A Festival of Fuschias

By Christine Mole, Suffolk Groups National Collections Co-ordinator

Now that the 2005 festive season has well and truly passed, it is time to make some New Year resolutions, ie to visit plant collections new to you!

One opportunity that I recommend you make a note of on your calendar is the open weekend for the fuchsia collection held at Orwell High School, Felixstowe. The Fuchsia Festival this year
takes place on 12 August between 10.30am and 5pm and on 13 August from 10.30am to 4pm. It is unique in its format.

I have attended it the last two years and find there is an abundance of things to see. In the main hall, used for refreshments, you are warmly welcomed by a stand bursting with Fuchsia 'Thalia'. The display of oriental figures on the stage was used for the previous year’s carnival float theme by the Fuchsia Club, plus there is an opportunity to win a fuchsia plant from a 'Gift Box'. The ceiling and corridor wall linking the rooms in use are decorated with suspended fuchsia-like flowers and embroidered pendants, which are made by the female members of the club who meet once a week. Another room has photos of members’ gardens, poetry, tributes to past members and fuchsia plants that they introduced.

There are still another two large rooms to view - one with fuchsia displays and plants for sale, the other has stalls selling fuchsia plants and various other plants, jewellery, glass vases, tablecloths, sweatshirts, etc, all with a fuchsia theme.

If you require any advice this has been catered for too, with lectures and demonstrations throughout both days. The effort put into this event made me think that the Galanthophiles have a lot of catching up to do!

Last year I was given a plant of Fuchsia 'Teds Tribute' - a hybrid found in the greenhouse of the late Ted Stiff who was group chairman for 27 years, which our committee intends to propagate
from and use as a free plant at a future spring plant sale.

There would normally be a collection to view in August - the Hibiscus syriacus at Notcutts Nursery, Woodbridge. However, this year changes are planned: the shrubs, which were planted nine years ago by Ivan Dickings and can easily be viewed as one walks or drives past the site, are to be removed because of building work.

Cuttings have been taken from the existing shrubs. Jan Lambourn (Plant Conservation Officer) and I have been to see them planted in their field location before the collection is returned to another part of the nursery complex in the future.

Visit To 'The Place For Plants

Natalie Finch

About 25 members of the Suffolk Group met at The Place for Plants at East Bergholt at 5.45pm on 6 October to view the collection of Euonymus.

We were welcomed to a delicious tea in the plant centre, presided over by Sarah Eley, and at about 6.15pm we set off through the garden with Rupert Eley leading the way. The garden always looks marvellous in October with so many fruiting trees and autumn colours just beginning. As we walked along Rupert pointed out some interesting trees, among them Crataegus jonesiae, a small tree particularly noted for its large bright glossy fruits of shiny red.

When we passed beneath the Cercidyphyllum trees, we were rewarded by the sweetly pungent burnt sugar scent of the fallen leaves. This strong fragrance pervaded the evening air. Rupert
remarked on the Drimys lanceolata, a large aromatic shrub of neat habit from Tasmania, and we paused to admire, and to wonder at the remarkable long blue seed pods of Decaisnea fargesii
which looked like a broad bean in shape.
We stopped by the lovely specimen Parrotia persica which is a tall wide spreading tree with beautifully flaking bark, and all the leaves turning crimson and gold.
Finally, in the smoky dusk we are right at the Euonymus collection where we were introduced to the plants by the ever entertaining and informative Matthew Tanton Brown.

He told us that this collection of 140 Euonymus came from Holland, and that they thrive on the sandy soil. He said that in fact the colour improves on sandy soil and that Euonymus are drought tolerant.

Euonymus flower in May, but the flowers are fairly insignificant. The chief beauty and attraction are the lovely autumn colours, and the fruits which are very showy, lobed and sometimes winged, and which persist into winter.

He advised planting a few together to obtain fruits as single specimens will sometimes disappoint due to imperfect flowers. If there is a spindle hedge nearby, these will cross pollinate and help to produce good fruits. However a wet spring can damage the flowers and therefore the fruit.
We were surprised by the beautiful autumn hues of the leaves, and the different shaped berries on these plants. Matthew regretted that the sun was not shining to enhance the colours of the leaves, but there was a great atmosphere in the garden in the fading light. I noted some Euonymus that particularly appealed to me, and returned to the garden a few days later to confirm my opinion.

They were Euonymus verrucosus, a medium shrub with autumn colours of pink and gold. I also liked Euonymus europaeus, a scarlet wonder which was covered with pretty red fruits. Very
striking was Euonymus sanguineus which is rare in cultivation and has burgundy red leaves. Euonymus europaeus ‘Thornhayes’ had beautiful pink fruit. I returned several times to admire the beautiful Euonymus bungeanus ‘Fire Flame’ from China which has pale pink leaves and which needs full sun; there was one tiny exquisite little fruit left among the leaves.

The shrub which stood out most on our twilight tour was Euonymus europaeus albus with iridiscent white fruit. As the evening dreamed its way into darkness, the fruits shone in a ghostly way.

Back in the plant centre Matthew introduced us to many Euonymus for sale. I returned the next day and bought Euonymus alatus ‘Ciliodentatus’ which is a compact and slow growing shrub, and which would be suitable for smaller gardens. I also purchased Euonymus alatus ‘Rudy Haag’. They look good in the garden where they complement the deep crimson leaves of Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’.

I was hoping to buy Euonymus europaeus albus with its shining white fruit, but sadly they did not have it. I have asked them to find me one as I can’t forget its beauty.

Thanks to Matthew for a most interesting talk and to Rupert for introducing us to the Euonymus collection.

Bulls Eye

Suffolk Group Hit Centre Spot at Plant Sale

Robert Shepperton

Given a target to aim at we all want to hit the bull, and these days it seems as though few of us are exempt from the rather debatable influence of targets. People in business have long set targets, now the public sector has followed: hospitals, police, DSS, local government, etc.

I am more fortunate, mine is generally a life of self determination and freedom: no boss, no disgruntled customers, no employees' jobs dependant upon the meeting of sales targets or production output, all very desirable. So, do I gratefully and sensible accept this very comfortable state of affairs, or do I rather stupidly insist upon setting my own self imposed targets, with all the potential for stress,
anxiety and personal failure, which is inherit in such a policy.

The answer of course is that I am stupid. At this time last year I boldly wrote of £1000 sales at Helmingham and of £700 achievable at Euston. Unfortunately it is easier to speak of than to do, and likewise easier to set targets than to achieve them. Consequently, as the first signs of spring arrive so did the first signs of self-doubt: What to grow? How many of each? Will anyone turn up for the propagation day?

They did turn up of course, reliable as ever, producing several hundred pots full of plants all neatly lined up at the allotment, full of promise for the season to come. An excellent effort, but then came more doubt: Will these flower at sale time? Can I water them? What about transport?

As it transpired many of them did flower, though with some noticeable exceptions. The Siberian Iris in particular sulked in their pots, growing little and universally refusing to produce a single flower amongst the 30 or so pots. Watering was problematic; my barrels ran dry two weeks short of the Euston sale, half way though
the only hot and dry spell of the year. There followed a laborious fortnight of carting water from the house in 15gallon loads: four loads per watering, four waterings per week.

“Carting water does have a certain Roman virtue” quipped my neighbour as I laboured by. Whilst I agreed with his philosophy the practicalities were, I felt, rather less than wholly uplifting.

By way of merciful release sale day finally arrived. The transportation dilemma was overcome with the help of Sarah Edmundson's estate car, our group trailer plus every square millimetre of space inside my own vehicle. The weather was, uniquely rather good, a decent crowd attended and sales were buoyant. Valuable contributions arrived from group members, as always, and we sold most of our stock, as always. Yet still there remained the gnawing question, had we broken the £1000 barrier, was the target met? Do I crack open the special brew or settle for a cold cup of tea?

The answer was furnished by our treasurer Justine. Shortly after the show closed she wandered over, a picture of relaxed confidence.

“I suppose you would like to know your takings?” She ventured, displaying, I thought, just a trace of concern in her voice. Fanning Oscar-winning disinterest I casually replied, “Go on then, I don't suppose we cracked it.”

“Awfully sorry,” said she, “but it's £997!”

Pretending not to clutch at the table for support I laughed hollowly in reply. “So close, but yet it's our best ever result, I'm really pleased” I lied.

Sensing the desperate looks on our faces, our charming, witty and highly intelligent treasurer cast her eyes over our remaining stock and declared “That plant is just what I've been looking for, exactly what I need for the garden. I wonder how much such a plant might be?”

“I fancy that exactly £3 will cover it, special price, just for you!” said I
“Done!” said she, formally handing over the cash which I then returned with a flourish of triumph, not easily forgotten.

The result from Helmingham is a little less pleasing to recount: here we fell just short of my £700 target. However, it was still our best ever result. Selling plants in autumn does seem to have become more difficult according to several growers I have spoken to.

Indeed a good many nursery men and women have reported that 2005 has been a difficult year, and even as I write, replete with Christmas plenty, the entire retail industry is desperately hoping that the winter sales will rescue a year of flagging fortunes.

Viewed in this context we have good reason to celebrate: sales continue to increase, records have been broken and some targets met! By comparison with professional growers we are small scale, but then our resources are limited and our labour force is entirely voluntary. We are after all a charity, not a business. Nevertheless the
distribution of good plants is a major part of our charitable business and in that respect we are increasingly fulfilling our constitutional aims.

I would like to extend thanks to all of you who have helped with our sales, propagation and transport, or by bringing along your own plants for donation. This is very much a group effort so I look forward to seeing familiar and new faces at this year’s events. We have propagation sessions in March and in July, in preparation for the plant sales in May and September. For dates please refer to the
events list.

Chairman's Letter

Maggie Thorpe

Our 2005 annual general meeting was a very splendid affair. Caroline Erskine welcomed all 55 of us to her lovely home and we thank her for providing a delicious supper. We welcomed Jan Lambourn, the National Plant Conservation Officer, who met most of our collection holders for the first time.

After the business of the meeting, Sue Russell gave a short and very amusing talk entitled 'Tonight our speaker is….' Members expressed their sadness at the Russells' move from Mills Farm Plants to Herefordshire - they will indeed be missed.

Anne Tweddle, our very excellent secretary, rushed off to Thailand in July to assist her brother in the launch of a new product. We certainly miss her and, in her usual competent manner, she is being so successful for her brother that he cannot let her go and we are unlikely to get her back for a little while yet.

I welcome Sarah Cook and Sue Burton who were elected to the committee at the AGM. Sue Burton has kindly agreed to serve as minutes secretary.

The changeover in the system of membership is working its way through and our membership secretary, Pauline Byford, has managed admirably. All members joining the association will
automatically become members of the county in which they live and each will receive a free copy of the Collections Directory, a great little book to have to hand giving you access to collection holders in all parts of the country.

We will in fact inherit a number of new Suffolk members right away, people who joined at Hampton Court and who live in this area. Altogether, I feel heartened by this change - it bodes well for a much stronger society and there will be many benefits and offers coming from central administration. Our Suffolk membership now stands at 203; this includes 30 new members this year.

Our two plant sales were both very successful and congratulations to Robert Shepperson, our propagation officer, who met his £1000 target at Euston!

Bernard Tickner has made his garden at Fullers Mill a charitable trust to ensure it lives on when he is no longer able to look after it. He has put in a request for any member who might be willing to help in the garden on a regular basis to get in touch with him. It would be a great opportunity to learn under his skilled management. Either ring him direct (01284 728248) or speak to me.

Demeter, the absolutely wonderful software designed especially for storing all plant collection details, their names, accessions numbers, plant history, provenance and even garden locations such as bed numbers etc., has now been sent out to those collection holders who requested it. Christine Mole and I spent a training day learning how to use it and were most impressed.

The cost of this software has been met entirely by outside funding, mainly from the Heritage Lottery, and is totally free to collection holders. However, there will be another version for gardeners who wish to record their plants and a wide range of information associated
with them. This version will be available soon and should cost under £100.

We have just heard that Aveda, the American company who is the world's leading maker of pure plant-based beauty and lifestyle products has chosen the NCCPG once again to be a partner in their Earth Month campaign, this time concentrating on plants with medicinal uses. All donations raised during this campaign will be used by the NCCPG to enhance public understanding about cultivated plants at all levels. Last year we received a cheque for nearly £28,000, so please encourage all your friends to take part in salons displaying the Aveda products.

I also want to record my thanks to Andrew and Jenny Clarke who have managed our website this year. Do remember to check it from time to time and watch out for news on the national website too: www.nccpgsuffolk.org and www.nccpg.com

I look forward to another wonderful year and hope to meet more of you at some of our events.