Slaley Gardening club meets on the last Thursday of every month in the Commemoration Hall at 7.30 pm (the only exception being in July and August, when it’s Summer Holiday time!). There is a small fee of about £2 towards the hire of the Hall and cost of guest speakers, and of course refreshments.
We cater for all needs and abilities, at any level from vegetable patches to window boxes, or just a house plant. We have talks, slide shows, garden visits, quizzes and guest speakers. Everybody is welcome, there is no joining fee or membership – just drop in when you want, and enjoy yourself. If you’re lucky it might even be the night when there is a glass of wine on offer. The Club is run informally with a big emphasis on fun and laughter, but most importantly Gardening.
Please contact Nigel or Jackie Green (Tel: 01434 673 210), by email to n.green61@btinternet.com, or just turn up on the last Thursday of the month.
The Slaley gardening group held its first meeting in January 2008. This new gardening group was the idea of Nigel Green. After many questions and conversations at Slaley show in the Horticultural tent, where I preside on show day as the Horticultural secretary, and in the bar of the Rose and Crown public house, I decided that there was a passion in Slaley and the district for gardening. So the club was planted, to pardon the pun.
The meetings are meant to be fun and informal, so the nights from the start have been varied. We have had talks about Yorkshire’s spring Gardens, Alpines, and the growing of Tomatoes from guest speakers, we have had a quiz night with more planned, and the group’s very first outing to Birkheads “Secret Garden”, which was very successful.
Part of the idea of starting the club was for people to learn about and enjoy entering flowers, vegetables and produce in Slaley Show and the Leek Club Show. The experience of coming back after the judging to see if you have a prize card next to your exhibit is a wonderful feeling, knowing that all your hard work has ended up with first, second or third prize and a little brown envelope, but without a shadow of a doubt that over five thousand people will gaze at your entry!
There are no experts amongst us but we are all willing to learn from each other, swap ideas, swap plants and share our success and failures. So whatever your persuasion in gardening, be it flowers, vegetables, trees, alpines, orchids, or prize lawns that you could bowl on, just come along!
