TRIPS AND VISITS
TRIP TO WESTCOMBE HOUSE
May 4th, 2022
On one of those most beautiful evenings that May can give, the club had an opportunity to have a private visit to Westcombe House at West Bradley. Once we had all congregated – and had our photograph taken - we were given a brief history of the garden and then left to wander but with both Keith and David answering our questions as we walked around. There is a formal area around the house planted up beautifully, and it then opens into wild flower meadows with mown paths and a large number of ornamental trees. As it was early May the trees were just coming into leaf and flower and this gave a lightness of colour and an ethereal delicacy to the whole beautiful space. As we made our way down to the Camassia planted far meadow, the cattle in the field next door decided we were the most interesting thing to happen to them all day. There was much moo-ing and hooting as they bodged and nudged each other closer and closer to the stream between us and them. It seems they are not that well fenced in, so to prevent our small group becoming a much larger one, the fence bars were put up and we all strolled nonchalantly back towards the terrace for either a glass of chilled white or a soft drink. Perfect! This garden is open again under the National Gardens Scheme (Yellow Book) scheme on Saturday August 27th when it will look the same but totally different. Highly recommended.
TRIP TO BLACK SHED FLOWERS
June 26th, 2019
On 26th June the Garden Club had an afternoon trip, kindly arranged by one of our members, to the Black Shed Flower Farm. The sun came out for us at 2pm and shone ever after! The owner, Paul Strickland, gave us a couple of hours tour of their astonishing fields of flowers and then tea and biscuits in their drying shed/grain silo/office. The energy of the couple who run it was extraordinary. A couple of acres of flowers and expanding to fulfil the orders from florists and weddings and passers-by. He is now booked as our speaker for February 2020 when he can explain to all of us his whole project and vision.
They are open to passing trade should you wish to get a beautiful bunch of seasonal, locally grown flowers. They are just outside Sherborne in the same site as the Toy Barn. Highly recommend.
OPEN GARDEN
August 11th, 2019
Two of our members opened their garden to fellow members of the garden club on 11th August.  Members were able to enjoy a walk around the garden and see over 300 dahlias in full bloom. We had heavy downpours during the afternoon - the first heavy rain for three months! But this didn't dampen our enthusiasm, and simply gave more opportunity to drink tea and eat the delicious cakes baked by our members!