Bexrose Bulletin

March 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:-        Miss V. Rochester         

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 March 2005   Spring Show.

We will meet at St. John Fisher Parish Hall, Thanet Road, Bexley, Kent. The hall opens at 7-15pm and the meeting this month starts at 8-15pm giving members time to set up their entries.

Our old  friend Dr. John Hughes will come to judge our entries, please try and enter, even if it is only one item. John has always been enthusiastic about the quality of the flowers and plants we put on the bench, sometimes under difficult weather conditions. Whilst the judging is taking place we will have a short talk from Debbie Marchese who is the local organiser for Guide dogs for the Blind.

Day Trip to Tenterden  17th April 2005

Our coach will pick us up at Townley Road Library Bexleyheath and 9 am. Those coming by car can park in Oaklands Road car park free on Sundays and it is just a short walk to the pickup point. Hopefully the toilets will be open for anyone who needs them before setting off.  You may bring a packed lunch if you wish.

Society Holidays for 2005

COTSWOLDS

Friday 22nd July -- Monday 25th July  (3 nights) 4 days

We have a confirmed booking at the 4 Star Cheltenham Park Hotel.

The cost is £250 per person for a Single room and £205 per person for a Twin/Double room.

The cost includes bed, breakfast and evening meal, all coaching and gratuities. 

This is the first time the Society has had an opportunity to visit the Cotswolds. We will be visiting as many of the picturesque villages as possible. Snowshill House & Gardens (NT) Painswick Rococo Gardens, Sudeley Castle and Gardens are something not to be missed, together with the all time favourite Blenheim Palace. We hope that there is something  above that will interest you.

HAMPSHIRE

Wednesday 7th September -- Sunday 11th September (4 nights) 5 days.

We have made a confirmed booking at the 3 Star East Anglia Hotel Bournemouth.

Those of you who were on the Dorset holiday will know this hotel has a high standard of cuisine, (the French chef is the owner,) and the helpfulness of the staff.

The cost is £220 per person. No Single supplement. The cost includes bed, breakfast, 4 course evening meal, all coaching and gratuities.

Hampshire is a lovely county and we propose to visit Winchester, The New Forest, Beaulieu House and Motor Museum, Portsmouth Dock Yard to see HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. We propose to take a ferry from Lymington to visit Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight and hopefully take a drive around the island. Interested, then why not come and join us on this trip.

FRANCE/BELGIUM

Friday 2nd December --Monday 5th December (3 nights) 4 days.

For our winter break this year we have obtained a booking at the 3 Star Hotel Meurice, Calais.

The cost is £250 per person for a Single room and £195 per person for a Twin Room.

The cost includes bed, breakfast and evening meal, coffee and wine, all coaching and gratuities.

We understand that Calais holds a special Christmas Market the first week in December, which will coincide with our visit. We propose to visit Lille Christmas Market and are given to understand that this is a shoperholics paradise. On Sunday we will visit our all time favourite Brugge just an hours drive from Calais, and of course we must make a stop at a hypermarket for our Christmas drinks and edibles before we board our boat for the return journey. We hope this trip will be of interest and you will come and join us.

TRAVEL INSURANCE  With a new holiday season upon us we feel we must remind all members who travel with us that Holiday Insurance is the responsibility of the individual. We would strongly recommend that once you have booked and paid your deposit you take out insurance. If you are going on several holidays this year it is often cheaper to take out an annual policy, renewable each year. Once the Society has paid over deposits or the balance of holiday payments we cannot give a refund unless we can re sell the place.

It would be up to you to make a claim on your insurance as the Society cannot be held responsible. There are many companies who offer reasonably priced holiday insurance, The Post Office, Bradford & Bingley, Saga, Zurich, Age Concern to name but a few.

E111 FORMS When travelling abroad to EEC countries it is necessary to have an E111 form for any health cover that you may need. Until recently it has been possible to use the same form for several years but as from this year France insists that the document holds the current years date stamp to validate health cover. Over the next 2 years this form is undergoing a radical change and in 2007 will be a new style form which all EEC countries will require to have a current years date stamp. These forms are free from the Post Office so it is easy to obtain on an annual basis.

Please note those members coming with us to Jersey do not require a passport or E111 form.

Membership Renewals

Some memberships are still outstanding. If you are not sure that you are paid up please ring the Secretary , she has the information to hand.

Tombola

Don't forget, any Christmas gifts you can't use will make excellent Tombola prizes. We had a very good collection last year from you  so keep up the good work by decluttering now before they get pushed to the back of the cupboard.

Dates for your Diary

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

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

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

22nd - 24th April RHS Spring Show Cardiff.

The full years list of events appear on the website together with ticket hotline numbers and prices.If you cannot access this ring the Secretary for information.

Ellenor Hospice Garden Opening 2005

The first garden to be opened this year in the scheme is St. John's Jerusalem, Main Road, Sutton at Hone on Sunday 3rd April  2pm to 5pm. £2  Well worth a visit with its large Copper Beech and Cedar of Lebanon, this garden, moated by the River Darenth has an air of tranquillity. See the Weeping Willows, orchards, walled garden and herbaceous borders.

The 13th Century Chapel was part of the former Commandery of the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, established in 1199.  Don't miss this rare chance to see the garden at the weekend, there is ample parking on site.

Sunday 24th April  Windy Corner, Dartford Road, Bexley Kent  £2  2pm to 5pm.

Winter Jobs in the Garden

There is probably still more tidying up to do and cutting back dead foliage. The Hellibores need their leaves cutting off to make way for the new years growth. Now is the time to buy snowdrops and plant them. They come with their leaves and flowers just dying off, plant them at about 4 inches deep under trees or in grass. Start pruning the rose bushes, follow Don Charltons tips below. Prepare your beds for outdoor sowings and plant potatoes and peas. Sow half hardy annuals and vegetables in seed trays and also prepare to receive you plug plants if you ordered in the autumn from the Society. You can start off your Dahlia cuttings from the tubas you stored overwinter. 

The Rose Growers Calendar  By kind permission of Don Charlton

1   Complete any pruning, tidying and ground firming.

2   Apply the first application of Rose fertiliser.

3   Apply a good thickness of mulch to the rose beds.

4   Buy and plant potted roses, preferably for the last time this season.

Secretary's Report on the AGM

Numbers were thin on the ground this year due to the bad weather but the Chairman welcomed those who did come and thanked them for braving the elements. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and agreed. The only matter arising was with regard to the Bank Account. The Treasurer advised that she had had little time to look into this over the year as she has had family problems but did have information from another Society which she was looking into.

The Chairman agreed to stand again and was elected by a show of hands from the floor. Mr. A. Nunn proposed that the rest of the Committee was elected on block which was duly done by a show of hands from the floor.

The Secretary and Treasurer gave their reports which were accepted.

Any other business consisted of a discussion on how we could encourage more members of the general public to attend the Summer Show. It was felt that we should advertise more especially in local newspapers and with larger posters. Mr. Nunn offered to help Mr. Pulling distribute posters as he had transport.

Mr. Nunn offered a vote of thanks to the Committee for all their hard work.

There being no other business the AGM closed at 9-02 pm.

After tea and Coffee and the Raffle Janet Newton gave a slide show of some of the Society's holidays in 2004.

Secretary's Report on 2004

How time flies and we are back at AGM time again and I have to report on the preceding year.

We have gained many new members over the year, particularly from the south side of the borough and of course we have lost a few old friends, but we still run a membership of about 500. This is the envy of many Societies we are in touch with and also to the amazement of some speakers who are not used to speaking to a hall of 100 plus people. Thankyou to all of you who support us in this way and make our club evenings most enjoyable.

I have to report that we have cleared most of the Trading from Pat Powells property with only the shed containing a small amount of trading items and empty boxes. We will tackle this later in the year so that the shed can be demolished. We still have trading items for sale at 1/2 price and hope to sell these over the coming year. Our thanks to Pat for allowing us to keep our trading stored at her home and also for allowing us to hold our Committee meetings there. She has agreed to carry on for this year for which we are most grateful, it is difficult trying to make the half time cup of tea whilst participating in discussions. Pat decided to give up publishing the Bulletin this year as it was getting a bit complicated sending it electronically to our Webmaster Martin Double. Our thanks to her for all the years she has done this job and also contributed articles to many issues when we were running short. I have now taken over the publishing but I am as much in the dark as Pat, but my son does have his uses and he transfers the finished article from my ancient computer to his and then over to Martin via EMail. We have to thank Martin for the wonderful job he has done on our Website. It is easy to use, very attractive with lots of information and hopefully more coming on line all the time. There are often lovely pictures of Roses or views from our holidays etc. Visitors can see at first glance that it is a very active site, updated every month and we hope those members with computers will make full use of it. If members would like to take their monthly Bulletin from the site please let the Membership Secretary know and we can delete you from our postage list or free delivery service. This will save the Society time and money.

Members received 11 Bulletins this year packed with information and articles. We still need you to send us articles about your gardens, unusual plants you have, any holidays or activities you have been involved in. It is hard sometimes to fill 4 pages. We will bash it into shape if you feel you are not good at writing. Many members who cannot get to the meetings now tell us that they are most grateful for the Bulletin as it keeps them up to speed with what is happening in the Society.  The old copy machine finally gave up the ghost and we were very fortunate in being able to buy a fairly new machine from a company that was going into liquidation. The cost was about £475 with a service. This money was well spent as it cost the Society £70 to get a set of Bulletins printed commercially.

Our 2 new Committee members Maureen Cornell and Dorothy Carr have fitted in very well and contributed to discussions and with practical help. As mentioned in the December Bulletin Doreen Taylor our Membership Secretary has decided to retire and her place will be taken by Maureen who hopefully will be able to make full use of the computer system. The Committee made a presentation of a Silver Photo Frame to Doreen with grateful thanks for her many years of service to the Society. The Committee also made a presentation of a Carriage Clock to Gerry Storey our coach driver for many years, with grateful thanks for all the safe journeys we have made together. Members on the trip to Valkenburg contributed towards the gift with the Society picking up the shortfall.

Our lectures last year were varied, from Fuchsias, Roses, Summer Bulbs, Delphiniums, Bonsai, The walled garden and Plants for difficult places. It has proved even harder to put together a balanced programme in the Society's price range this year.  I have only last week managed to secure a lecturer for Roses after 8 or 9 attempts. Hopefully members will find something of interest in each meeting.

Our Spring Show was once again judged by Dr. John Hughes and there were plenty of very good entries for him to talk about. Margaret Stone was the overall winner. Whilst John was judging Dora Lemon kindly gave us a Floral Art demonstration designed to help us with our monthly show.

Alec Lowery wrote to the Committee after the 2003 Summer Show expressing his concerns that there were fewer and fewer entries every year and we needed to attract more top class exhibitors. The Committee took his comments to heart and set about revamping the show with new classes and better prize money. Mick Andrews sat in on several meetings to advise on the type of classes now being used at shows around the country and to advise on the best way forward. We did attract several national exhibitors, and the Committee thank Mike for helping us in this way, it certainly showed on the day and it was nice to see Martin Double putting roses on the show bench with us again. We advertised the show on Radio Kent and also in all the Libraries. Although we informed several local newspapers they were not so helpful.The show itself was a wonderful success with a greatly increased entry from members but the public support on the door was poor. Members did their bit by visiting us and spending their money on Plants, Tombola and Refreshments. We must look at other ways of attracting members of the general public to boost the show revenue. Our thanks must go to Jim Pierce who stood in at the last minute as judge as Bill Bossom had health problems. He has now had his operation and is making steady progress. He hopes to be back with us to Judge this years show. Show Champion and winner of both the RNRS and Banksian Medals was Sam Shuttleworth. Members Champion was Nigel Chapman and Members Junior Champion winning prize money from Joan Farrell's donation was Alec Lowery. Floral Art Champion was Dora Lemon. Sadly Alec Lowery has recently died. We shall miss him, Joan and their dog on show days and also his beautiful roses.

The Rose table show had more entries last year, many thanks to those who participated. The Expert winner was Ben Rainsbury with 26 points, Novice winner was Val Pulling with 19 points. The Floral Art had sporadic months but together with sales of produce, books and magazines and a raffle on the Valkenburg trip we were able to send Mavis Righini a cheque for £300 as a Christmas present for her Hedgehogs. She was most grateful. The Committee have decided to keep Prickles as our Charity for 2005. Thanks to all the members who contributed to this worthy cause.

The Society did not participate in Hospice Plant Day although many members attended. We still hold breeders rights to TLC and Ben Rainsbury can advise anyone wishing to buy a bush on who to contact.

Our thanks go to Ron and Val Pulling for running the raffle each month which helps pay for the hire of the hall. Also thanks to the ladies in the Kitchen who provide refreshments at half time and wash up afterwards and also help with the catering at the Summer Show and Cheese and Wine Evening.

We had several good day trips last year. A visit to Bletchley Park in April proved very interesting especially for the gentlemen of the party. We were very lucky to have a very Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. We had a lovely day trip to Jardin de Valloire at AbbeyVille  France where the gardens were better than ever and the meal provided in the garden cafe was excellent. An evening with George Puddefoot was organised at his nursery at Sutton at Hone. Unfortunately there had been strong winds the day before our visit and the marquee had been blown down. After a tour of the greenhouses Nell provided us with Wine and Nibbles in the shed which made for close encounters of the 4th kind but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and of course bought plants. The river trip from Greenwich to Chelsea Bridge was vey poorly attended, probably as it was a Sunday evening. But those who came found it a wonderful experience with lots of historical information on the way up and the spectacle of the lights on the way back.

Our Holidays were once again a great success although numbers were low on a couple and we made a loss on Dorset. The Malvern Spring Show was very enjoyable and the hotel The Abbey very imposing. It was attached to the Abbey Church and several members attended Even Song on the Sunday. We also visited Hidcote Gardens and Hereford. The East Anglian Hotel at Bournemouth made a good base for our tour around Dorset and we were made very welcome. The food and service was excellent. We visited Poole, Sherbourne, Forde Abbey Gardens and Mottisfont which unfortunately was not at its best as the roses had gone over but Compton Acres was a joy with its wonderful views of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island. September saw us in Norfolk and I think one of our best holidays. We visited Sandringham, Norfolk Lavender, Norwich, East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden with its wonderful variety of gardens and borders. Blickling Hall and the magnificent bed of Penstamens and Blooms of Bressingham Garden Centre where we were able to wander around the gardens attached to the two houses and also visit the Dads Army Museum and look at the steam engines. Although I was not on the trip to Valkenburg I am reliably informed that it was both enjoyable and eventful. The Hotel was excellent and food and service very good. The Christmas Market in the Caves gave a seasonal atmosphere to shopping and was most enjoyable.

Well I think I have covered most of our activities for the year. We seem to pack so much in. Hopefully you feel that the Committee are running the Society well and moving forward. We have made a few changes this year which will help the smooth running of meetings and events.. We are a strong Society with many active members and hopefully we will continue for many years to come. Your Chairman and Committee thank you all for your support and look forward to serving you in the years ahead, which is always a pleasure as you are all such a friendly bunch.

Treasurers Report

Welcome to another successful year. I will go through the Accounts mentioning the main items only.

Show Account   As you can see the prize money was increased substantially and we were rewarded by a really good show of quality roses from the exhibitors. Although sales of Advance Entry Tickets were down against last year,takings on the stalls were higher and more people gave us donations towards the show. The net result was a loss but we are prepared to accept some costs to try to raise the standard of the show.

Trading Account  Mainly this was a result of plants bought and sold on when potted up, also some of the old written off stock is still selling , the result being a profit.

General Account  The main differences against last years figures are the increase in Society Expenses due mainly to the purchase for £480 of a new photo copier in August. It has had some teething problems but hopefully all is sorted now. Earlier in the year we had to spend £140 on photocopying when the old machine kept letting us down. Outings were as usual well supported and raised a substantial sum due partly to the fact that if a full coach is booked into a hotel some free accommodation is provided for the organisers but Janet and Vanessa always pay for their holidays so the profit goes back to the Society.

Balance Sheet   Profit to the Balance Sheet was £280-85p. All monies due to the Hospice have now been paid over. There are only one or two roses left now and these are in poor condition so will not be sold. Our new charity Prickles Hedgehog Haven had attained just over £300 by the end of December and that amount has been sent as mentioned in the Bulletin.

At the last AGM the subject of a deposit account was raised. Unfortunately due to personal commitments I have not had a chance to investigate this. However I have received some information recently from one of our members and hope in the near future to gather more especially at the interest rates that are currently being offered. The Committee will keep you informed via the Bulletin.

Finally I would like to thank Alan for his help in preparing the accounts this year. I would also like to thank Janet and Vanessa who give so much time and effort to everything they tackle for the Society, outings, meetings and refreshments. Thankyou to Ray and Doreen Jones for manning the trading stall and to Ron and Val Pulling for running the raffles. I would also like to put on record my thanks to Doreen Taylor for all her help in the past and hope she enjoys her retirement. I would like to thank everybody who contribute towards our meetings and on show day. Just by attending, buying tea and coffee and some raffle tickets or advance entry tickets for the show, even if you  can't attend on show day it all helps.  Thank you. 

Box Blight

As if we poor old gardeners don't have enough pests and diseases to worry about through the season another one has reared its ugly head. The disease, a fungus, known as Cylindrocladium buxicola , starts as black spots on the leaves and quickly leads to defoliation. After leaf loss dark streaks can be seen on the stems.  It was first found in 1994 but where it came from is still a mystery. Scientists at Wisley feel it could be spread by rainwater droplets or on the wind but some gardeners who open their gardens to the public are convinced it is also carried on visitors feet from infected areas.

Although the bushes may not die they are easily re-infected when their new leaves grow and this leads to the plant getting progressively weaker. Well sheltered gardens that have higher humidity seem to be worst affected whilst gardens on a windy aspect have no record of blight. There are conflicting opinions as to treatment, some cut out the affected areas and hope for clean new growth, others just dig the plant up and destroy it. There is a fungicide not available to the general public which has proved fairly effective but we must make do with fungicides containing penconazole. According to the RHS this has some effect and they are continuing to research into other treatments. Dense clipping could make the matter worse and it is suggested that every winter bushes could be thinned by taking out branches of 4 to 6 inches long at irregular intervals. This will give your bush or hedge better air  circulation and encourage the regeneration of new branches. With ornamental plants costing an arm and a leg, everything you can do to look after them is well worth while. Quarantine new plants for at least a year. Box likes free draining soil, waterlogging them will cause stress and that makes a plant vulnerable. Don't water from above and give your plants plenty of nutrients. Maintain good garden hygiene by removing and burning as many leaves as possible.

More troubles at the RNRS

The Charities Commission recently published a report into the Royal National Rose Society with particular emphasis on a fund raising venture that the Society entered into with an American businesswoman Mrs. Bonnie Masterson.

Over recent years the Society has struggled to maintain the Garden of the Rose at St. Albans because of plummeting membership and the purchase of extra land needed to provide better access to the gardens in a planned refurbishment. When Mrs. Masterson came on the scene with a business proposition the then director general Lt. Col. Ken Grapes jumped at the chance of raising substantial funds. 

In 2001 it was agreed that Mrs. Masterson would raise £4-8million within a year of planning permission being granted for the gardens makeover and the establishment of a Rose garden in memory of Diana Princess of Wales.

She claimed to have trademark rights to Diana related names and would raise funds from corporate sponsorship and gift items with a rose motif. The money raised would be used to build a garden with beds of special commemorative roses, with lawns, a fountain and lake. The project was however held up for a year because of a public enquiry into the use of green belt land. Planning permission was eventually passed but by then a new board of trustees was in situ and they felt the Society should withdraw from the scheme as it had been mismanaged and was by then one huge muddle. The Society had spent much needed money on planning applications and acquiring land for the project and had not received a penny from Mrs. Masterson, leaving it hugely in debt. They were finally forced to clear debts by selling land to Butterfly World Trust for £2-5 million.

Peter Beales current President of RNRS feels Mrs. Masterson is the main reason why the charity got into such a mess as the previous board took her at her word to raise funds but have so far only seen £12,000 of it. The Society have now employed legal experts to establish whether money was raised in its name but not passed on. More unnecessary expense. Lt. Col Grapes defended to previous boards decisions stating that legal advice was sort at the time and problems arose through the lengthy delay over planning permission. In an interview 2 years ago Mrs. Masterson claimed that the project had failed over fears of  legal action from Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, this claim was denied by the RNRS.   

So what now for the Society? Well it seems the gardens resemble a badly organised building site so don't bother to make the effort to visit Chiswell Green this summer. Hopefully with better management they may have got back on their feet in a couple of years time but it seems, like the Rose, the RNRS is not flavour of the month at the moment.

Pot Grown Rose

This years rose for you to grow on and then enter in the class at the Summer Show is called Day Dream. Coloured orange, we purchased it for its perfume. The cost will be £3-50 and it will be on sale at the March meeting.