Christmas Coffee Morning

Members and visitors enjoyed refreshments and chat at the Christmas Coffee Morning.

Sue taking a look at the things for sale

Carol, Mary & Olive ready for business!

Maggie selling bulbs for the Spring Flower Show's members competition

November Talk

November saw John Langston & Mike Burgess from Secret Seeds of Cove give a new talk entitled Wildlife & Wildflowers in the Garden.

They explained that every garden needed "friends" to help create habitats and happy plant life. Using digital equipment they illustrated their talk with photographs taken on their travels and at Cove. Photos of amphibians like the common toads and frogs, water birds like the kingfisher and moorhens.

They said how they had developed a bog garden at Cove which was loved by the local wildlife. They explained how the good guys of the garden helped eliminate pests. The centipede, ladybird and hedgehog were all fine examples of the good wildlife found in the garden.

They told a story of how they had an unwelcome visitor in the form a roe deer had trampled the plants at the garden centre when he had come to see the willow deer that is on the grass verge next to the road by the entrance! Another time they had a visitor to the tea room - a tawny owl was found and the only way he could have gained entry was down the chimney.

One of the projects at the garden centre was the woodland garden which was being developed with plants for a source of nectar for insects. Bird boxes were erected but the birds seem to prefer to nest in the boxes near the buildings rather than in the woodland.

With Sadness

It was with much sadness the Club learnt of the sudden death of our friend and regular coach driver on our garden visitis, Colin. We send our deepest condolences to Colin's family.

Pictured here with his coach on our tour of Scotland in June of this year. He brought much sunshine and fun to all our garden visits and he will be sadly missed.