Weardale Flower and Garden Club 2025 Programme of Meetings
18th February – Welcome to existing and new members. We start the year with our AGM – to receive reports re review of 2024, and our financial position. The membership fee will remain at £25. To be followed by:
A TALK AND DEMONSTRATION OF WILLOW CRAFT by Victoria Conner of The Willow Barn. The Willow Barn is based at Blakeston Hall, Thorpe Thewles, and willow grown on the smallholding is used to make hand-crafted bespoke willow sculptures for the home and garden. Victoria takes commissions, runs private workshops, and works with schools and various organisations mainly in the Teesside and North Yorkshire areas. Victoria will supply some willow items for the raffle, followed by refreshments.
18th March – A TALK BY DAVINA HOPKINSON, HERBALIST
Davina Hopkinson is a practising Medical Herbalist, based in Northumberland. Davina says “Herbs are amazing! They can help you sleep, calm an anxious mind, sooth an over active digestive system and generally support and strengthen the body’s own potential to naturally heal itself. Wander through a garden or down a country lane and you will see a living pharmacy”.
Davina’s talk will give us the opportunity to learn and understand more about the wonderful botanical world around us and how it can help to heal. She will also be talking about “spring tonics” and the amazing benefits of weeds!
Herbal themed raffle followed by herbal tea or coffee.
15th April – FLOWER ARRANGING DEMONSTRATION
Patti Dawson is a NAFAS area demonstrator from Penrith and is President of Flowers North West. Patti’s geat love for plants and gardening encouraged her to complete a City and Guilds course in Flower Arranging in 1982. After 25 years as a member of Chester Flower Club she moved to the Eden Valley and is now Chairman of Penrith Flower Club.
She will demonstrate various styles of flower arranging, under the title “A Special Place”. All flowers to be raffled after the dem., followed by refreshments.
20th May – 47TH ANNIVERSARY EVENING. GARDEN TALK AND DEMONSTRATION OF SPRING BASKETS AND CONTAINERS BY SAM OF COWELLS GARDEN CENTRE.
Cowells Garden Centre was established in 1978 and is a large, independent, family-owned garden centre located on Mains Road, Woolsington. They grow and source a wide range of popular and unusual, high quality plants for the home and garden and have built up an excellent reputation for offering a big selection of garden accessories.
Sam will show us how to plant up our Spring containers (all will be raffled), and he will also bring plants for sale.
Anniversary cake and prosecco served after the talk.
17th June – BE ENTERTAINED BY JOHN THEXTON, NAFAS AREA DEMONSTRATOR
John Thexton comes from Carlisle and is a renowned and popular NAFAS area demonstrator … and an entertaining speaker. He has been to the Club before, but some years ago. We have also visited his garden at Hazel Cottage which extends to over 5 acres, and is open under the NGS. He keeps horses, pedigree Zwarble sheep, geese and bantams – be prepared to hear abou all! He has given us the title of his dem as “This, That and T’other”.
For this evening we have increased the flower allowance to £200 – all to be raffled at the end of John’s dem., followed by Summer drinks and nibbles.
28th June – WOLSINGHAM OPEN GARDENS
Wolsingham is participating in NGS Open Gardens this year, and we are delighted the Club has been asked to provide and serve teas for visitors, with all proceeds going to Club funds. Therefore, this will be our main fund raising event for the year, replacing our usual coffee morning.
15th July – EVENING GARDEN VISIT TO PINKS FLOWER FARM
Heidi and her mum Pat run Pinks Flower Farm nr Barnard Castle. The farm enjoys breath-taking views over the Teesdale countryside where fertile soil, fresh air, soft rain and bright sunshine combine to produce British flowers that stand out for their good looks, and personalities. Pollinators move freely amongst the flowers – pesticides, preserving chemicals and floristry foam are banned, and Pinks arrangements are natural and free flowing.
If you require transport, we will leave the Market Place at 6.30pm, to arrive at Pinks at 7 pm. We will have the opportunity to look around the garden, and enjoy tea and cakes (paid from Club funds). You can order ‘up front’ a bunch of Pinks flowers, £10, for collection on the evening (orders taken at the June meeting). The farm is at Mire Lane, Cotherstone. What3Words edicts.observers.bumpy will take you to the farm gate.
19th August – GROWING AND ARRANGING CUT FLOWERS
This evening we benefit from the expertise of two members of the national organisation Flowers From the Farm. Fiona Jeffrey owns Bees Knees Flower Farm, and grows a range of British flowers from May to September at her plot in Staindrop. Kate Adamson runs Windyridge Flowers at Manfield, North Yorkshire. She has many years of gardening and floristry experience.
Both like to grow unusual, quirky, and interesting flowers and foliage which are far away from the supermarket flowers ‘norm’. We look forward to hearing about their growing plots, and seeing their style of arranging garden flowers, followed by raffle and refreshments.
5th Sept – LADIES CHARITY LUNCH – Ladies Lunch at Wolsingham Showground in support of Weardale Community Hospital. We have supported this event for many years, providing flowers for the tables. Last year it raised £3000. As well as a 3 course lunch there are after dinner speakers, music entertainment, sales, bar, tombola etc.
16th Sept – PLANTS, AND MORE PLANTS
Sarah Hopps is back by popular demand. She is a plantswoman who enjoys sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for plants and planting. She has been a broadcaster, and is a speaker at RHS shows and events. Her passion for plants developed when she ran a small hardy plant nursery from her home near Thirsk. As well as her busy speaking and show schedule, Sarah escorts garden tours in Britain and Europe. Her talk is entitled Glorious Late Summer Borders. She will bring a large selection of plants which she will use during her talk, and which will then all be raffled, followed by refreshments.
21st October – BE INSPIRED BY RICHARD BARNES
Richard Barnes is a Landscape Architect, Horticultural Consultant and Garden Photographer based in Northumberland. He has a special interest in urban trees and the positive benefits of health and social wellbeing that trees bring to our towns and cities. He has his own garden and allotment, is a rock climber, hill walker and mountaineer … and is an apiarist. His talk is entitled “Inspiration”, which aims to encourage us to try something new in our gardens.
Christmas cards sales in aid of Weardale Community Hospital, refreshments, and raffle.
18th November – FULL DAY OUTING
We will provide transport for a day’s outing, leaving the Market Place at 9.30am, visiting Strikes Garden Centre, and Northallerton. Our first stop, from 10.30 to 12, will be the large Strikes Garden Centre on Darlington Road, which sells a huge range of goods for both the home and garden, gifts, cards, and some clothing. The Christmas Shop will also be open, as will the cafe where we can have coffee..
We will then go into Northallerton in time for lunch (lots of places to choose from incl Bettys and Barkers), and Christmas shopping until departure at 3.30pm, to arrive back at Wolsingham for 4.30pm.
9th December – CHARITY CHRISTMAS SOCIAL EVENING
This Christmas themed evening will be in support of the Women’s Refuge at Bishop Auckland. Wear Valley Women’s Aid (WVWA) aims to provide emergency accommodation, support and advice to women and children who have been subjected to domestic abuse, as well as increasing awareness and utimately working towards eradicating all violence and discrimination against women and children.
The refuge at Bishop Auckland has existed for over 40 years, and provides accommodation for 6 adults and 15 children… women of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities and abilities.
We start the evening with a welcome drink of mulled wine, followed by demonstrations of ideas for your Christmas Door Wreath, a Garland, and table arrangement. Christmas music, Poinsettia and floral raffle, and cake stall. Prosecco and festive nibbles.