Gardeners' Question Time Meeting

At our open meeting on 5th August attended by well over 60 members and friends at the Parish Hall, we had the pleasure of acting as host to the Radio Solent Topsoil Team, Bill Boyd and Tom McKinley, but sadly without Ray Broughton from Sparsholt. Wide ranging questions were asked and answered, including:

• how to make pears on a tree which are always hard, more edible.
• the best way to deal with rust on Winchester Cathedral roses; and mildew on azaleas after flowering.
• how much and when to prune a leggy tree paeony

  and not least

• how to identify a long spindly lettuce like specimen bearing long spiky pale blue flowers, standing nearly 4ft high. Weed or flower, that is the question. Mr Boyd asked for this to be sent to Radio Topsoil for identification. The answer was discussed on the Topsoil Programme on Saturday 17th August when the team agreed this was a piece of chicory possibly from bird seed as it is not native of this country

We certainly should have recorded the answers to these and the other 20 or so questions asked, all dealt with in the friendly, humorous and helpful way that has characterised Bill Boyd and his team.

The competition for August "An onion grown in a pot, from a set issued in April", was won by Gwen Compton, with June Ducker second and Muriel Wilmshurst third.

Shawford & Compton Horticultural Society Show

The third Society Annual Show was held at the Parish Hall on Saturday 10th August with a total of 358 entries submitted by 39 exhibitors well exceeding the 296 and 33 respectively we had last year. Again the judges commented on the exceptionally high standard of the exhibits, in the flower, vegetable and fruit sections in particular, despite difficult growing conditions. The principal trophy winners were:

The Kelmscott Rose Bowl. awarded to the overall winner of the Show, by a handsome margin for the third year running, was won by:
Mr Reg Ducker
Runner up:- Mrs Gwen Compton

The Kelmscott Silver Vase - for the best garden in the Show, also for the third year running was won by: Mrs Gwen Compton

Runner up:- Mr Ray Wilmshurst

Smith Bradbeer Cup - for the overall winner(s) of the Flower and Flower Arranging Sections was won jointly by: Mrs Jo Pitt

Mr Ray Wilmshurst

Mrs Pauline Wilson

Attwood Cup - for the overall winner of the Homecraft Section was won by: Mrs Muriel Wilmshurst

Runner up:- Mrs June Ducker

Winners of the individual sections in the Show were:

• Vegetables 1st Mr R Ducker - 68 points

2nd Mrs G Compton - 32 points

3rd Mr P Cole - 17 points

• Fruit 1st Mr R Ducker - 12 points

2nd Mrs G M Dawson - 8 points

2nd Mr P Cole - 8 points

• Flowers 1st Mr R Wilmshurst - 20 points

2nd Mrs J Ducker - 10 points

2nd Mrs J Pitt - 10 points

2nd Mrs A Robertson - 10 points

2nd Mrs P Wilson - 10 points

• Flower Arranging

1st Mrs I Pitt - 10 points

1st Mrs P Wilson - 10 points

3rd Mrs A Case -

8 points

SHAWFORD & COMPTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (cont.)

• Gardens 1st Mrs G Compton - 66 points

2nd Mr R Wilmshurst - 64 points

3rd Mr M Dawson - 62 points

3rd Mr R Ducker - 62 points

• Junior 1st Gemma Alexander - 10 points

2nd Robin Foote - 8 points

2nd Cameron Foote - 8 points

• Homecraft 1st Mrs M Wilsmhurst - 16 points

2nd Mrs J Ducker - 14 points

3rd Mrs G Compton - 12 points

3rd Mrs M Lowman - 12 points

The winner of each section was presented with a Society China Cup and Saucer and Winner's Certificate. Runners up likewise received a certificate.

We were delighted with the standard of the children's entries and would like to congratulate everyone who took part. We were also delighted that so many members of the public came to see the exhibits in the afternoon and we look forward to many new members joining us.

There will be two meetings of the Society in September, on 2nd and 30th respectively. The competition for the meeting on 2nd will be:

"A Fuschia grown in a pot from a cutting issued in November 1995"

and for the meeting on 30th:

"The Best Sunflower Head".

MONTY DAWSON