More Great Images of the Rhydlewis Gardening Club Produce Show.

thanks to Judith Russell for these really well-shot photos that get to the heart of the pleasure we get out of vegetables and flowers. It's worth the hard work all summer long.

See the blog below for details of Prize Winners.

The August Produce Show

The 'Collection of Five Vegetables' Class show our member's versitility

This year’s show exceeded our expectations, both in number of entries, the quality of the flowers, veg, etc, and the number of people who turned out to see the exhibits in the evening. Well done to Pam Evens and Janette Sharman for winning the Challenge Cups, the Roses Shield and the D&G Williams Shield.

Also massive thanks to the volunteers who made the day run so smoothly from beginning to end; Janette, Jane, Rita, Dilys, Judith and everyone who helped clear up at the end.

Utterly scrumptious cup cakes

Everyone mentioned what fun the day had been, from discovering the delights of your garden and bringing them along, to finding out who had triumped, and there was a buzz of chatter across the hall as we tucked into tea and biscuits

The Hydgrangea classification proved popular,
 with some fabulous blooms

The Apple class was won by the shiny brambleys
 exhibited by new member Carrie Noakes

We all went home with gladioli corms; these should be kept dry until the spring and planted out at the same time as dahlia bulbs; they like a nice, friable soil with plenty of well-rotted manure and don’t like their ankles in water.

Dahlia Class

Despite the August rain,
there were plenty of tomatoes on display

Herb class

Wine and preserves

Please note that the smaller corms are cormels. 

These make lovely plants eventually, but need special attention.                                                           So long as the cormels have some root structure you can plant them up in dryish soil in pots and keep in a cold frame or the greenhouse until next year; they may not flower next year but a bit of love and attention may help! If you have any further information to add on ‘bringing up’ your baby glads, do add it to the site.

Garden Visit June 2014 - Sculpture Heaven

Sculpture Heaven turned out to be a very popular choice; it was enjoyed by everyone. First we had chilled drinks in the cafe area, then saw the workshops and then we strolled around the garden enjoying the wonderful creativity of the owners in full sunshine.

The Labyrinth

The Alchemical Herb Garden

The Celtic Stone Circle

Garden of Peace

A small part of the vegetable garden

The Gothic Garden

More of the veg garden

The Rowen Witch's Grove

CARRIE FISHER'S APRIL TALK; SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM SEED

I was very sad to miss Carrie Fisher’s talk on the 29th April; SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM SEED, but there was an excellent turnout and lots of great feedback.

Vicky Wade, a member from Brongest reported back;

 I was completely inspired by Carrie’s talk. Everytime she talked about a plant I was thinking; Oh! I used to grow that! Back home, I cleared the potting shed and found lots of lost packets of flower seeds. I have planted the lot! Thank you Carrie - I’m hoping for a great show this summer.

The next meeting is the Bring and Buy; please do both if you can, or just one of them, or  if you don’t have spare plants or need any -  just come anyway.

I’ll be coming among your to ask if you are planning to come to the Garden Visit; this is at the end of July, this year, not June as it usually is, but have a think about this as I’ll be taking numbers and also taking orders for food - as usual we’ll be meeting for a meal after the event. 

A lovely Spring show.

The Spring Show was full of lovely colour. As you can see from the photo below, the Member's Tulips catagory was particularly popular. Chris Pearl won this event. 



The camellia class was also very attractive.

The good turnout included villagers as well as  members. 
 

  

Vicky Wade sent me the following email after attending;

 thanks to everyone for a lovely spring show. I only wish I'd been more organised and on the ball and contributed myself. Here is a picture of my tulips, rescued from the stack of kindling so that I can enjoy their rare beauty indoors. Only three as the others didnt make it through the sticks very well! Nice colour!
 
Notes on planting and aftercare: planted in Martin's worm compost 4 ins deep in a large terracotta pot and watered only once then left neglected in the greenhouse over the winter and covered in a pile of fallen twigs and branches. 
The other picture is a replica of the Delft Tulip vase, the porcelain original of which is much taller and is in the Reicht Museum Amsterdam. The tulips first imported to the Netherlands in the 16th century from Turkey were considered so rare that each bloom fetched a fortune and the stackable vase was commissioned to show them off to their very best advantage. Many different and bizarre tulip vase designs some as tall as 1.5 m were developed from this.https://www.delft-art-gallery.com/webshop/category-6-tulip-vases.html This link has some amazing vase designs if you are interested.I will aim to fill it appropriately with tulips next spring!

 RHYDLEWIS & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB; CLYB GARDDIO RHYDLEWIS  A’R CLYCH

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SPRING SHOW

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come and enjoy this colourful event

SHOW YOUR SPRING BULBS, FLOWERS AND HOMECRAFTS

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RHYDLEWIS VILLAGE HALL

TUESDAY EVENING 

25th MARCH, 2O14 at 7.30 p.m.

(Bring your Exhibits for Staging from 4pm to 6pm) 

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CHILDREN’S CLASSES

A Decorated Easter Egg (8 years and under)

A miniature garden on a plate (9 - 14 years)

Young exhibitors are encouraged to use their imaginations; any materials can be employed to create fun eggs and imaginative mini gardens. 

Bring your exhibit to:   RHYDLEWIS VILLAGE HALL On TUESDAY 25th MARCH, 2O14 from 4pm to 6pm for judging

Spring Show starts at 7.30pm 

come with all the family to enjoy this colourful event

REFRESHMENTS.....RAFFLE.....EVERYONE WELCOME

For Further Details Phone: 

Nina and Jim on 01239 851096 or Jenny on 01239 851470

Visit to the Permaculture Trust.

On the 29th October, a bitterly cold but actually sunny and dry afternoon saw us travel in convoy through Drefach Felidre to the Permaculture Trust where Philip, Michelle and their two small children live and work the soil for total self-sufficiently.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FARM

A 20 acre farm, at Bach y Gwyddel, straddling the hamlets of Cwmpengraig and Penboyr, has been farmed organically for 35 years. Set on a hillside, it looks out south and west with stunning views across a wooded valley and up to hill pasture and scattered farms beyond. The farm comprises wildflower meadows and mixed grazing pasture bordered by mature hedgerows (particularly laburnum), 3 acres of woodland, a tree nursery, ponds, sheep, bees, a multi-purpose wooden pole barn, retreat and camping areas, rainwater catchment for the fruit & vegetable gardens & allotments, compost toilets and solar showers. Bats, badgers and buzzards find a home here in this very peaceful rural setting.

• The aims of the trust; 
• To maintain one or more areas of land in Dyfed as a holistic permaculture system, aiming at self sufficiency in basic foods, fuel, water and energy: and recycling wastes.
• To research and record the process of designing and implementing this system, offering students of organic growing, green design, sustainable living, alternative technology, country crafts and skills and other allied disciplines the opportunity to put theory into practice.
• To offer educational courses, work placement activities and recreational events as a way of integrating work, study and play.
• To establish close working relationships with the local community, including welcoming visitors, learning and using the welsh language, and sharing information and resources
• To provide space for, and to conserve, an ever increasing diversity and complexity of wildlife on the site: devoting some areas entirely to wilderness and incorporating wildlife needs into designs
• To carry out the above objects with a commitment to co-operation, a respect for all life, and a willingness to take decisions in a spirit of simplicity, truth and love.

• HOW THE TRUST WORKS

The Trust has had a home at Bach Y Gwyddel since January 1995. It is owned by it’s members, overseen by trustees, run by a management committee; with the day-to-day workings carried our by a Farming & Conservation Group and an Education Group.

The Trust manages the land sustainably; sells yellow rattle seed (a pioneer wildflower species that suppresses grass) to support the development of new wildflower meadows; hosts educational visits & courses that empower people to live & work in a more sustainable way through learning & practising new skills; as well as providing space for local people to grow food & set up small livelihoods.

MAKING ENDS MEET

The Trust is a not-for-profit enterprise registered with Environment Wales and a Permaculture Association member. The Farm derives a small income from produce (such as wildflower seed, hay, trees and cuttings), letting space for allotments and bee keeping, as well as educational visits/courses (such as woodland crafts), recreational events (such as LETS fairs and parties), camping and retreats. Other income comes from membership fees, donations and grants (which in the past have included Society for Environmental Improvement, Environment Wales, Coed Cymru, Carmarthen County Council and the National Assembly). It currently receives a 10 yr Tir Gofal grant for sustainable Land Management (through the National Assembly).

GETTING INVOLVED

Get involved with activities here by joining either the Farming & Conservation Group or the Education Group (or even set up a new group to help implement our future plans)

• Take part in an Education Visit Day or Course
• Camp or come on Retreat
• Hold your own Event or Course here
• Rent Organic Allotment space
• Buy willow cuttings
• Stay for up to week, doing volunteer work in exchange for food and boa