Bexrose Bulletin

SEPTEMBER  2007

Published by the Bexleyheath & District Rose Society.

Patron:-                 Dr. David G. Hessayon  MBE.

President:-            

Vice President:-    Mr. J. Elliott

Chairman:-           Mr. A. Nunn

Vice Chairman:-  Mr. M. Andrews

Hon. Secretary:-  Mrs. J.Newton

Hon Treasurer:-   Mrs. Z.Neale

Show Secretary:- Mr. A. Neale

Membership Secretary:-  Mrs. M. Cornell                                                                                                                              

Miss V. Rochester

Other Committee members:- Mr. R. Jones, Mr. R. Pulling, Mrs. D. Carr, Mrs. D. Lemon,  Mrs. J. Dyer, Mrs. E. Cleall.

Web Site:-  www.bexrose.org.uk

Email:-   postmaster@bexrose.org.uk

Next Meeting Tuesday   25th September  2007

We meet once again at St. John Fisher Hall, Thanet Rd, Bexley where the hall will be open from 7-15pm for setting up. The meeting will start at 8pm until 10pm with a break at 9pm for refreshments and the raffle and of course a chance to chat to other members. Our speaker this month will be Dr. John Hughes who will be taking us on one of his South American journeys. This time we are going up a volcano in Chile to look at the plants and wild life and I am told the slides are particularly good. Don't forget we are still holding our Rose Table show. Please try to enter in either the experienced or novice section, hopefully the inclement weather has not damaged all your roses. The subject for this months Floral Art section in aid of "The Woodlands Farm Trust" will be "My Hobby".       

Dates for your Diary

September 11th & 12th   London Flower Show. RHS Halls Westminster.

September 29th & 30th  Malvern Autumn Show.

October 9th & 10th  Great Autumn Show Harrogate.

November 9th & 10th  RHS London Flower Show.

RNRS Show Dates for 2007

September 14th to 16th  RNRS Autumn Show  Harrogate

WmH Leisure   Garden Shows for 2007

The Autumn Kent Garden Show, Saturday & Sunday 8th & 9th September. Detling show ground Maidstone Kent. Tickets ring as above or pay on the gate.  Children & Parking free.

All shows open at 9-30am and close at 5pm. Refreshments available.

The Rose Growers Calendar by kind permission of Don Charlton.

September

1.             Continue with the general housekeeping of the rose beds and if necessary spray for insects and disease early in the month. Usually it is advisable to Spray 10 to 14 days before the flush of flowers is expected, this avoids the need to spray and spoil the blooms when they are opening.  Unless the growing season is prolonged for some reason this is probably going to be the last spray treatment needed for this year, so do this one well.

2.             Complete any outstanding budding this month.

3.             Complete orders for new rose bushes as early as possible.

4.             Start the preparation of new rose beds when the weather is kind and other jobs allow.

Rose Table Show for September

Experienced

HT          1st   D. Lemon  2nd No Entry        3rd No Entry

Floribunda            1st   M. Andrews                2nd  No Entry     3rd  No Entry

Miniatures             1st  D. Lemon     2nd No Entry        3rd  No Entry

Points     D. Lemon  8        M. Andrews  4

Total Points          M. Andrews  25  D. Lemon  21   B. Rainsbury  16   E. Purnell  6   A. Nunn  2

Novice

HT          1st  R. Dowdall   2nd  A. Nunn       3rd  V. Pulling

Floribunda            1st  V. Pulling      2nd  A. Nunn       3rd  R. Dowdall

Miniatures             1st  R. Dowdall   2nd  No Entry     3rd  No Entry

Points    R. Dowdall  9      V. Pulling   5        A. Nunn  4

Total Points          V. Pulling  21   R. Dowdall  17  R. Harris  8  L. Beadle  6   J. Miller 5  A. Nunn  4    R. Madden  3   P. Portch  2   J. Riley  1

Country Roses

Recently Sarah Raven wrote an article in the Telegraph Gardening supplement as a companion to the Gardeners World programme that was shown on August 24th. She had been looking into the cut flower industry and found that British growers had diminished greatly over the last 20 years and 90% of all our cut flowers are now grown in Holland, Israel and Kenya. These countries have far larger and more efficient units with lower wages and costs. Gradually the British growers are giving up, unable to compete, but a few small growers are bucking the trend as the Friday night programme shows. She visited a tropical orchid farm near Chichester and David Guscott the sweet pea grower close by. Growers on the Scilly Isles are still producing fragrant bunches of narcissus to adorn our tables over the dark months from November to March.

Most interestingly Sarah found Country Roses on the Essex /Suffolk borders. This business is run by Danae and Robin Duthy and they have been growing roses for the cut flower trade since 2001. They now have 60 varieties in the catalogue all of which have been specially selected for their vase life or best scent, those that will make the best potpourri or wedding confetti. There are none of the long stemmed tiny headed blooms with no fragrance that we are used to seeing in bunches of ten on the market stall or at the florist. These are good tried and tested roses that we grow in our own gardens but perhaps do not cut for ourselves as they last far longer on the bush. Country Roses say their blooms should have a vase life from 5 to 10 days depending on the stage they were cut. Some favourites chosen for their scent are well known varieties such as Just Joey, Gertrude Jekyll, Eveleyn, Compassion, Constance Spry, Golden Celebration, Redoute,and Princess Alexandra. Unlike Dutch and Kenyan roses they are all grown in the fields and have to suffer the English weather conditions but constant dead heading ensures new buds coming along all the time. Undoubtedly you will have a perfect bowl of roses that will fill your room with heavenly scent. We must be aware of the carbon footprint of our cut flowers. As we are getting better at selecting our fresh fruit and vegetables so should we buy our cut flowers on the same principle and save our British growers from extinction.

Country Roses can be found on www.countryroses.co.uk or telephone 01206 273565.   

Lullingstone Castle Plant Fair      Sunday 9th September 11am to 5pm

Mr. & Mrs. Guy Hart-Dyke invite you to their plant fair. Adults £6  NCCPG members £5

Children £2-50. Refreshments available. Among the attractions will be Specialists Plantsmen's and Nursery stalls, World Garden, lawns, lake and woodland.  Further information from Janet Gasson

Tel 01322 864138

Northamptonshire trip  Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd December 2007 (3days  2 nights)

We still have some vacancies for this trip. Cost £198 single £148 per person sharing. The cost includes bed, breakfast and evening meal, coaching and gratuities and entry to Wickstead Park Pavillion for a complete day of entertainment, lunch and afternoon tea.  You can enjoy a train ride in the park. A show featuring west end artists and the talented Wickstead dancers. This will be a good start to your Christmas festivities. Ring Janet or Vanessa to book your place.