King's Lynn Horticultural Society klhs.co.uk
May 2017 Volume 4, Issue 2
KLHS News
A female orange tip. Other officers were reelected during the meeting at the Royal British Legion Club in King’s The Society is looking for Lynn. The committee was a new chairman following also re-elected. the recent surprise resig- President: Paul Brandon; nation of Eddie Barber. Vice Presidents: Eliza-
NEW CHAIRMAN NEEDED
Eddie, who had fulfilled the role very ably for several years, announced his departure due to personal reasons at the annual meeting in March. Steve Barker, who is also Society Treasurer, will be the acting chairman until a permanent replacement is found.
beth Nockolds, Veronica Lane, Cyril Route; Vice Chairman: Steve Barker; Secretary: John Player; Show Secretary, Rachel Vyse; Publicity Officer: Kelvin Fairweather; Website Manager: Stephen Fairweather; Newsletter Editor: Elizabeth Fair-
klhs.co.uk
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Popular spring flowers crocuses come in a variety of colours and can be found almost anywhere.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE New Chairman Needed 2 Wisley Trip
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Plant Fair
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Allotment Judging (& competition!) 3 Bee Count
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Orange Tip Butterflies
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weather. The committee consists of Teresa Brandon, Neil Barber, John Germeney, Nolan Mills and Cyril Route. The Society would like to thank Eddie for all his hard work over recent years.
WISLEY TRIP FINALISED The Society’s coach trip to Wisley, the RHS garden in Surrey, is going ahead on Sunday, June 4th. The coach will leave the Austin Fields car park in King’s Lynn, at 8am. Tickets cost £20 for members, £28 for non members, and there is also a special rate of £25 each for groups of four people. Please telephone Steve Barker on 07771902182 (during the evening or at the week-end) by May 14th to book your place and arrange payment.
Wisley has impressive mixed borders, rock and woodland gardens and a huge glasshouse, which showcases a world-class plant collection. The RHS’s extensive collection of tender plants, which includes difficult to grow, and rare and endangered species, can be found in the glasshouse. There is plenty of seating and lots of places for refreshments.
PLANT FAIR The KLHS is having a stall at the plant fair in King’s Lynn‘s Tuesday Market Place on Saturday, May 20th. Any members able to help on the stall between 10am and 4pm should contact the Secretary, John Player, telephone 01553 631335. The Society would also like to hear from you if you have any spare plants which could be sold on the day. The plant fair is part of a week-end of events to mark International Hanse Day, which celebrates Lynn’s trading past and cultural links with other Hanseatic countries across the North Sea in Europe.
ALLOTMENT JUDGING By Nolan Mills In 2006 a group of tenants from Grimston Road allotments decided it would be a good idea to organise a “Best Plot” competition. This would give a competitive element and help to improve the standard of cultivation. We were fortunate at the time that the two local borough councillors Elizabeth Nockolds and Nick Daubney sponsored a cup. The allotments have been judged and this cup has been awarded every year since. In 2008 a second cup was introduced for the “Best Plot by a New Tenant” – that is someone who had taken on a plot in the previous 18 months. How do you judge an allotment? King’s Lynn Borough Council had been organising allotment competitions for many years so it seemed appropriate to use their judging form. The form is very simple and divided into four sections: 1. Weeds (tidiness), 2. Paths, fences and hedges, 3. Plants, 4. Layout/ Originality. Each section is scored out of 10 and when the scores are added up it amazes me that, more often than not, the highest scorer is visibly the winning plot!
“There are always two judges (to eliminate bias) ...” Plots are judged in the last week of June when it is considered that the plot should look at its best. Different judges are used each year – their only qualification being that they are interested in gardening and have no recent involvement with the allotments or any of the tenants. There are always two judges (to eliminate bias) and they need to agree the winning plots. There are over 100 plots so the judges systematically look at each plot and make a short list of the best ones which are then scored in detail. When the judges have decided their places I make them look again at the winning plots to make sure they are happy with their results. The whole process takes about 2 hours. I do get comments every year about why one plot was chosen above another. All I can say is there are different judges each year, judging to the same criteria and over the years there have been a range of plots that have won. Nolan’s 2017 project is growing the tallest sunflower; all Grimston Road allotmenteers can enter with the measuring in September. In 2014 Hans-Peter Schiffer grew a record-breaking 9.17m (30’1”) sunflower in Kaarst, Germany!
GREAT BRITISH BEE COUNT Members who have an Apple or Android phone or tablet might like to help the bees this spring. They can take part in the Friends of the Earth’s annual British bee count, which this year runs from May 19th to June 30th. The organisation reports that 20 species of bee have been lost in this country since the 1900s and a further 35 are now under threat. So by joining in you’ll be doing important work. Visit www.greatbritishbeecount.co.uk to sign up and discover what you need to do.
A tree bumblebee: black body, orange thorax and white tail.
ORANGE TIP BUTTERFLIES Among the beautiful butterflies flying now is the orange tip. The male has the bright orange tips to its wings, and can easily be spotted, even in flight. However, both male and female have the greenish, marbled camouflage pattern on the underside of the hindwings. The female has dark patches at the tips of the forewings and can be separated from other whites by the single black spot near the front edge of the forewings. Given a good view, you may be able to see the pattern on the underside of the hindwings. The egg, which is laid on crucifers, turns bright orange shortly after laying.