Our 11 November meeting opened with a brief update from John Sampson on the progress with grafted fruit trees and the Community Orchard. Two new sites have been identified and plans are nearing completion… hopefully more good news in December.
We then welcomed Adam Kirtland who came to talk to us about the different bulbs we can grow each month.
January brings us snowdrops, a somewhat difficult bulb to grow successfully, which he recommends buying after flowering ‘in the green’ as an easier way of increasing stock.
February for crocus, those colourful littles jewels that are so welcome in a winter garden, and narcissus in March. More commonly known as daffodils, they are mostly scented and come in various shades of yellow and white. Good for pots as well as naturalising under trees.
Adam suggests his favourite, tulips, as the bulb to grow in April. Plant them as late as possible in the year, when the soil has started to go cold and cram them in to pots for a dramatic display.
May is for fritillaries, grown in grass or gravel or anywhere quite damp. I know from experience they spread very well in a gravel drive! In June the allium family come to the fore, with huge flowers for insects that then gracefully become lovely seed heads for birds. In July you can enjoy lily flowers, but Adam reminded us that lilies are toxic to cats.
Dahlias are the flower for August, which you can leave in the ground well mulched or lift each year. Crocosmia come into their own in September, planted in late spring and divided every 3 to 5 years when they have finished flowering.
October for nerines, and he suggested the unusual oxalis versicolor for November. The year is rounded off with cyclamen coum in December, wonderful for naturalising.
Adam had a stunning presentation full of beautiful photographs and came armed with a box of bulbs to sell afterwards, A delightful talk from someone who only seriously got interested in gardening during lockdown!