This page has been created to present gardening tips and general information.
If you wish to make any contributions to this page, you will be given full accreditation for any information produced. Please contact Carol. In addition to any general gardening tips, please feel free to comment on the content of the Show schedule. The details of the classes are provided on the schedule page but if you would like to see more or less of something, or a different emphasis please let us know because we try and take comments on board for future shows. We would like to encourage more people to participate so lets have your ideas.
We have recently developed some information for those new to exhibiting because it is sometimes difficult to obtain advice and we would like to welcome more new faces and encourage people to give it a go. Please see the growing and showing page and let us know what you think.
Growing native species
The Woodland Trust has launched an on-line shop to make planting native trees and shrubs as easy as possible. It lists a large selection of cell-grown saplings that, they say, are smaller but more robust than bare-rooted plants. They are also very reasonably priced starting at £9.95 for four. The site (www.native-tree-shop.com) offers advice on species, how and where to plant them, and how to look after the growing trees. All profits go to supporting the Woodland Trust, which cares for more than 50,000 acres of woodland in the UK.
Borrow ideas from other gardens
There are an incredible number of books available about gardening in its various forms. In fact the choice can be quite daunting. Instead of splashing out on something you may only dip into once or twice, there is no substitute for visiting other gardens to give you ideas on what you could aim for.
The National Trust gardens at Leith Hall and Crathes are well worth a visit because of the diversity of planting, and the colour schemes and range of garden conditions. They also have the benefit of being local and can demonstrate which plants are suitable for our weather and soils. Remember to take a notepad with you so that you can jot down the names of any plants that take your fancy. These places are still worth visiting in the winter months because the hard landscaping and basic structure of the gardens are more obvious.
Also look out in the Press and Journal on the "What's on" page for details of other gardens open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme and other shows to visit during the summer season.
Armchair gardening
A wealth of information can be accessed without leaving your front room. An increasing number of gardening suppliers, seed merchants, clubs and societies now have a presence on the Internet.
As far as exhibiting is concerned, the following sites may be of interest:
National Vegetable Society
http://www.nvsuk.org.uk
National Dahlia Society
http://www.dahlia-nds.co.uk
National Chrysanthemum Society
http://www.ncsuk.info
The weekly magazine Garden News gives a blow by blow account of what you should be doing throughout the year to grow and prepare your exhibits and is a helpful source of information to new and experienced gardeners/exhibitors
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