WEARDALE FLOWER AND GARDEN CLUB - SEPTEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER

Welcome to our first meeting back in the Town Hall following our three summer months of garden visits, and many thanks to Barbara for all the organisation of these.  
Our demonstrator/speaker tonight is Clarey Wrightson, a flower farmer.  She will be showing us her walled cutting garden at Sockburn Lane, Neasham, telling us about her business, and providing several hand tied bouquets for our raffle.  We hope you enjoy this - Clarey is the first flower farmer we have had visit the Club and this is a growing business sector, promoting the growing and purchase of seasonal British flowers rather than imports flown thousands of miles across the world.
SHOW CHARITY LADIES LUNCH  The Show Charity Ladies Lunch was again a great afternoon, and we had two tables. As in previous years, we provided 16 table centres which were primarily oranges and purple - thank you to everyone who helped.  £1200 was raised for the Weardale Community Hospital.  The cost of the flowers we provided was £91, but this will be reimbursed.
HARLOW CARR, HARROGATE 
Festival of Trees and Wood, 29 Sept to 1 October.
Garden Tour, 26 September, 11 am, £2 donation
Autumn Sculpture Trail, to 31 October
Alpine Weekend, 14-15 October
Half Term Family Fun, 21-29 October
Apple Display, 25-29 October
BOWES MUSEUM, BARNARD CASTLE
Turkish Tulips Exhibition, to 5 November. 
WYNYARD HALL, AUTUMN GARDENING WORKSHOPS
Spring Bulb Planting, 10th October, £25 - includes a planter to take home.
Colourful Winter Gardening, 17th October, £25 - includes a planter to take home.
Bookings: www.wynyardhall.co.uk     01740 644881
CHRISTMAS DEMONSTRATION, ANDREW GRISEWOOD, 28 NOVEMBER  Tickets, again £10,  will be on sale at the October meeting.  Would members please purchase their tickets at the next meeting if possible, to help our cash flow.
CHRISTMAS MEAL  This is 12th December, and menus have been sourced from various local hotels.  We will take names and deposits at the October meeting.

FINANCE  Our bank balance is £2018.45, from which we have to pay NAFAS subs (estimated £400), and costs of September, October and November demonstrations.  
DUTCH BULB FIELDS   Friday departures 6, 13, and 27 April and 4 May 2018.  Keukenhof. Return flights from Newcastle to Amsterdam. 2 nights half board at the 4 star Van der Valk Hotel, Almere. Admission to Keukenhof, free time in Amsterdam, The Hague and Volendam. Visit to Delft and Delft Pottery Factory. Hand luggage only, all airport taxes paid, and coaching throughout. Three days from £524pp. Optional canal boat tour of Amsterdam £12 supplement. Omega Holidays. Tel 01325 728050, view on line at www.omega-holidays.com/MRY467
THANK YOU  to all members who donated money for garden flowers at the BBQ night.  With doorstep donations for sweet peas, and sale of 50p buttonholes at Wolsingham Show (hundreds of them!) -  £642.79 has been donated to the Emil Mason Fund.  To date. £20,000 has been raised - half of the £40,000 target to pay for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery for Emil, which will be carried out in Leeds in 2018. Thankyou so much to everyone who has supported my fundraising, and thank you from Emil's family.   Susan
MACMILLAN CANCER FUNDRAISING  Please support Emm and Christine's Macmillan Coffee Morning at Daisy Chain, Stanhope, on 29th September at 10 am - cakes and raffle.
OPEN GARDENS
Harperley Hall Farm Gardens at Stanley (DH9 9UB) are open on Sunday 24th September, from 10 am to 4 pm. Entry £3.  This is a nursery which has been reviewed in The Garden magazine by Roy Lancaster.  They have won gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show.  There are numerous polytunnels with interesting and unusual plants.   They stress this is not a garden centre, but a commercial nursery.  Refreshments available.  Northumbrian Pipers will be playing during the afternoon.
COMMITTEE MEETING  10 AM, at the Chapel, on Wednesday 15th November to finalise the Christmas demonstration and Christmas meal.
OCTOBER MEETING  We have a NAFAS demonstrator booked for October, Heather Currie from Gosforth.
UPPER TEESDALE BOTANY GROUP  Twelve illustrated talks on the geology, vegetation and flowers of upper Teesdale, starting Monday 2nd October at 7 pm in the Masonic Hall, Middleton in Teesdale.  Fee £20.  mebhilltop@btinternet.co; 01833 650589.
MEADOW SEEDS  If you are planning on planting any of the following the it is best if you plant them in the next few weeks - Wildflower Meadow Mix, Wildflower Seeds, and Cornfield Annuals, together with Wild Flower Plugs for Autumn planting. Available from shop@meadowmania.co.uk; MAS Seeds Ltd., 14 Golding Av., Marlborough, Wilts SN8 1TH.