Wisborough Green Horticultural Society

Further Information

Winter Talks
During the winter season there is a monthly talk on a horticultural subject by a professional speaker. These talks are held, at present, at 8.00 pm on the first Monday of each winter month in the Village Hall. Members contribute £1 and non-members £1.50 towards the cost of the speaker, and free tea and biscuits are provided. On occasion “big-name” speakers have been booked, such as Bob Flowerdew and Pippa Greenwood, well known from the BBC and the RHS, but the size of the village hall means we then have to charge considerably higher prices. If any member has a speaker they would like to hear, WGHS will do its best to fulfil the request.

The Annual General Meeting, normally followed by a gardening quiz, replaces the March meeting.

The Shows
WGHS organises two shows each year, in June and August. Both are open to all and include childrens’ classes, cookery and flower arranging.

The June Show is a typical village show held in the Village Hall. The August Show, held on the Bank Holiday Monday alongside the village fete, is in a marquee on the Green and is on a much larger scale. Art, Craft and Photography groups are added and many more outside competitors enter the open classes. Villagers and members normally do very well in the open classes but also have closed classes just for them.

In both shows, cash prizes are awarded to First, Second and Third in each class, and WGHS also has many trophies to present. Some well-wishers sponsor particular classes with higher prize money. With over 200 classes to enter in the August show, it is a worthwhile event and an enjoyable experience. Judging in all cases is by experts in their field, normally with national qualifications; for example, all the horticulture classes are judged by RHS experts. Prizes are presented on the day of the shows.

Garden Visit
WGHS organises at least one visit to a famous garden each year, normally in July, and fills a large coach.

Plant Sale
In May there is a plant sale on The Green. This helps the Society’s funds but, more importantly, distributes plants that are known to do well arround the village at a very reasonable cost.

Horticultural News - June 2008

Welcome to another of our occasional newsletters where we try to keep you up to date with what your society is doing. Please get in touch with any feedback or suggestions to any committee member

Committee News
As you will see from the committee list, we have some new officers and committee members, who are bringing new life to the committee. However, we are still in need of help, as we have no secretary, and our present chairman is only with us for one year. Come and join us; no experience necessary!

Garden Visits
Past: On 17th April a group of members attended Barnsfold Nurseries open day. This is the production centre for Newbridge nurseries, though they also supply others. It was a fascinating tour, viewing the amazing machines that transplant thousands of seedlings a day, and the acres of quality plants awaiting delivery.

Future: Jane Lywood has again organised a coach trip. This time to the Chelsea Physic Garden and Museum of Gardening in London for Wednesday June 2nd. This is proving very popular, and at the time of writing, there are only three seats left on the coach. So if you would like to join us get in touch with Jane on 01403 820225 or with any committee member as soon as possible.

Date for your Diary: June Show - Sunday 22nd in the Village Hall
The first show of 2008 is with us again. This is the show, that while it has open classes, is ideal for newer exhibitors. There are many classes, many prizes, and all the help you need just by asking. The judging is by top quality judges, but they know this is only a village show.

Don’t forget that the show is more than just fruit and vegetables. There is a great cookery group to enter, with prizes of up to £5 (vouchers) and a cup. We also have a large flower arranging class, which has a new trophy this year. As well as the Howfold cup for the overall winner, we now have the Pru Poole Trophy, a silver salver, in her memory, for her favourite class, 76, the pedestal. Please let’s have a lot of entries in her honour. Every first prize in flower arranging is at least £5.00 to help defray the cost of the exhibit (and you can take it home afterwards).

The junior classes this year are supported by the Wisborough Green Stores, so two classes for 12 to 15 year olds have £5.00 token prizes instead of the usual £2.00.

Come and join in!

Plant Sale
Thank you, all who attended our plant sale on May 10th, both to donate and to buy (most seemed to do both). As usual we must have undercharged for the plants as they disappeared surprisingly quickly, but we still made over £400 for the society’s funds, and spread good local varieties around the area.

August Show, Monday 25th in the
marquee on the green

Despite the various alarms about the Bank Holiday Fete, there was never any doubt about this year’s Flower show, as it is run as a completely separate concern. However it does depend heavily on the rest of the Bank Holiday festivities. We get over 1000 visitors to the marquee most years, and many pay. The Jazz night and Race night have also helped us by supporting the cost of the marquee in the past. The society can afford this year’s show, but the future will depend on funding. It looks as if the fete has been rescued, and we are still hoping that some other use will be made of the marquee. If it is empty, we and the Parish Council still have to pay for security.

Meanwhile we hope the show will be better than ever. There are new classes, and extra sponsorship, increasing the prize values, so read your schedule and choose your classes carefully. The local beekeepers will also be in the marquee as usual, with (I hope) honey for sale.

Seed Sales
2008’s seed sales, using David Browns seeds, went well, making a small profit for the society and saving money for the members that used the service. The committee would be grateful for any comments on the quality and quantity of the seed supplied, and if you are happy to continue with the same company for another season.

Useful Notes
Did you know that Chichester Council offers composters that seem even to cope with grass cuttings, for as little as £10. The contact is 0845 0770757 or www.recyclenow.com

The local nurseries run gardening clubs that are free and give good advice. For instance, Hillier's at Horsham is giving talks on Roses on June 23rd. Phone 01403 210113 to book.

If you want to turn your front garden into a parking space, you now need planning permission (at a cost of at least £150) unless you use a permeable material such as gravel. This is at least in part due to the increase in rain run-off from these areas increasing flash flood risk and decreasing the water going into ground aquifers