5th November - Dr Mike Jones  “Carl Linnaeus Bringing Order to the Natural World”

An experienced lecturer, Dr Jones eased Hilltop Gardening Club members and visitors into the intricacies of naming plants.

The Swedish naturalist and explorer, Carl Linnaeus’ mission was to put the 18th century natural world in order. While Linnaeus’ subjects were wide, this talk focussed on botany and his determination to name and order plants into condensed descriptions. This was no easy task as  Latin was then used as a universal language. Much hinged on Linnaeus’ identifying the type specimen that became the permanent reference when identifying a species. Many thousands of type specimens were dried and preserved in separate sheets in herbariums, some still found at The Linnaean Society, London. While contemporary DNA testing has impacted on some of Carl Linnaeus’ extraordinary work, the classic Enlightenment polymath, was feted throughout the world. So famous was he that the use of L. denotes and identifies Linnaeus as the authority for a species name. Moreover, the type specimen for homo sapiens is Linnaeus. Evidently no shrinking violet, Linnaeus’ former students were called apostles, who advocated for the new Linnean system of classification. Amongst them was Daniel Solander who, with Joseph Banks, travelled on James Cook’s “Endeavour” to the south pacific, a world full of botanical and other natural wonders.

Mike Jones wanted us to remember 1753, the publication date of Species Plantarum, the foundation of modern botanical nomenclature. Never know when that might come in handy for a gardening club quiz.

1st October 2024 Eastcombe Village Hall - Sally Oates ‘Seasonal Layers of Colour’

Sally Oats known locally through her NGS work, spoke to Hilltop gardening club members and visitors about the development and challenges of her garden, with its cold drying winds in winter and, some years at least, drying heat in summer. The illustrated, gentle and genial stroll through Sally’s gardening calendar belied the depth of research, trial and error, planning and patience needed to create successional layers of seasonal interest beyond aesthetics. Sally’s quarter-acre plot complete with resident hedgehogs, is a wildlife habitat planted for pollination, procreation and hibernation. Moreover, skilful planting in selected colour schemes, signposting Sally’s art education credentials, balanced the naturalistic style of gardening with strong underlying structure including pond, box hedging with height provided by shrubs, climbers, trees, and an exuberant, rose-covered arch.

Striking, was the eclecticism of Sally’s integrated approach. Perennials, annuals, herbs mixed with bulbs, stunning roses and wild flowers including dandelions, cow parsley and the fleeting but tenacious lesser celandine, valued for early pollen and nectar. A preference for self-seeders and plants with prolific spreading tubers, visually unites the garden and belies the patience and sheer hard-work required to garden across layers and seasons with the “uncultivated” not confined to a wildlife corner.

Backed by encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, this self-declared, passionate gardener willingly shared practical gardening skills. Co-habitation may save the day as Sally’s box hedging is currently home to unwanted box tree moths. She is optimistically waiting to see if the numerous birds will enjoy the feast.

1st October 2024 Eastcombe Village Hall. Sally Oates -‘Seasonal Layers of Colour’

Sally Oats known locally through her NGS work, spoke to Hilltop gardening club members and visitors about the development and challenges of her garden, with its cold drying winds in winter and, some years at least, drying heat in summer. The illustrated, gentle and genial stroll through Sally’s gardening calendar belied the depth of research, trial and error, planning and patience needed to create successional layers of seasonal interest beyond aesthetics. Sally’s quarter-acre plot complete with resident hedgehogs, is a wildlife habitat planted for pollination, procreation and hibernation. Moreover, skilful planting in selected colour schemes, signposting Sally’s art education credentials, balanced the naturalistic style of gardening with strong underlying structure including pond, box hedging with height provided by shrubs, climbers, trees, and an exuberant, rose-covered arch.

Striking, was the eclecticism of Sally’s integrated approach. Perennials, annuals, herbs mixed with bulbs, stunning roses and wild flowers including dandelions, cow parsley and the fleeting but tenacious lesser celandine, valued for early pollen and nectar. A preference for self-seeders and plants with prolific spreading tubers, visually unites the garden and belies the patience and sheer hard-work required to garden across layers and seasons with the “uncultivated” not confined to a wildlife corner.

Backed by encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, this self-declared, passionate gardener willingly shared practical gardening skills. Co-habitation may save the day as Sally’s box hedging is currently home to unwanted box tree moths. She is optimistically waiting to see if the numerous birds will enjoy the feast.

‘SEVEN MINUTES OF FAME WITH GARDENERS’ WORLD & OTHER THINGS’

Sue and Bob Smith - June 4th 2024

Sue and Bob Smith enlightened and entertained the Hilltop Gardening Club talking about gardens and insects. Following brief autobiographies that had resulted in their passion for gardening with insects in mind (principally but not exclusively butterflies and moths), they spoke merrily of their appearance on BBC’s Gardeners World, before expanding on their garden in Chalford Hill.

The talk was supplemented by live moths, carefully trapped (later released), so that we could experience the sheer diversity of moths often overlooked in preference for the more accessible, visible butterfly. The photographs of moths taken in their garden by Bob were remarkable for their variety, detail and clarity.

The complexity of insect lifecycles and the inter-connectedness of gardening with biodiversity was at the core of their presentation. Not a hardliner, Sue’s philosophical approach to wildlife gardening was more Alan Titchmarsh (room for striped lawns and wild areas) in tone, although their vertiginous garden was a seemingly undifferentiated jumble of companion plants. It had however a clear structure and the all-important pond. Self-seeders were welcome, as were blow-ins which attracted an extraordinary diversity of insect-life (although no amnesty for the invasive hedge bedstraw). Comfortable with the overlaps between botany, entomology and practical gardening Sue and Bob’s talk drew together disciplines to guide the gardener to better understanding of the inter-connectedness of our world: which plants are necessary for insects to breed, as well as to collect pollen. Patient looking and watching was key to understanding and belonging to organisations that utilize the citizen naturalist as collector of data. Sue and Bob gave us a timely reminder, that a pesticide-free garden on the wilder-side is a sanctuary for insects and ‘other things’ faced with habitat loss.

Hilltop Happenings - May 2024

Early May was a busy time for The Hilltop Gardening Club, with an auction, a trip to Malvern and a request for assistance.

We held our auction of plants and ‘pre-loved’ tools on 7th May. Members provided seedlings, shrubs, and some interesting old tools to be sold. Our auctioneer, Jenny was excellent, and business was brisk.

Later that week a group of members travelled to The RHS Malvern Spring Festival. A glorious, sunny, spring day was perfect for wandering around the show gardens, the flower marquee and enjoying a lazy lunch. Malvern is a little less busy (and less expensive!) than the RHS’s flagship event at Chelsea and provides an ideal opportunity for catching up on gardening trends – and to purchase plants and garden equipment.

In response to a request for help with the garden at Frith Youth Centre, a couple of our members went there recently, to give it a good tidy-up. It requires further work, but we will leave it until the future plans for the Centre have been determined.   

Hilltop Happenings - April 2024

Spring was in the air at our April meeting, when we welcomed Flower Farmer Rachel Golding-Barrett from The Tetbury Flower Company as our guest speaker. Her flower farm is situated in a walled garden in Sopworth, near Sherston, on the Badminton Estate.

Demand for UK cut flowers has exploded recently, and there are at least 30 flower farms around the country. British cut flower growers provided all the flowers in Westminster Abbey for the King’s Coronation in 2023. In 2024 brides are driving the trend. Rachel has a particular passion for growing dahlias – popular now with young Instagram influencers.

Rachel is currently in the process of pricking out 6,500 seedlings and is about to start the first of her monthly farm tours. In June she holds ‘snips & buckets’ sessions (booked online), when visitors can cut any flowers they want. Workshops take place throughout the year on the farm, including hand-tie bouquet and wreath workshops.   

Rachel gave us practical advice to inspire us to create our own cut flower patch. A bed 3m X 1m should provide ample cut flowers throughout the year. Planning is key, and the plants one might consider include:

Focals-dahlias, roses

Fillers- nigella, Ammi majus

Foliage- grasses, mint (provides a feeling of movement in an arrangement).



At the end of the meeting members were able to purchase beautiful bunches of narcissi, tulips and sweet pea seedlings brought from the farm.

HILLTOP GARDENING CLUB HAPPENINGS IN MARCH - 2024

Kevin Ward, Museum Development Manager at The Museum in the Park, Stroud, was guest speaker at our first evening meeting of 2024, in Eastcombe Village Hall. His fascinating talk was called ‘Unlocking the Secret Garden at the Museum in the Park’. It described the transformation of a wild and unruly plot into the stunning walled garden on view today.

The Stratford Park Estate’s walled garden dates back to the nineteenth century. The Museum opened in the mansion in 2001, by which time the walled garden had been derelict for 20 years. Its restoration began in 2012. Work was made possible by the dedicated support of Stroud District Council, Museum Friends, the local community, and funding bodies.

There were many problems. For example, Japanese knotweed had to be removed and the Victorian glasshouse was carefully demolished, as it was riddled with asbestos. Despite the challenges, the pavilion building and new garden entrance were completed in 2015 and planting commenced in 2016. The artist, Cleo Mussi, designed the borders, using plants from her own and her mother’s gardens and local apple and pear tree varieties.

The walled garden was formally opened in 2016. Today it is supported and maintained by dedicated volunteers and enjoyed by a variety of community groups. For example, Stroud Buzzy Club has installed hives in the garden, and a local hedgehog hospital has put in hedgehog houses.



The annual snowdrop celebrations, first held in 2020, are popular: over 1,000 people visited 2024’s event.

February 2024 - Meeting Notes

 Gail Plant -  Winter Scent

On a bleak February afternoon, following our Annual General Meeting, Hilltop Gardening Club members were treated to a heady, multi-sensory, handling session that brighten the day.

Gail Plant arrived from Much Marcle, laden with freshly-cut foliage, blossoms, posies, herbs and early flowering bulbs which filled the scout-hut with ‘Winter Scent’, the title of her talk. Instead of a power-point we experienced close-up looking, touching and sniffing as plants were passed around.

Encouraged to interact there was much chatter as scents and textures unlocked memories and emotions and the tiny, exquisite winter flowers heralded the coming of spring.

Handling christmas box, heather, daphne, snowdrop, mahonia, primrose, violet, myrtle, winter sweet, witch-hazel, winter honeysuckle, camomile and others, the multi-disciplinary talk, moved from pungent rosemary’s beneficial effect on memory, to practical advice on planting, pruning and purchasing for winter scents as well as an academic introduction to the science of smell, the complexity of botany and pollination and botanical history.

The abilities to detect fragrance levels were, we learned, deeply personal often dependent on temperature, light-levels, recent pollination and even on gender. The focus on winter plants involved understanding plant adaptions, resilience and flower structure needed to survive winter weather.

 Adept at weaving together an accessible narrative of practical gardening knowledge and academic interest Gail shared an expert’s familiarity with training plants for specific sites, striking cuttings and caring for trickier plants, as well as details of rare cultivars beyond the familiar to extend our seasonal gardens. The restorative properties of winter gardening was clear through a close encounter with winter scents, making for a memorable afternoon. 

‘Mistletoe, Fact, Myth and Legend.’   

On 6^th December, Hilltop Gardening Club held the last of this year’s meetings in Eastcombe Scout Hut (our daytime winter quarters). There was a good turn-out for the Christmas event of our year.

A stalwart party arrived early to decorate the hall. Tablecloths and candles and winter floral decorations bedecked the tables and mulled wine and mince pies served.

Members, old and new and visitors were treated to a fascinating lecture. Botanist, Dr Michael Jones talked on Mistletoe-Fact, Myth & Legend entrusting his audience to sort out which was which. Michael’s enthusiasm for his semi-parasitic subject was backed by a lifetime’s personal, wide-ranging research, international university teaching and plenty of astonishing, tenacious fieldwork, much of it in the Gambia.

The talk’s botanical introduction was both fascinating and accessible laying the ground for a better understanding of such a familiar plant with its social history in ritual, medicine and folklore. Michael gave an interesting account of the famous mistletoe auction at Tenby Wells

.

The global spread of the plant, originally endemic to Australia, to its most northerly host, England, where the July temperature is over the 16 degrees necessary for germination, was a revelation.

The well-illustrated talk was peppered with humour and insight. In fact, according to comments later by the Committee- It was one of the best talks we had ever had!

An excellent way to end the year.   

The Chalford Biodiversity Trail



On the 1 November Jim Bocock, a highly respected resident of Chalford and former Chalford Hill Primary School Headteacher, came to speak to us about Chalford Biodiversity Trail. He kindly stepped in as Grace O’Donavan was working away from home on a rewilding project, identifying habitats.

So with gusto, Jim illustrated the talk by his animation and descriptions, providing plans of the trail to members, without a Powerpoint presentation of slides, which was a healthy alternative!

The OUTCOME of grants and member action was a seriously long and incredible trail of 10km that takes you up and down steep hills with various habitats including those with very rare species. It is a necklace of existing sites for wildlife with flora, along with new spaces identified and enhanced by changes in mowing regimes, and changes in light density in woodland to open up the canopy for flowers, and takes in a length of the canal. Bee orchids, Broomrape, Rock Rose and other limestone species and many grasses now grace the land. Time to get out your wild flower/mosses and lichens/grasses identification books! There is so much to relish away from noisy roads even in winter. There are accessible paths and you can join the Trail at different points.

In 2019 ChalCan, short for Chalford Climate Action Network in collaboration with Chalford Parish Council ,had declared they would be carbon neutral by 2030. This enterprising group is aiming to halt climate change by local action. If you would like to know more, please contact info@chalcan.org.uk chalcan.org.uk. There are different groups you may wish to join- Transport, Food and Waste, and Energy. Biodiversity is a sub-group who have been very busy adopting sites for habitat enhancement and creation throughout the parish. Cotswold National Landscapes- which you may know as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Beauty, and Chalford Parish Council gave grants towards it.

or if you wish to join BisCan for the parish of Bisley-with Lypiatt, please contact them at bisleyeastcombeoakridgecan@gmail.com who also have been upgrading footpaths through stunning terrain.