Monthly Report
SNITTERFIELD GARDEN CLUB 7th JANUARY 2025 MEETING
On 7th January we were delighted to see a great turnout of members for our talk by Philip Aubury on “Labour saving gardening”. The subject was obviously popular to entice our members out on such a cold evening!
Philip’s premise was that there are four elements to gardening which determine if there is more or less work maintaining any garden:
- Design
- Planting
- Tools
- Techniques
Design elements include whether or not to include grass, how much, what type and what shape. For example small complicated areas are more difficult to mow, some grass species are tougher than others, so how will it be used? Grass also needs edging so should you put in a hard edge? What if the grass butts up to walls? How can you reduce the amount of trimming needed? All points to be considered when planning your garden layout.
Paths are another design element that need careful consideration. Some are cheap and easy to lay (such as gravel) but may take more maintenance long term. Stepping stones in grass are easy to lay and need little maintenance.
Surrounds to your garden should again be considered. You may already have boundaries in place, but if you need to put them in or replace what are there, what are your options? Walls are expensive to build but robust and need little maintenance. Hedges are pleasing to look at and good for wildlife, but need regular trimming. How often depends on the species chosen. Fences are a popular choice but will rot over time, so concrete posts and gravel boards can avoid this, but are less aesthetically pleasing.
Going on to planting Philip discussed the types of plants that are high or low maintenance. Perennials come back each year, shrubs and ground cover plants need less work, whereas bedding plants that only last one season are very high maintenance. Some plants need staking, others require specific soil types and yet others may need a lot of feeding. All points to take into consideration.
Finally considering tools and techniques Philip demonstrated a lot of different tools and discussed the pros and cons of each. There is such a huge variety of tools available that there is no definitive answer to the question of “Which are best?” One general point he made is to always to buy the best you can afford, for example a stainless steel spade. The initial investment may seem great, but will pay you back in the long term. He has at least one spade 40 years old! There are brands which can share parts, for example one handle and different tools to fit on it; there are rechargeable electric tools that can share the same battery. There are also multi-purpose tools that can do more than one task, so buying thoughtfully can be reduce the overall investment. You also need to consider what is safe, easy and comfortable for you to use – is the handle the right length? How heavy is it? How easy is it to manoeuvre? Is an electric tool with a cable going to give a problem in reaching your power supply?
Overall Philip’s talk provided a lot of food for thought as well as useful tips for reducing the work and prolonging the enjoyment of our gardens. He also said that we should think about our garden as somewhere to relax, we should think about “creating a picture to enjoy” and “keep it simple”.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 4th February 2025 in Snitterfield Village Hall when we have Andrew Woodall talking about his work as a head gardener. Old friends and guests plus new members are always welcome. The full list of speakers and garden visits for 2024 -2025 is posted on our web site:
www.snitterfieldgardenclub.org
Jean Harris
Chairman