is the time to start heading back last year's buddings.

3.          Sharpen and clean old tools and buy in new as necessary.

4.          Renew your membership of the Bexleyheath and District Rose Society.

5.          Discard out of date supplies and renew supplies of fungicides, insecticides and fertilisers.

February

1.          The main pruning commences this month, postpone if the rose stems are frosted. Assuming that your new plantings and budded stocks have been dealt with, start by pruning Cluster flowered varieties first, then Hybrid Teas and the Miniature roses. Do not compost prunings, burn them preferably or dump them as they may be diseased.    

2.          Weed and generally tidy up the rose beds. Firm the ground around each bush.

3.          Apply a winter wash solution to the pruned bushes and surrounding ground, such as Jeyes Fluid. Use strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

4.          If you suddenly have the urge for some more roses to plant out, then now is the best time to search for some pot grown roses, ideally from a rose nursery. Potted roses can be planted out at any time of the year but the earlier the better. So plant them out this month when the ground is not waterlogged of frosted.

Bicentenary Rose.

To help celebrate the RHS Bicentenary the Sun newspaper has donated 24 rose bushes named "Special Anniversary" to each of the 4 RHS Gardens across the country. The rose is a deep pink Hybrid Tea bred by Edward Smith an amateur rose breeder who's day job is a train driver. The rose has a perfume and it is hoped that it will encourage donations to the Bicentenary Glasshouse.

The Robin  Friend or Foe?

What a joy it is, whilst digging over the flower beds at this time of year, to have the local Robin keep you company waiting for dinner to appear at the turn of your spade. This friendly bird is the embodiment of winter from Christmas cards to standing out against the frost or snow covered vegetation in your garden.

Unfortunately, our cheery chappie, on closer inspection, turns out to be the hooligan of the bird world. He and his partner may sit in the trees and charm us with their beautiful song but they are trouble to other birds encroaching on their territory, especially other Robins. Their Tic Tic Tic warning can be followed up by a fight lasting up to several minutes, until usually the intruder flees. These skirmishes can go on for hours or even days until the interloper gets the message or one of the protagonists is either blinded or dies.  They are fiercely territorial and defend their patch at all costs. They have even been seen beating up trees and fencing , they get so hyped up with aggression.

Their breeding cycle starts around the winter solstice when a new female on the block turns up on a male's territory. If they get along OK they will start building their nest around March time and then can produce up to 5 broods in a good year. The eggs take about 2 weeks to hatch and then the parents are kept busy trying to feed their chicks, which is where your spade really comes into the picture. In another 2 weeks the young are flexing their muscles and 3 weeks later have gone off to pick a fight with all comers for their own territory. 

So stop and think the next time you see your resident Robin, maybe the bird in the nursery rhyme had it coming to him !! 

Holiday to Jersey

Vanessa would now like a deposit of £25 from all the members who were on the list for the holiday to Jersey.

Cheese and Wine Evening.

This months meeting was our Cheese and Wine and Quiz evening. The numbers were down this year, probably due to the threat of snow and also many people being down with bad colds. Gordon ran the quizzes which were not too difficult but we still didn't do very well score wise. There was a wonderful spread layed out on the top tables which everyone enjoyed. Cups of tea, coffee and mince pies were brought round to the tables which rounded off the snacks very well. A new system was tried this year to eliminate duplication and waste. Members were asked to make a donation towards the food and Vanessa did the catering, cutting out the sweet course. It seemed to work very well and everyone had a good time mixing and chatting, a thing we don't get much chance to do on most club nights. Vanessa would like to thank all those who helped prepare the food and set it out on the day. 

Day Trip

A coach has been booked for Sunday 17th April to take us on a tour of the kent villages in blossom time, stopping at Tenterden where you may have lunch in the town or walk 5 minutes down to the station where there is a buffet serving a wide variety of meals and snacks. You may bring a picnic lunch if you wish. There is also a shop and a Railway Museum at the station.  We will be taking a return ride on the 13-15 train from Tenterden to Bodium arriving back at 15-05.  The train will be steam hauled, travelling through Rolverden,Wittersham Rd, Northam, and Bodium stations passing  Watermill Farm, a former Crayfish Farm, Locomotive sheds, Wittersham Rd Signal Box, Rother Valley Brewery, Great Dixter Gardens, Railway Cottages, the former Guinness Hop Farms and Bodium Castle.

Vanessa and Janet hope to work out a route that will take us off the motorways and through the quiet country roads that we hardly ever use these days to hopefully find the blossom and some thatched  cottages. The cost will be £19 each. Please ring Janet to book your seats and  pay the full amount of your booking as soon as possible there after as we have had to pay a large proportion of the train journey up front.

The Humble Potato is back in Fashion

Yes its true, it seems that the potato is enjoying a new lease of life. Although the common Whites, King Edwards, Maris Piper and Desiree are still the favourites at the Supermarket , shoppers are trying out the more exotic varieties where they are on offer. One Supermarket now sells at least 15 varieties with names as outlandish as Shetland Blacks, Salad Blues, Estima, Sante, Duke of Yorks, and Highland Burgundy Reds. If you come across these newcomers on the vegetable aisle try them out. Boil them gently, mash them and add a little butter and have a private tasting, you will be surprised at the different textures and tastes.  Thompson and Morgan report that there has been a surge in demand for their potato stock. They sell 72 varieties of seed potatoes and also virus free micro plants that are not on the EC Registered list, these include the Salad Blue and Highland Burgundy Red. They also sell a tuber collection which include Sarpo Axona and Sarpo Mira, new varieties, and also blight resistant and slug resistant collections. Supermarkets often store potatoes for months at a time and they are not at their best by the time they reach the shelves so why not try a few of the new varieties in your garden. There is nothing like a really fresh spud with 10 minutes between harvesting and pot, even the boring old Whites will taste different. Potatoes also grow well in containers with good drainage so even if you only have a small garden or a balcony you can have a go and some of them have pretty flowers too.