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Thursday 9th May 2024 At our next meeting, well-known local horticultural expert, Paul Williams, is giving us a talk on Bourton House Garden. He wil be covering the early stages of the development of the garden, where he was Head Gardener for 18 years, with his usual energy and sense of humour. The meeting is in Bretforton Memorial Hall starting at 7.00pm.

Sunday 2nd June 2024 Our Open Gardens event will soon be happening and, as in previous years, we rely heavily on members to volunteer their time on the day to make it a success. You can help by giving up a couple hours on the various activities and by donating cakes. We’ll be emailing members shortly with details of the help needed that you can reply to online, or you can add your name to the lists at our May meeting. Thank you for your support.

Bretforton Open Gardens Bretforton Garden Club is very fortunate to have the use of Bretforton Manor Garden for our Open Gardens event. As well as the fabulous Manor Garden being open to the public there will be Refreshments, Plants for sale and a Raffle and other set up in the garden.

You might see the resident Alpacas on The Butty (opposite the Manor) while walking round the village as one of their other residences has been kindly loaned to the club for car parking during Open Gardens. The alpacas have been found to produce excellent fertiliser and there will be bags of it to buy both before and during the Open Gardens event, for inspired gardeners (see details below) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Bretforton Bloom Booster Alpaca poo has the highest Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) composition compared to other natural fertilisers. The NPK component is important as these minerals are especially needed for plant growth. It does also contain other micronutrients as well. You can tell where our alpacas poo as these areas of our fields are greener due to the minerals in their poo. Alpaca fertiliser is also good as it doesn’t have to rot down before use so it doesn’t burn the plants. It can be spread directly on, or dug into the soil. You can also add it to your compost.

If you would like to try out Bretforton Bloom Booster yourself. The suggested donation is £2 per bag. Bags can be found on The Butty (the field opposite the Manor) in between the two wooden gates next to Bretforton Hall, Main Street, WR11 7JH. Please put money in the Honesty Box above the bags.

Thank you and happy growing. We hope it will help you to produce prize-winning exhibits at Bretforton Show, to be held at the Manor on Saturday 14th September 2024. Bretforton Manor ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Summer Garden Visits by Coach Sunday 14th July RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon 8.00am-7.00pm. A great opportunity to visit Rosemoor.

Tuesday 20th August Wollerton Old Hall & Dorothy Clive Gardens, Nr Market Drayton 9.00am-6.45pm.

Places on both visits need to be booked in May (we don’t have a club meeting in June). Visits can be paid for online or by cheque/cash at the next meeting and members will be receiving a reminder by email.