King's Lynn Horticultural Society klhs.co.uk
February/March 2022 Volume 9, Issue 1
KLHS News
Glowing yellow aconites –Eranthis hyemalis– above their green ruffs brighten up a winter’s day.
Members enjoying their meal It had been 2 years since we were last there as a group for our 2019 meal so we were ready for a hearty meal.
MEMBERS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH DELICIOUS BANQUET On a fine December Sunday 11 members and partners assembled at
We were not disappointed, the food and company lived up to expectations. The conversation and stories flowed around the room, only interrupted by the next mouthful of the delicious food.
the Stuart House Hotel,
When the time came to leave everyone agreed it in King’s Lynn, for the had been a lovely occaKLHS Christmas lunch, sion and a fitting end to a writes Society Secretary, difficult 2 years but hopefully signalled the start of Kevin Ayres. improving times in 2022.
klhs.co.uk
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Tribute to Teresa
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Potato talk
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Queen’s 70 years
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Annual meeting
3
Trialling tulips
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Grapes
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WELL RESPECTED COMMITTEE MEMBER DIES Committee member and wife of the Society President, Teresa Brandon died at the Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House, in December. Teresa, who was 64, and her husband, Paul, had been active members for several years.
In 2004-5, Teresa enjoyed serving as borough Mayoress with Paul as King’s Lynn celebrated its 800th anniversary. Society Treasurer, Steve Barker, said: “Teresa was a very able committee member, and was happy to help at shows when work permitted.” He recalled her being a “staunch supporter of the Christmas lunch” and that she was upset she could not attend this year.
She worked alongside Teresa and Paul at the Paul in Smith’s bakChristmas lunch in 2016 ery on London Road, Lynn, for Teresa and Paul lived for 30 years in some years, before becoming manag- Clenchwarton before moving to eress of the branch opened by their Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen. She daughter on the corner of Saturday did a lot of community work in Market Place and High Street. Clenchwarton before the move.
She recently made a cake for Prince The funeral service was held at King’s William’s birthday and he kindly sent Lynn Minster on January 4th. her some flowers on hearing she was The Society donated £50 to Tapping ill. House in memory of Teresa.
TALK ON POTATOES The “Slugbusters” gardening group are holding a talk about potatoes in the Scout Hut, in Beulah Street, King’s Lynn, on Tuesday, March 29th.
The event, which runs from 1.15pm until 2.45pm, also includes a quiz and a demonstration. Entry costs just £1, but booking is essential as numbers are limited. To make sure of your place, contact mary.pursglove17@gmail.com. 2
QUEEN’S PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years as monarch of Great Britain this year and the Society are considering how to mark this momentous milestone. One possibility is to add a new class to the 2022 summer show schedule encouraging cooks to conjure up a “Platinum Pudding”. Secondly, the Society are to investigate sponsoring a tree which could possibly be planted in Wootton Park.
ANNUAL MEETING This year’s annual meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 23rd, at the Red Cat pub, Station Road, North Wootton, PE30 3QH, starting at 7pm. Among items on the agenda will be the re-election of officers and committee members.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions about things they would like to hear discussed at the meeting, they should contact the Secretary, Kevin Ayres, by email at klhs.secretary@btinternet.com. The new yearly adult subscription to the society of £10 will be payable in April.
TRIALLING THE TULIPS I am conducting an experiment. Last spring, some Tulipa Tarda plants caught my eye during a visit to Belford’s Garden Centre just outside King’s Lynn. I bought three pots, each containing three of the dwarf tulips and they duly flowered.
Several bulbs had shoots.
Now, I have read that saving tulip bulbs is a waste of time and it’s better to throw the old ones away and start afresh each year. Well, I decided to try and regrow mine the next season—waste not, want not. I removed the tiny bulbs from their pots at the end of last season and packed those that seemed okay—and those were the majority - away in a paper bag in (Continued on page 4)
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a drawer. On inspecting them around new year, I was delighted to see around seven had sprouted little shoots! The bulbs were then placed in a pot of compost (see below) to see if they would continue to grow. I thought it best to put them in a pot so that I can move them around until I’ve found the best spot for them in the garden. Apparently, they don’t like too much wet or wind. So far, I am pleased to say they have continued to grow. I certainly am not an expert gardener; I don’t have even slightly green fingers, but just decided to have a go. These were pretty little yellow and white tulips and deserved another chance. Further developments in editor Elizabeth Fairweather’s “Tulip Tale” will follow in future newsletters.
GRAPES ON THE VINE Last autumn, we were surprised to find two bunches of fruit dangling from a vine we had planted in a sheltered corner of our back garden. The vine had grown from a cutting taken from its parent plant found in nearby woodland. Disappointingly, reveals Elizabeth Fairweather, the small, glossy black grapes were full of seeds.
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