LODHS MAY 2016 MEETING

Alan: The competition winner in 2015

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 3 May at the Red Cross Hall Oxted. We are delighted to welcome Sarah Rogers, who will talk to us about the restoration of the Riverhill Himalayan Gardens that are located just south of Sevenoaks.
It is also time for our Annual Home Made Compost Competition.
So, do not forget to bring a sample of yours along.
RIVERHILL HIMALAYAN GARDENS
The John Rogers who bought Riverhill in 1840 was an only child, with a modest fortune, and a fine intellect.  He became a classics scholar, a scientist and a friend of Charles Darwin.  He was one of the first members of the Royal Horticultural Society and a patron of the plant collectors of the day. 
He chose Riverhill because its sheltered situation offered an ideal lime free hillside where he could hope to establish newly introduced trees and shrubs.  From his garden notebook, it can be seen that planting started in 1842.  Subsequent generations, continued the planting and in 1910 Colonel John Middleton Rogers created what is now known as ‘The Wood Garden’ a fine collection of Japanese Maples, Rhododendrons and Azaleas.  His wife, the infamous Muriel, created many additions including the now hidden Rock Gardens.
Until the beginning of the 2nd World War, eight full time gardeners kept Riverhill looking immaculate.  Since the war years, however, a shortage of manpower and a lack of money has meant that the garden was allowed to deteriorate, with many parts of the original planting lost to everyday use and visitors.
Today, four generations of the Rogers family live at Riverhill,
The estate is managed by Edward Rogers (Great-great-great-grandson of the John Rogers who bought Riverhill in 1840) and his wife, Sarah. 
You can also watch a video of the gardens in the entry below.

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens

DAFFODIL COMPETITION 2016

Our Annual Daffodil competition took place at the Monthly Meeting on Wednesday 6 April.

Janet and her prize winning "Binkie" daffodils

Back in December at the AGM members were invited to select some "Binie" daffodil bulbs and grow them in readiness for the competition in May. This year we were delighted to have more entries than ever.
So there were plenty to see and lots of choices for potential winners.
However, there can only be one winner, and for 2016 the members choice were the daffodils grown by Janet Willets.

SPRING AT WAKEHURST PLACE

GROWING TOMATOES........

Here is an interesting idea from the US that you may like to try. Let us know how you get on if you decide to give it a go. 

You can also see how to do it in the video in the post below.

"If you’re like me, you’ve probably thrown out far too many vegetables than you’d like to admit because you let them overripe in your fridge. But if you have some old tomatoes sitting around, there’s a better alternative to throwing them away! Apparently, in only a few days, you can turn those tomatoes into seedlings and actually grow new tomatoes! In the video below, The Wannabe Homesteader shows us how to grow your own tomatoes using a pot, some soil, and an old tomato. All you need to do is cut up that tomato into one quarter-inch thick slices and place them on a pot of compost. Cover them up with some potting soil and water them sporadically. Within 1-2 weeks, you’ll have 50-60 tomato seedlings! Don’t forget to share this great money saving trick with your friends!"

........GROWING TOMATOES

Scotney Castle

Julie has been on one of her excursions on a chilly March day. This time a visit to Scotney Castle in Kent.
The water really does look cold and despite the splash of colour from the daffodils, make you want to look forward to warmer days.

MOTHERS DAY AT WISLEY

To celebrate Mothers Day, Karen was taken to one of her favorite places, RHS Wisley Gardens, in Surrey. Here are a few photos of the occasion, including a couple of shots of the butterflies:

Karen with her daughter