Welcome to Church Crookham Garden Society

16th December 2016

Church Crookham Garden Society, Fleet, Hampshire UKA vibrant garden society active in Church Crookham, FLEET, Hampshire. We hold several annual events and shows and run a comprehensively stocked stores hut with discounts for members.

HISTORY

Church Crookham Garden Society was formed in 1954 as the Ryelaw Garden Society. It was founded by residents of Ryelaw Road as an outlet for their interest in gardening. A potted history about the success story by founding members to cultivate the local sand can be found here…

At some time in its early stages, the Society began marketing garden supplies and until 1997 traded from sheds located in Moore Close.

The name of the Society was changed to Church Crookham Garden Society to reflect the wider residential location of its members.

Shows were organised and now two shows per year are held, one in the spring and one in late summer.

In 1997 the ground occupied by the Society’s sheds was subject to planning consent for residential building and the Society moved to a purpose built concrete structure located in the car park of the Crookham Memorial Hall in Sandy Lane, Church Crookham.

The Society is run by two committees:

  • Main committee
  • Show committee

Each committee is made up of elected members, and is chaired by the Society Chairman.

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This Year’s Events

31st January 2021

Sadly, the 2021 AGM and quiz scheduled for the 26th February cannot go ahead ‘in the flesh’, but we are holding a ‘Zoom’ videoconference AGM on 26th Feb 7.30pm.  If you are interested in joining in, please let Liz Kirton know and you will be sent the joining online address. If you wish to submit a resolution, let us know and it can be added to the agenda.  If you do not wish to zoom, but have a contribution to make, the secretary can act as a proxy. Zoom is an easy-to-use videoconference platform, requires a laptop, PC or mobile phone.  It is free and our website manager says “Zoom is one of the best designed communications tools ever. You can even join from a land-line ‘phone via a freefone call.”

The Spring Show, scheduled for the 27th March, is also cancelled owing to COVID restrictions.

It is unlikely that the Summer Show will be possible – we shall see.  Perhaps members would like to send photographs of their produce instead.

The trading shed will operate from 13th February on the same basis as last summer; i.e. ordering by text, having timed appointments or delivery.

Here are pictures from 2019 Spring Show

Winning cactus

Container with growing spring flowers

February Gardening Tips

Welcome to the start of the growing year, when seeds can be sown, potatoes prepared by chitting and the first flowers: daffodils, snowdrops, primroses, winter aconites and pulmonarias show some colour.

February involves pruning many late flowering shrubs to encourage new flowering shoots, for example:

A useful tip for Wisteria – 7 &2.  In the 7th month prune back new growth to 7 buds and in the 2nd month (now) prune these shoots back to 2 buds; you can also cut out some tangled old wood.

Winter jasmine can be cut back after flowers have fade to 5cm/2” from a main stem.

Late-flowering clematis can be cut down to a strong pair of buds about 30cm/12” from the ground. This will stimulate the new growth that bears the flowers.

Hydrangeas: leave mophead hydrangeas until March before dead-heading, they flower on last year’s growth, but prune Hydrangea paniculata to an open framework now because they flower on current season’s growth.

Bush roses can be encouraged by pruning back to outward facing buds late in the month

Fuchsias should be cut hard back to 15cm/6” and Santolina and Lavatera to low, well-placed branches

After pruning, a top-dressing of compost or general fertiliser should be applied.

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Tel: 07801 714662 Email: alecjgrant@icloud.com