Roehampton Garden Society


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Fantastic Mr Fox?

Most of us are accustomed to seeing the odd fox in daylight hours – they are part of site wildlife, and seem amazingly unworried by humans.

Photo by Kate Pugh

This lovely photo, taken by Kate Pugh on site 2, shows how relaxed they can be! Certainly, most of us with a greenhouse have experienced the pleasure of a fox visitor enjoying the warmth and sunshine.

We do need to avoid crop damage and other problems that occur if too many foxes live on the sites. They are wild creatures that can give much pleasure. They do love digging under sheds, however!
There is excellent information and advice about living with foxes from the RSPCA – including how to find out if an earth (den) is occupied before you fill it in. Please do read it.


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AGM and Prizegiving 2023


Held in St. Margaret’s church, the AGM was an enjoyable event with informal seating and delicious food and drink. Thanks are due to all those involved. Cups were presented by Fleur Anderson, our MP and RGS President. Awards included a ‘best plot’ cup for both sites and certificates of excellence for two new plot holders.

Read the full ‘Award of Cups –AGM report‘ by Carol Martinez here.


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Events at the Lindley Library


If you’re interested in a Central London source of horticultural information, talks and events, do add the RHS Lindley library to your list. They hold world-renowned collections of early printed books, the archives of the RHS, botanical art collections and modern books on the history of horticulture, botanical art and practical gardening, but after refurbishment they are now also open for practical sessions.

Here are two examples on Tuesday 12th December

Free Plant Advice Pop-up

Do you have a houseplant that has seen brighter days? Is a pest or disease ravaging your garden? Drop into the Lindley Library between 11am–3pm to receive free one-to-one gardening advice from the RHS Advisory team. Bring a photograph (no samples, please). RHS membership is not required – these sessions are open to all. See more


There will be a break in the advice session to allow you to enjoy Lindley Live: A Curious Herbal – From Love Apples to Treacle Mustard – a 15 minute talk about the unusual life of Elizabeth Blackwell, the woman behind this 18th century herbal.


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Heating a Greenhouse

How do you heat a greenhouse with minimal energy usage? Now that we need to be energy efficient and sustainable – what options do we have to try and keep it frost free? Bubble wrap may be the future….

Read some practical advice from the RHS here:

This candle heater will produce a slight raise in temperature

Bubble Wrap Insulation – but light will be reduced..

Hydronic underfloor heating! Recommended to solar heat the circulating water if possible. You can also use old carpet to insulate the floor.


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AGM and Awards 2023

We are delighted to invite all members to our

Social and AGM
Thursday 16th November, St. Margaret’s Church, Putney Park Lane.

7.00pm welcome drinks and snacks, 7.30pm business meeting 8.00pm prizegiving, Christmas Cake raffle and results of the RGS Logo Competition. 8.30pm refreshments

FULL AGENDA

The RGS committee has been working on an updated constitution. Members will be asked to agree this at the AGM. Read about it here.
Annual reports from the committee are listed below. Please read them and bring your questions, comments and suggestions to the AGM.

Chair’s report

In my report I will review what has happened during this RGS year that is from November 2022 to now, sketch out plans for next year and touch on who makes all these things happen.. Helen Finch

Read the full report

Trading Secretary and Seeds reports

Trading: We have had another good year for the Store on Site 2 and the sheds on Site 3. People really appreciate having the facility to buy heavy items on Site 3… Gill Tamsett Read the full report

Seeds: Seed sales are up on last year, especially for peas, broad beans and runner beans. We stock over ten different varieties of tomato plus around two hundred other varieties of vegetables and flowers from Kings Seeds. We offer a 10% discount on all seed sales.

The Seeds area in the site 2 shop is fully stocked. We have many different varieties of broad beans to plant now and lots of seasonal vegetables to plant in January/ February. Annie Hardinge

Show Chair’s report

Writing this during storm Ciaran it is hard to remember that both the summer and autumn shows this year were held on two of the hottest days of the year.
The summer show was held again on Site 2 at the end of June. Although it was very hot there was a strong breeze which played havoc with the tablecloths…. Read the full report

Site 2 Secretary’s report

It has been a busy year on site 2. We said goodbye to Pip Melotte as a very long standing plot holder and contributor to RGS activities but she remains an RGS honorary life member and she does come to our shows. Also Pam Partridge who had a plot for a long time finally relinquished her plot…….. Helen Finch

Read the full report

Site 3 Secretaries’ reports

Inner Area (Plots 101-127)
Alison Linton was site secretary until March 2023. I took over thereafter and I am grateful to Alison for her very helpful handover. During the past 12 months turnover has been very low with only 4 plots being reallocated….. Richard Standen Read full report
Outer Area (Plots 50-100)
The weather this year has been very mixed with long dry periods followed by heavy rain. Crops on most plots were good though, especially tomatoes, and the blight held off until the end of the season. Some plot holders still have large grassed areas which is a pity when crops could be grown in lieu. Foxes continue to damage plots……Vivien Fowler Read full report

Waiting List report

There are currently 366 people on the Primary Waiting List. 85 people were added to the list in the last 12 months and the wait time is about 4 years. As usual approximately 10% (25) of our plots changed hands this year…. Jackie Savage Read the full report

Read Minutes of AGM 2022.
Reports from the 2022 AGM can be read here.


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Peat free composts: Water with care..

One of the key adjustments you may need to make when changing from peat-based compost to peat-free is with watering. Peat-free composts, especially those containing composted bark, often hold water for longer, so may need watering less frequently. They also tend to look dry on the surface, making it easy to overwater. So use your fingers to check the moisture levels under the surface where possible, or lift the container to feel how heavy it is. Also water using a small watering can or even a mist sprayer, so it’s easier to control the amount you apply.

Going peat free may mean changing the way we plant and deal with seedlings this winter.

The RHS says:
“Before sowing seeds, make sure the compost is moist but not soggy. Saturated compost is colder, which can slow down germination and may cause seedlings and cuttings to rot.”
 
For more on checking compost moisture and how to water containers, see the RHS video guide to watering.


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The John Macleod Lecture – RGS Members invited…

The RHS has invited our members to their John MacLeod Annual Lecture

“Plant Fitness, Sustainable Planting and the Conceptualisation of Understanding Horticultural Plants”

by Professor James Hitchmough

Are we on the brink of transformation or disaster? Join us for an evening of insight and glimpse a world where ecological understanding and innovative horticultural practices converge to create a sustainable future.

Prof. James Hitchmough will paint a compelling picture of how our evolving climate demands a deeper focus on plant fitness, despite a lack of tools and perspectives to address the challenge.

Discover a glimmer of hope as he unveils a framework linking fitness, niche, and geographic range, offering a pathway to a reimagined horticultural landscape that stands resilient in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Date: 16th November 2023
Time/Venue – 14.30 – 15.45 hrs in The Garden Room RHS Wisley Hilltop The Home of Gardening Science.

Please reply to chrismoncrieff@rhs.org.uk if you would like to attend. First two bookings from RGS members will be accepted.

James Hitchmough is Professor Emeritus in Horticultural Ecology in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield.
He retired from the University in September 2022, but continues to co-supervise his final tranche of 5 PhD students as they complete their studies. Two of these students are working on understanding and quantifying plant fitness for the changing climate.
James continues to develop new types of designed plantings (as he always has) in landscape architectural practice often in collaboration with Tom Stuart Smith but currently also with Piet Oudolf.
Most of his consultancy and design work is however in China and Australia where he works primarily with their native flora. The perspectives that come from his integration of academic research and practice shapes a world view, that makes him an in-demand conference speaker around the world.


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The Commons Conservators Wildlife Report

The Wimbledon and Putney Commons’ Wildlife and Environment Report 2022 has just been published.

This monitoring report on the wildlife species living on our commons shows health of our local wildlife, with winners and losers changing year on year.

This year the report shows:

28 species of butterfly were recorded – a slight increase on 2021. There was a more noticeable increase in dragonfly species, up by nine to 21, including a single Norfolk Hawker and a Keeled Skimmer which is a typical wet heathland species not seen on the Common since 2018.

16 Common Lizards were spotted, an increase on the previous year while frogs, toads and newts continue to spawn in many of the ponds.

The stag beetle population continues to decline with only 21 reported by visitors, a continuation of the fall since 2014.

While a number of new species are appearing, there is broader concern expressed in the report that more common species of butterfly are declining in numbers continuing a trend seen over the last few years. In particular Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Common Blue are showing significant declines over the past 5 years.

Read the full report on The Conservators website here


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The RGS Constitution November 2023

The Constitution has been revised – please read the new version here. For comparison, the existing constitution can be read here.

The main differences are:

  • There are different voting rights for all RGS members as opposed to Plot Holders, Plot Holder Partners and Plot Holder Assistants.
  • The roles listed reflect how the Committee is currently structured.
  • Responsibilities for the Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer are more explicit especially regarding access to the RGS bank account and authority to enter into contracts with utility providers.
  • Quorum requirements added for General Meetings, both the AGM and EGM. 
  • A disclaimer has been added at the end.

At the AGM there will be an opportunity to ask questions about the new Constitution. The Chair will request that the membership approve the document and thus have it ratified as our new Constitution.