Newsletter January 2021

• JANUARY TALK - 21st JAN: BLENHEIM PALACE GARDENS, A WALK THROUGH THE PAST
• MEMBERSHIP FOR 2021
• EVENTS FOR 2021
• JOBS FOR JANUARY
• CHARLBURY GARDENERS FACEBOOK

Download as PDF: Newsletter January 2021

TALK - A WALK THROUGH THE PAST

Our next talk will be by Antonia Keaney, researcher at Blenheim Palace

21 Jan 2021 7:30 p.m.

A look at how the gardens at Blenheim have developed over the last 300 years.

"The gardens at Blenheim Palace have changed and developed considerably over the last 300 years – far more than has the Palace itself. Several of the Dukes commissioned the leading landscape architects of their day to create a suitable setting for Britain’s Greatest Palace – Henry Wise, Capability Brown and Achille Duchêne all made huge contributions to the Blenheim landscape – a landscape which, to this day, remains one of the most beautiful in the country."

This talk will be held on Zoom and will be available free for all current members.

An email containing the Zoom link will be sent to all current members a couple of days before the event. There is no need to register beforehand.

It is really important to us that you are able to join the Zoom meetings if you wish to. If you have a problem, please let us know and we can put you in touch with someone to support you and/or to set it up.

If you are not a member currently, see our membership page for information about how to join.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS FOR 2021

All 2020 members and new 2021 members should now have received their membership card for 2021.

If you haven't received yours, please let Geneviève know by emailing: membership@charlburygardensociety.org.uk

A huge thank you for all the generous donations that we have already received! We will do our very best to put these to good use in 2021 and beyond, for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone in Charlbury.

EVENTS 2021

While we are ever hopeful that we may be able to meet again ‘face to face’ with the Spring Show, we have some fascinating Zoom talks to enjoy before then.

FEBRUARY
February will bring us a Zoom talk by Darren Lerigo on how we can help the honey bee and in March we are excited to welcome Emma Harris-Bass who we know from the Kitchen Garden People at Chadlington. Later in the year we hope to be able to visit the kitchen gardens as well.

See the page: http://www.charlburygardensociety.org.uk/events/helping-honeybee/

APRIL
The Spring Show will be held a little later this year on 24th April, more details to follow later.
Please do keep checking the web-site to find out more details and do encourage friends to join the society if they would like to attend any of these talks.

See the page: Spring Show 2021

JOBS FOR JANUARY

(Taken from David Domoney)

PROTECT PLANTS
January’s cold frosts and bitter winds mean tender plants need extra protection.

Wrap them in horticultural fleece to guard foliage and cover lowgrowing rows with polytunnels.

Containers: You should also lift containers up onto pot feet – this helps the rain drain away and prevents any waterlogging.

Wet compost can rot roots, as well as causing pots to crack in frost.

Snow: If it snows, the extra weight on tree and shrub branches can cause them to snap, so be sure to knock it off with a broom.

When it warms: Make sure to remove plant protection as soon as the temperatures start to rise. Warm, damp air is a haven for rot and mould.

FEED THE BIRDS
Natural food sources for birds are in short supply in winter, so help your garden birds by regularly putting out food for them.

It’s better to feed them little and often, and always put out some fresh water too.

You can buy feed or make your own homemade bird fat balls really easily too.

FAT BALL RECIPE

• Good quality bird seed
• Raisins
• Peanuts
• Grated cheese
• Suet or lard
• Yoghurt pots
• String
• Mixing bowl
• Scissors

Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of a yoghurt pot. Thread string through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Leave enough string so that you can tie the pot to a tree or your bird table.
Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, but don’t melt it. Then cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl.
Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix them together with your finger tips. Keep adding the seed/raisin/cheese mixture and squidging it until the fat holds it all together.
Fill your yoghurt pots with bird cake mixture and put them in the fridge to set for an hour or so.
Hang your speedy bird cakes from trees or your bird table. Watch for greenfinches, tits and possibly even great spotted woodpeckers.

Taken from the RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk

CHARLBURY GARDENERS

Don't forget to check out the Charlbury Gardeners group. It's at https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlburygardeners/, it's public, and it's got 170 members. It's a place for chatting and sharing.

CONTRIBUTIONS & HELP

If you would like to contribute anything to the newsletter for the next month, please contact us. Photographs and short written articles would be welcomed.

We are also looking for members interested in helping at or organising events and shows (it is not a committee post so there are no requirements to attend committee meetings).

If you would like any more information please email secretary@charlburygardensociety.org.uk.