Kinver Horticultural Society

Last month’s speaker Andrew Mikolajski has definitely gone to the top of the pops in speaker’s popularity polls. In his own extravagant and inimitable style, Andrew started his talk with a brilliant tip for keeping down the slugs (the little ones that do all the damage) by putting just three or four pellets inside a small necked plastic bottle and leaving it near our prize plants. Birds and animals will be kept away from the pellets but the pesky slugs will make a bee line for the bait and, promises Andrew, there will be a slug graveyard awaiting you in the morning.

More delicate wall shrubs and climbers he said can be grown along a South or West facing wall. The wall retains the heat. He said the plants can go dormant if they get too hot but their bark will thicken and the roots will go down leading to better survival in the cold. Peaches, apricots and figs benefit from this aspect.

For supporting plants against the wall he suggests letting shrubs get on with it, and for climbers he advised against using vine eyes – unless you have the staff! The best solution for holding climbers up he suggests is Pig Wire. He went on to show us images of some spectacular plants, too numerous to mention, but kindly sent a Plant List to circulate among the members.

The monthly competition winners were: Flower of the Month – 1. Mick Harrington. Shrub – 1. Rosemary Pope

The next meeting is Death in the Garden with garden historian Michael Brown. He’ll be delivering a fascinating talk on Poisonous Plants and their use throughout history. Be prepared for some macabre tales.

Monthly meetings are held at 7pm on the last Thursday of each month at St Peter’s Church Hall, Vicarage Drive, Kinver. Visitors are always very welcome.