<News Spring 2005>

Newsletter Spring 2005

VSO have written with a note saying that they have not heard from me for some time! - well one can't keep in contact with everyone all of the time. Their website is one way which one can find out how the VSO helps to bring about positive change in some of the worlds most disadvantaged communities.		The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew have sent me some information about the Kew Diploma in Horticulture. Course details from Barbara Hanson, School of Horticulture, RBG, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB email: kewdip@kew.org (The Kew website www.kew.org is one to have on your favourites if you like plants)
Christine Walkden - a very able horticulturist and one of our tutors has been invited to present 6 half hour programmes on BBC2 on her life as a gardener and how that relates to the people she works with. What a challenge. Snowdrop Rembrance Garden - Colin’s first garden was swept away with hospital rebuilding plants at North Tyneside General Hospital, but he kindly wrote and told us of a new Snowdrop Garden at Hexham General Hospital. It is a lovely idea and can only help at a difficult time of year. He also sent a copy of his poem ‘Branching Out’. Elizabeth wrote to say that “there has not been a course that I have enjoyed more and I’ve done quite a few with the OU and Plaskett Nutrition Medicine College. I have received nothing but positive comments and encouragement from yourself and your tutors and your enthusiasm for horticulture is very clear .… Anke – wrote to thank us for a great course.		Scottish beach pebbles and a small water feature with Paul who did much of the work. Emma Graham who does superb artwork has been commissioned to illustrate pumpkins and gourds - depicted as Russians Dolls for Thompson and Morgan. www.egrahamillustrations.cwc.net
The Green Gardener – who have occasionally given us prizes of predaceous eelworms to control slugs and vine weevil larvae – has sent us details of their latest newsletter www.greengardener.co.uk/newsletter.may.htm They have the idea of introducing shelters for ladybirds and lacewings.		Callum Johnston’s Nursery Garden Melford, Powys, Tan-y-llyn has a programme of events – an open day with teas, a live music programme on 5th June. Sat/Sun 2 & 3rd July – a Man of the Woods display of original structures from recycled tree forms www.tanyllyn.the-nursery.co.uk
Pam wrote in very kindly – she had recently sat the RHS General examination. She was praising her tutors and looked forward to receiving her marked work back together with the tutors letter (and this of course is exactly how it should be!)		17555 Tracey emailed us with the good news that she had gained her 4th pass of her RHS Diploma and being a glutton for punishment she had contacted the RHS about the Masters of Horticulture – which is being re-modelled at the moment.
Bev was also very appreciative of the help from her tutor “I have thoroughly enjoyed the course and it has been very interesting and informative”		15812 Emma A. wrote to say that she had enjoyed her Leisure Gardening course immensely.
Cyclamen roum - from the seed back illustrated in our book on Plant Propagation. Even now as late as this - May there are still one or two cyclamen in flower. (to purchase this book please go to our shop)		Red Alert for Lily Beetle The H.D.C. News (Horticultural Development Council) have announced a 3 year PhD research project by the RHS entomologist Andrew Salisbury – so maybe we can look forward to a better system that the almost daily check for visible beetles on our trumpet lilies plants. The beetles make such a mess and leave so much devastation one is unlikely to miss seeing them – at least after their damage is well under way. Plant and Propagators – the newsletter of the Great Britain and Ireland region of the International Plant Propagators Society – have a front page article promoting a prize of £800 for the best practical nursery research. This is a Richard Marty Award from a legacy he left some years back. The IPPS are a brilliant organisation be a part of, if you are or seek to be a professional plant propagator. The contact is ipps@paston.co.uk

Sue wrote out of the blue with an update on her career and says I’d be delighted to be a little help in encouraging other potential students of horticulture.

“I was a previous student of HCC (I think in 1999-2000), undertaking a correspondence course in Garden Landscape Construction. I just thought perhaps you’d be interested to know how one can progress in the horticultural world!

After successfully completing the course (I also won the Tutorial prize for outstanding academic work), I went on to do an HND in Commercial Horticulture at Hadlow College. After this I was able to work in a variety of places such as overseas work in organic horticulture, and some landscaping. I then worked for two major organic box scheme companies as Technical Manager/QA, and last year started my MSc in Postharvest Technology at Writtle College part time. I am also doing research work into 1-MCP with various fruits. I might even go on to my PhD afterwards! Well there you have it! Thank you for the kick-start to this career.”

Wendy has written and sent a CD with lovely images of the Olive orchard that she has been establishing in New Zealand. The Southern Alps behind with the river Wairoa and this olive orchard of 35 acres plus 65 acres of grapes must be a substantial holding by any standards. The Olives apparently are in full production in their 7th to 8th year. The photos taken in 2001 shows the young trees early in their production cycle with a catch crop of peas beneath while the trees are so young.

It is an exciting challenge to be a part of and in such a magnificent location. (ref 17241)