CHURCH CROOKHAM and FLEET GARDEN SOCIETY
Dear Member, November 2026
All the water butts are filling back up and time in the garden is in short bursts between the rain showers. (I wrote that before this dry spell!). And rest assured, you are not the only one still to plant up all their bulbs, there is still time, honestly. On that note I apologize for not having a mystery bulb available to you for our Spring show. I ran out of time basically basking in the extended summer. Before I knew it bulb season had been and gone.
The shed will be open on Saturday 7th November and Saturday 5th December. Jill will have a well-deserved break and then reopening on 20th March, the day of our Spring show.
We have just had new deliveries, so we will be fully stocked, and Gillian will be bringing along plants to sell on the 7th. Please come down to the shed to see us and renew your membership for next year.
Membership remains £5 before May 2027, and you can call in to renew or get in touch with a committee member who can provide you with account details for a bank transfer. Renewing your membership is important to us as it allows us to restock the shed, arrange the talks and shows, pay for all the associated expenses and basically keep running. We are working hard putting on more talks for next year. Check out our dates for the diary, at the bottom of this newsletter.
Please spread the word of our Society and Trading shed. We need more members. We are all volunteers, and it is vital we have a strong membership base to keep running. If you can spare a few hours helping at the shed or join our committee, please get in touch. You can join us at meetings or just come along when you can. We are always looking for fresh ideas, input and ways of expanding our membership.
Our AGM is on 30th January 2pm at the Willis Hall. This is followed by a question-and-answer session with RHS Wisley understorey planting expert Julia Wilson. Julia has worked at Wisley for ten years and will be on hand to answer any questions. I will be wanting to know the best plant for a dry, shady spot. There will also be a chance to socialise with tea and coffee available.
Please find attached our quiz show report which was held in October. A good night was had by all and we all went home much wiser.
(Autumn colours)
Now that autumn is here do get out and enjoy the colours. The Vyne, National Trust house and gardens near Basingstoke, still boasts golden hues and will be lovely and quiet now the schools are back.
House plants, cacti and succulents are on sale (in aid of Phyliss Tuckwell Hospice Care) at the Crondall Christmas gift fair on Monday 2nd November (eve) and all-day Tuesday 9.30-4pm. It’s £3 entry on Tuesday at the Village Hall, and the stall is run by our friend and supporter Helen Baker. I only heard about this today! If you have a garden related event you would like me to tell our members about, get in touch.
On 17th April we will be having our own plant sale at the Trading shed. We will be happy to accept any plant donations between now and then. This will enable us to have a good range of plants available at great prices for our members.
Dates for the Diary
Saturday 7th November and 5th December 10-11.30am Trading shed open. Renew Membership.
Saturday 30th January 2-4pm – AGM and Q&A with Julia Wilson RHS Wisley understorey expert. Willis Hall, Church Crookham (next to War Memorial Hall)
Saturday 20th March – Spring Show. War Memorial Hall, Church Crookham
Saturday 20th March – Trading shed Opening Day 10-11.30am
Saturday 17th April – Plant sale at the Trading shed 10-11.30am. Donations welcome.
Tuesday 4th May, WI Hall, Crookham Village 7pm. Talk by Stephen Pollard – Pelargoniums
Friday 25th June, WI Hall, Crookham Village, 7pm. Talk by Daisy Baggs, Horticulturist ‘Tales from a Temperate Rainforest: Enchanted by Chile’.
July – Talk tbc
July – RHS Wisley visit tbc
Saturday 7th August – Summer Flower show, WI Hall, Crookham Village
October – Quiz night tbc
Happy Gardening
Helen Howard