Gardening Clubs - Do you have a local one?

[amandaandherveg]

I've been trying to find a local Gardening Club in the surrounding towns and villages but it seems there's not one.

I'm thinking of trying to set one up - do you go to one or have you been a member in the past? If so could you tell me how it was run, what you did, how often you met, where you went, how much did you pay, etc. If you've not gone to one what would you like? Outings, visits, seed/plant swaps, guest speakers? I'm looking for ideas.

[veggiechicken]

I belong to one in a small village. We meet once a month for a talk in the rugby club house. Its about £5 a year (I think!). There's a plant sale in ?May, with local growers and club member's plants. An Annual show (including crafts) with competitions and prizes. In the summer we go on trips to local gardens - either hiring a bus or carshare. We don't have any allotments in the village so everything is grown in our gardens. In July, about 25 village gardens are open for a Garden Crawl - to raise money for the local lifeboat (not RNLI and funded by locals). We also maintain some of the public planting areas in the village.

[alldigging]

Not yet.

Andy (Samurailord) and me have been talking about getting something like this going in our area.

[Mikey]

There's one in our village, but to be honest I don't have the spare time to go along and sit and chat with the old boys. I know I would get roped into weeding the community centre beds or something. There simply isn't enough spare computer time for it.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Where exactly are you Amanda?

[amandaandherveg]

Thanks for your replies, all good info to ponder on.

AP do you know of any? I'm South of Stoney near L'Kirk

[Aberdeenplotter]

Amanda, I've judged the Glenbervie Amateur Hortus Club Flower show which isn't too far away from you.
details here - https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/clu...ganisation=960 .It shows the area covered as Stonehaven, Laurencekirk which seems to be you

[amandaandherveg]

AP, I usually go to the Glenbervie Show and the Open Garden as it's only 6 miles from me. Thanks for the link, I'll give the lady a call tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

[Dead Dogs]

I've been trying to find a local Gardening Club in the surrounding towns and villages.....................do you go to one or have you been a member in the past?

Not any more.
Read in the local rag that the Thurso gardening club had folded due to lack of support. In the three years I have been in Caithness I didn't even know there was a club in Thurso and I did look for one.

[amandaandherveg]

Oh that's disappointing DD

[amandaandherveg]

When out walking the dogs today I asked a few folks I bumped into if they would be interested in an informal Gardening Club. It seems we have quite a few so I'm planning on putting a little notice in the village newsletter to gauge interest.

If you were going to a club such as this what would you be interested in? I'm thinking once a month, plant/seed/seedling swaps, talks and demonstrations by guests, outings, garden visits, etc. The village already has a gang of us that take care of the communal planters/hanging baskets and we also do a Open Gardens Fundraiser every year so this would be more gardening related rather than community.

[Matt94]

Well I'm part of a horticultural society (intact I'm a member of the committee) and we are in the middle of a residential area - we have a large Anderson style shelter that we sell fertilisers from ect - in the summer we sell plants and we hold a show once a year where local people can show their produce, flowers, baking and handicrafts ect. We also have a large rhubarb patch where people can pick their own for 40p per LB!