King's Lynn Horticultural Society klhs.co.uk
KLHS News
July 2018 Volume 5, Issue 3
A view inside the Palm House. climate. This proved a popular draw on a chilly, wet afternoon. We spent Eighteen members and too long searching for the guests of the society enplants which produced joyed a day’s outing to coffee, rubber and chocoKew Gardens, in London, late and then found we on May 12th. hadn’t time for the other Unfortunately, it started things we wanted to do! raining minutes after Other members did rawe’d got off the coach and ther better and got round continued steadily most things. through our four-hour The Temperate House, visit. But this didn’t dampen people’s enthusi- first opened to the public in 1863, had recently reasm. opened after a major resOne of the world-class toration. Its aim is to attractions on the 326show the rare and threatacre site alongside the ened plants in seven temRiver Thames is the Palm (Continued on page 2) House with its rainforest
This plant, Pilosella aurantiaca, is sometimes known as Foxand-cubs, or orange hawkweed.
WET AFTERNOON AT KEW
klhs.co.uk
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Wet Afternoon
At Kew
2
Annual Show 3 Summer Barbecue
3
Muntjac Deer
3&4
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perate regions from around the world. A trail continuing throughout the summer features several colourful dragon characters placed around the grounds. Towards the end of the afternoon, we had a whistle-stop tour , complete with commentary, of the attractions, on the land train and so at least saw things from the outside.
The newly restored Temperate House, seen from the land train.
To do it justice, I don’t think a whole day would be enough! If you are a plane spotter, you could also have fun as an aircraft went over every few minutes. I hope we’ll get a chance to go again one day and catch up with the things we missed. Colourful dragons were placed around the grounds.
Is this cycad the oldest pot plant in the world?
ANNUAL SHOW
Vyse, telephone 01553 631820. Details can also be found on the website.
In just over a month, it will be time to There is a wide range of classes coverprepare your entries for the society’s ing plants, flowers, vegetables and annual show. arts and crafts and includes some for Saturday, August 11th, is when South all ages. Wootton Village Hall will stage the Entrants may bring along their exhibevent. its between 8am and 10am on the day Copies of the latest schedule, covering of the show. All entry forms must be this year, 2019 and 2020, and consent to the Show Secretary by Friday, taining entry forms, can be obtained August 10th. from the Show Secretary, Rachel
SUMMER BARBECUE Members are invited to a barbecue in Snettisham on Saturday, August 4th. Chairman, Steve Barker, is arranging the get-together at his family ‘s bungalow from 3pm to 6pm.
Steve says tea and coffee will be provided, but asks that people bring their own crockery, cutlery and seat. Please let him know by email (steve.barker495@btinternet.com) or text (07771902182) by July 28th if you would like to attend.
MUNTJAC DEER By Nolan Mills Last year I wrote an article on the damage caused by Muntjac deer and I make no apologies for returning to the subject again. My front garden has a low wall but a wide open drive so is very accessible. Last year they nibbled and ruined the shape of a golden Euonymus bush so I covered it with fleece to let it recover. This January I went away on holiday and forgot to cover it so when I came back it had been stripped bare! They had even bitten off or broken the taller branches to reach them; it now looks in a very sorry state. Also I had a nice low-growing Ceanothus trained to grow round the base of a silver birch tree. This has also been stripped. Looking around the garden they have also had a go at Aucuba, Photinia, white Euonymus and Muscari (Stella is pleased about the latter as grape hyacinths are her least favourite plant!!) Fortunately so far they have not touched Forsythia, Weigela, Choisya, Pieris, (Continued on page 4)
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Cotoneaster, Phormium, Syringa Meyeri, Mahonia, Garrya, Heathers and Daffodils. On the Royal Horticultural Society website they are doing an online survey about the likes and dislikes of Muntjac and other deer A muntjac in the street. (RHS Deer Survey 2018) to update their list of deer resistant plants. Click on protect vulnerable plants with fleece, to it and take the list when you go to a wire netting or a very high fence (they garden centre. I was pleased to see are good jumpers!) or replace with our local Belford Garden Centre have plants from the RHS list. a list on their counter. It still surprises me when people say A euonymus eaten by muntjac. they have never seen a Muntjac. I usually see at least one a day. They are brown, about as big as a medium -sized dog. The one I see most often at the moment is a young male with black markings on his face and horns or short antlers.
It is difficult to see how they can be controlled. They have no predators apart from road traffic and can breed throughout the year. There are licensed pest control operators who can shoot them; this would be more or less impossible to do in South Wootton or even King’s Lynn as there are plenty of gardens for them to hide. They are now so widespread that a cull in one area would soon be recolonised. All you can do is