Page 11 - HGS Suburb News 140 - Autumn 2019

Let nature do the work

have visited that doesn’t have some somewhere. Last year’s dry summer left a legacy of ensuring germination in all sorts of bare nooks
Whilst some can’t get enough of it, others can’t drought tolerant invaders, which should be and crannies we’ve overlooked. Very obliging!
dig it up fast enough. Campanula or creeping avoided at all costs: Oxalis, or creeping wood Most self-seeders are blessed with blooms that
bellflower, very obliging, it flowers, you pull it sorrel, and Potentilla reptans aka creeping beneficial insects find irresistible, welcoming
up, it flowers, you pull it up again and again! cinquefoil (the clue is in the name!). Preceding pollinators into your garden.
Erigeron karvinskianus, or Mexican fleabane to damp years encouraged Soleirolia soleirolii - The secret to achieving the right balance is
thee and me, is another one. It took me two baby’s tears or Mind Your Own Business (oh, prompt action then regular intervention. Keep
years to nurture a handful of seedlings resilient how I wish it would!) Whilst it makes an the colonies you like and weed out the rest. If
enough to grow in the cracks of a retaining wall attractive and maintenance-free alternative to you don’t want them to spread then remove
in Meadway, and now, three years later, it’s gone grass as ground cover in moist, shady areas, it them before their flowers run to seed.
rogue, happily seeding itself in every paving can’t be confined, and is resistant to the rake. By the way, my prediction for the next big
crack in the courtyard garden. It would however be churlish of me to blame thing to colonise in the Suburb? Wild borage.
Whilst many of these self-sown residents are nature entirely. Having discovered that the Watch this space.
Creeping bellfowers, forget-me-not and borage
welcomed with open arms, others claim charming charteuse annual lysimachia nummularia CAROLINE BROOME
I wonder sometimes, is it the same robin that squatters’ rights. Spanish bluebells and wild ‘Aurea’, or golden creeping Jenny, was in fact a
follows me around The Suburb as I work from garlic can choke a garden if left unchecked. hardy perennial, I introduced it as deciduous ground
garden to garden? The plants certainly do! Do You’ve got to admire their tenacity, spreading cover into several borders. Turns out, Rapunzel
the birds transfer forget-me-not and Welsh poppy themselves by seed and bulb, so deeply could have successfully substituted her hair for
or is it, in fact, me? embedded that only monotonous and judicious this trailing menace. Guilty as charged, m’lord!
Truth is, as far as nature is concerned The digging will shift them. Mind you, nothing defines the month of
Suburb is just one vast horticultural patchwork. May quite like cool drifts of forget-me-nots. And
There is a certain synergy to the planting that its seed colonises at an amazing rate by hanging
has nothing to do with fashion. I’m not talking on to anything that moves. No single item of
about the Must Haves, such as hydrangea clothing in my working wardrobe during June is
Annabelle, adorning gardens throughout. Rather immune. I am a walking pollinator.
the ones that pitch up of their own volition. And the reason these interlopers seem to
Weeds I suppose you could call them, wild flowers survive, nay flourish, where cultivars that we
would be kinder. After all, as George Washington plant often fail, is simple. Self-preservation!
Carver once said, “A weed is (merely) a flower Nature invented the adage, “Right Plant, Right
growing in the wrong place.” Place”, not the late lamented Beth Chatto.
Even more pertinent perhaps, in an age where (Passionate about working with the natural
we are seeking to encourage biodiversity, “A flower world rather than against it, she realised that if
is merely a weed growing in the right place.” you can’t beat’em, join’em!)
Let’s take Lady’s Mantle, or Alchemilla molis, It’s also a numbers game; mostly annuals or
as an example: There is not a single garden that I Self seeding erigeron biennials, their seeds flood your borders, Ladies mantle and forget-me-not says Spring
EMAIL: C.BROOME.GARDENGIRL@GMAIL.COM

An invitation Cake – a Suburb event ubiquity
from the Horticultural Society to have. The September show’s Barbara says, “There is a

high attendance (the fabulous reputation to uphold.”
Nearly 200 people visited the more challenging to maintain the much welcomed. The workload Grimsdyke Brass Band and good All future cake contributions
recent Autumn flower show of high standards they set themselves. would not be large, you would not weather proving a winning will be very much welcomed
the HGS Horticultural Society We know that the shows are need to join the committee unless combination) meant we were and if anyone would like to join
in the 110th year of its existence. valued by the members, and a you wished to, and the relevant run off our feet and, with still the ‘teas team’ list (the baking
Visitors were captivated by the wider community. We know training would be given. half an hour to go, we had run of cakes is not a prerequisite)
wide range of exhibits in the that people want them to The rewards though would out of cakes (and hot water!). please contact Caroline Broome
floral, fruit and vegetable, cooking continue and we know that be great – both personally and There were a few disappointed at carosgarden@virginmedia.com.
and photographic classes. They people are often pleased to be to the community – to ensure customers and even the teas SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
enjoyed chatting to friends, asked to help but reticent to put the continuity of the shows, Barbara Perry’s plea for help in team had to forego their usual
neighbours and others as they themselves forward. I am asking maybe for the next 110 years. the June 2016 HGS newsletter perk of leftover cake takeaways.
consumed one of the delicious each and every member if they Please give this invitation stated, “We have the reputation A huge success then.
home-made cakes and were would be prepared to make a serious consideration. Thank you. for the best teas and cakes in Of course, a big thank you
then royally entertained by the contribution to the shows and CHRIS PAGE, CHAIR, HGS HORT. SOC. the Suburb… We are a jolly fun must go to Barbara Perry, the
music of the Grimsdyke Brass the Society. Whether your skills team and you get paid in tea HortSoc teas supremo and cheese-
Band. It all worked so well – and are administrative, IT, culinary, and cake!…” Hmm, a mere puff cake queen, who has organised
has become an iconic centre- liaising with press and publicity you might say (and not the the teas and drummed up cake
piece of Suburb life. or more general, you would be cream variety), but, I can tell contributions for almost ten
Visitors would probably, you from personal experience, years. Barbara has now decided
however, not have been aware Barbara wasn’t exaggerating. It it is time for her to step down
of the huge amount of work has been an absolute joy to be a and she is handing the reins
involved for the enthusiastic part of the HortSoc teas team and over to Caroline Broome, a
team that made the event be involved in this wonderful well-known member of HortSoc
possible. That team, many of HGS tradition. (also our regular gardening column
whom have been helping with The HortSoc teas are a definite writer, Ed), and who Barbara
the show for over a decade – highlight of the HortSoc Flower describes as “a lot of fun and a
and some for more than double Shows and September’s show was great organiser.”
that – are finding it increasingly no exception. The quality and Having volunteered alongside
difficult to accomplish the myriad assortment of cakes, so obviously Caroline at a number of HortSoc
of tasks involved. As they get baked with love and so kindly teas, I can certainly vouch for
‘less young’ they are finding it donated to the HortSoc tea table, this. Caroline will undoubtedly
was simply staggering. Victoria continue the high standards of
sponge, coffee and walnut, cheese- the HortSoc teas everyone has
cake, apricot tart, pecan pie, come to expect. After all, as
lemon drizzle, chocolate gateau,
fairy cakes, scones, brownies and
various gluten and dairy free
options were just a few of the
homemade baked goods on display.
PHOTOS: NIGEL SUTTON
And what a display it was.
The HortSoc tea table was Joe Donne
groaning under the weight. 07946 421 020
Some, spoilt for choice, opted joe@1waterlowcourt.com
for two different slices when
they just couldn’t decide which
1 Waterlow Court
Suburb rainfall Arts & Crafts Grade II*

a Baillie Scott architectural masterpiece
Yet again the rainfall has been week or so. Precipitation for the as always. As mentioned above, pressure brought an unusually
way under average in recent year so far has been 16 inches, the necessary rain to keep grass long four or five days of almost
months. However, the last two compared with an average of green and plants alive came in unbroken sunshine and clear a one-bedroom, ground-floor flat
weeks (at the time of writing at nearly 21 inches. In only four of short bursts and resulted in nights. The pleasure at being
the beginning of October) have the last thirty years has the flooding. On the other hand, out in it more than made up for for sale
seen salvation in the form of figure been lower, and the last from mid-August till the fourth the need to carry cans of water
nearly 4 inches of rain. In the of those years was 2005. So, week in September, there was for the thirsty plants. So, maybe,
past quarter (July to September), perhaps, there is no need to hardly any precipitation. In mid- in regard to weather, the old needs love
there were 6.5 inches compared worry on the Suburb about a August there were gales, which Chinese curse, “may you live in
with an average of 7.1 inches. long-term lack of rain yet. brought down trees, but resulted interesting times” isn’t quite such
However, this mostly fell in The past three months have in very little rainfall. Then, in a curse after all.
September, specifically the last seen some interesting weather, mid-September, the spell of high DIANA IWI FROM MEADWAY 1waterlowcourt.com
SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS 11