GARDEN CLUB MEETING AT PAGEL HOUSE

 

After several damp days, it was with great relief that the Aberdeen Garden Club members were able to sit out in the lush garden of Pagel House for their first meeting of the new year.  Secretary Jadré welcomed the group of nearly thirty people, including several new members. Special thanks were given to those who had made donations to the club, either cash or gifts, all of which will be put to good use. A comments book was circulated, for members to add any ideas of places they would like to visit, and general suggestions, which was very well received.

Denise Weldon read a thought for the day, stressing the importance of a positive outlook. Daniela Hamblin then read a summary from a gardening magazine about what should be done in the garden during the current month –this will be a regular feature of meetings in future. There were many helpful comments from members as to which of the plants mentioned will thrive in the Karoo, and the general agreement was that we are a little “behind” the dates given, and these activities were more for March.

Some of the recommended jobs in the garden are to stake chrysanthemums firmly, behead agapanthus, pull out old canna shoots and fertilise and mulch perennials.In response to a question about red spider mite, a helpful suggestion was given to spray ice-cold water onto the bug, which will cause them to pop, but not harm the plant.

Anna Featherstone then gave out a carob seed pod to each person, with strict instructions to plant the seeds in a tin, ready to plant trees in the town in two or three years time!

The guest speaker was Joos Engelbrecht from Efekto, who had travelled up from Mossel Bay for the day. The Garden Club is very grateful to Greenfingers in Mossel Bay and Tuin Roete Agri in Aberdeen for sponsoring this. Engelbrecht introduced three new products, which attracted much interest. The first, a sort of mini greenhouse, is the Jiffy range, a tray with a clear lid which comes with pellets of compressed fertilizer for starting off seeds. Sockosorb granules are wonderful for using on houseplants if a person is going away, as these absorb water and swell up like a gel. It was noted by some of the younger members that this is the same component as found in disposable nappies! The third new product is Seamungus, pleasant-smelling pellets of fertilizer made from seaweed. This product was given a very enthusiastic endorsement by one member who had used it successfully on an area of new grass.

Engelbrecht went on to explain about the different components in fertilizers, and how each component is needed for a particular area of plant growth. Nitrogen is important for leaf growth, phosphate for roots, and potassium for the flower or fruit, thus the raio of each substance should be determined according to whether the plant is grown for its flowers or its roots.

Much merriment ensued after a question about the use of grey water – for example, that from a bath. Many people have outlets to pipe the used bath and kitchen water directly onto their gardens, but according to Engelbrecht, in the long term this is not good for the garden. Ideally the grey water should be collected into a tank, with soda ash, and filtered before use.

After the talk a lucky draw was held, and several members were lucky enough to win samples of products. Each person was also given a goodie-bag to take home, containing useful literature and a pack of Seamungus. Tea was then served, and many took the opportunity to explore the wonderful garden. Those who had not been before were fascinated by the succulent kaleidoscope which Lynn Dugmore has set up. This consists of a large pipe, with mirrors, above a small tray of succulents. By turning a handle  the tray revolves, and some spectacular images can be seen by peering into the tube.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 8^th March, and more details will be published in the week prior to this. Any prospective new members are welcome to contact Padgie Pienaar on 049 846 0191

Committee members Daniela Hamblin, Jadré Lategan and padgie pinaar with guest speaker Joos Engelbrecht

At the kaleidoscope Meredith kraut, Nicola Woods, Rozanne Gouws, Joan Tinker and Wendy Kritzinger