HUNSDON GARDENING CLUB

(Established 1958)

Hunsdon Gardening Club welcomes anyone interested in gardening, whether beginner or experienced gardener with the aim of sharing such experience between members.  The club started life as the Village Allotments and Gardens Association on May 21st, 1958. In 1961 the name was changed to Hunsdon Gardening Club and in 1966 the control of the allotments was handed over to the Parish Council.  

Since 1969 we have been affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society and our autumn show is run according to RHS rules using one of their approved judges. This affiliation provides free entry to an RHS garden once a year for a club outing, free advice on gardening problems and plant identification and the Banksian medal for the Autumn Show, awarded to the exhibitor with the highest marks in the horticultural classes.

The club is administered by a committee of nine members under the direction of the chair person.

Our annual subscription has been held at £1 since 1992

So what do members get for their money? 

During a typical year we start in March with the Annual General Meeting followed by a social evening with perhaps a quiz, demonstration or an illustrated talk.

In May we normally have our main Plant Sale, always very popular with queues forming outside the door at opening time, but this year due to the village fete being a short time later on 9^th June we combined it with the stall which we always have at the fete to make one large stall. All the plants were, as usual, donated by members and we maintained our usual high standard of quality plants at realistic prices!  Thanks to those who gave plants and the members manning the stall we raised over £500 towards Village Hall funds.

The picture shows the 2007 plant stall at the fete  and gives some idea of the wide range of plants that members contribute for sale. 

Our main event in 2007 was the Autumn Show held on 1^st September in Hunsdon Village Hall. 

See list  prize winners.  Go to List of prize-winners from the 2007 Autumn Show

We usually run two coach outings a year to gardens and other events of a horticultural interest which are usually subsidised from club funds with members paying a reduced fee for the coach.  Past outings have included Highgrove, home of Prince Charles, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter, and Blenheim Palace Flower Show, the Great Garden Show at Loseley House near Guildford and courtesy of our RHS affiliation, free entry to Wisley RHS gardens. The committee continually strive to seek out new and interesting venues for members. 

This year on 19^th May we visited the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Hyde Hall.  As the club is affiliated to the RHS entrance was free to members.  

View of the rose gardens at Hyde Hall.

Our second outing was on 7^th July when we paid a visit to Savill Gardens, Windsor Great Park.  Here, members had the benefit of a guided tour of the summer gardens as well as later being able to walk round the rest of the gardens at leisure.  Both trips enjoyed good weather and those members that attended all had an enjoyable day out. 

Members assembling for the guided  tour at Savill Gardens.

Hydrangeas  in full bloom at Savill Gardens

We also have at least two indoor meetings during the year - an illustrated talk by an outside speaker, a demonstration of a horticultural technique by members or perhaps a Gardeners' Question Time with a panel of committee members.  There is usually a table of member’s surplus plants available for sale at these meetings to add further interest. 

Particularly popular in the past have been the festive flower arranging meetings held prior to Christmas where some of our more experienced members make up displays followed by the rest of the members present  trying their hand.  It is a light hearted affair, not taken too seriously, helped along by the odd glass of wine! For details of the 2008 programme go to Events Diary for 2008

There is a chance for everyone in the village to be involved in our spring and summer front gardens competitions which are open to all and judged by a panel of members.  The pictures below show this year’s winning gardens

Winner Spring Front Garden - 10 Wheatsheaf Road

Further benefits of membership are the arrangements we have with Parkers Dutch Bulbs and Thompson & Morgan Seeds. Members can order bulbs, shrubs, roses and perennials from Parkers Dutch Bulbs and seeds from Thompson & Morgan. From Parkers, purchases are at wholesale prices and from T&M half the normal catalogue price. There is no minimum order so you can order as little or as much as you like. 

In the autumn of 1999 the club planted 3000 daffodil bulbs in the village to celebrate the Millennium. These were so popular that we planted 3000 more in 2000, and another 1000 in 2003.  

The displays around the War Memorial and Hunsdon Village Sign are topped up each year to fill any gaps in the planting. 

In common with other village organisations the Gardening Club has made up a specially illustrated hassock for St Dustan’s Church.  It was embroidered by committee member Jackie Carthy and depicts the pump in the centre of the village with its colourful summer floral display maintained by another of our committee members, John Ashley.

We are already planning to celebrate our Golden Jubilee in 2008 and hope to have a varied programme of events, including, hopefully, a visit from the BBC Gardener's Question Time Panel.

A recently introduced feature is a printed programme and show schedule in booklet form produced each year giving information about the club, forthcoming events and details of how to enter for the show with tips on presentation of exhibits.  This is distributed throughout the village.

In memory of the late Peter Darnell who was a keen member of the club for many years it has been decided to award a cup to be competed for by the allotment holders.  It will be known as the Peter Darnell Allotment Cup. Allotments will be judged twice yearly, in Spring and again in August the criteria being General Maintenance, Condition and Variety of Produce and Features, Structures and Inventiveness. 

The cup is to be  awarded annually at the Autumn Show and was awarded for the first time in 2007.

Thirty four people entered in the 2007 Show with a total of 214 entries. 

So that’s who we are and what we do so why not come and join the club.  If you are just starting in the gardening world this is the place to learn. Everything we do is on an informal basis with a free exchange of gardening advice between members.  

It only costs £1.00 a year so if you fancy joining contact any of the committee and they will be only too pleased make arrangements for you to become a member.