Denton Gardening Club
Introduction
Denton Gardening Club normally meets on the 3rd Tuesday most months (though there are occasional exceptions, like the month of the Annual Show). Between October and April meetings with guest speakers are held in the village hall and in the summer meetings include evening outings locally, perhaps a visit to a garden or nursery, as well as meetings in our own members' gardens.
We also hold an Annual Show, summer outings, plant sales and other events. New members are most welcome so do come along and join us. Details of the current programme appear below.
Contact: Adele Godsmark: 01986 788352, Email
Information about the history of the Club appear on the Club History Page.
Meetings
Between October and April meetings with guest speakers are held in the Village Hall, starting at 7.30 pm. Previous meetings have been on subjects such as Garden Design, Perennials, Orchids and Container Gardening. Whatever you are interested in, there will be something for you!
The summer schedule includes evening outings locally, perhaps a visit to a garden or nursery, as well as meetings in our own members' gardens.
Club Programmes 2025/26
Autumn-Winter Programme 2025/6
NB - No meeting in September.
October 21st Pelargoniums Explained by Ken Abel.
This will be an opportunity to revisit a popular and reliable garden favourite - Pelargoniums.Ken has been growing Pelargoniums since the 1990's and in 1999 began exhibiting at the two national society shows, winning "Best In Show" as a novice at both.
He went on to win 16 National Titles and over 70 "Best In Show" at affiliated societies. Since which time he has become known as PelarKen.
Since 2014 He has been writing articles as the Pelargonium Expert for The Garden News.
His talk will be titled "Pelargoniums Explained" which will cover all the groups that make up this genus, such as Species, Regals and Angels. There will be lots of helpful growing tips along the way, including how to take cuttings.
November 18th An A-Z of Bulbs by Johnny Walkers.
You could say that with two Dutch parents Johnny Walkers has bulbs in his blood.After 2 years at Horticultural College and 2 years working with his father, Johnny went to work for a Bulb Co-operative as Quality and Technical Manager. This involved advising 100 growers stretching from Yorkshire down to Cornwall on bulb growing techniques, pest and disease control, and quality control.
In 1986 Johnny set up a mail order company specialising in new and unusual daffodils and started exhibiting at Chelsea and Harrogate flower show. In 1992 he sold the company to Taylors Bulbs but continued to run the company.
By the time Johnny retired in 2019 he had amassed 29 Chelsea Gold Medals (25 in succession) and 34 Harrogate Gold plus 3 Best in Shows.
Johnny’s talk, The A-Z of Bulbs, will cover a range of bulbs from Anemones to Zantedeschia and will cover everything you want to know about planting, post flowering care and suitable sites.
He will bring bulbs for sale.
December 16th Christmas Social Evening.
Details to be confirmed.January 20th The Story of a Chelsea Garden - Jane Bastow.
Lots of us visited Jane’s garden in St James in May 2024 to discover that Jane had been part of a Chelsea Gold Medal winning team.Her talk for us is “The Story Behind a Chelsea Garden”. Jane and her fellow gardeners didn't ever imagine they would get a medal of any colour and seeing people’s reaction to it is always amusing, because although she puts the medal on a display table with a few other bits and pieces on her garden open days people don't seem to take on board what it is!!
Jane grew up with parents and other relatives who enjoyed gardening, but it wasn't until she left home that she caught the bug.
It was a good antidote to a stressful job, but it wasn't until she lost her husband and needed something to fill her time that she undertook training in it by first going to Otley College (one of her tutors being Matt Tanton-Brown) and then to Easton college and loved it. That then opened the door to all the other things she now does.
February 17th Propagation by Luci Skinner.
Luci has been a speaker for us before, when she was previously involved in Woottens Nursery at Wenhaston.This time her visit will take us through the subject of propagation, hopefully encouraging us to increase our plant stock by our own efforts rather than by a trip to the nursery.
Luci will be looking at basic propagation methods including types of cuttings, division and seed. She will discuss the best time of year to propagate a variety of plants and how to prepare plants to ensure success.
Where feasible she hopes to include some small demonstrations throughout the presentation.
March 17th Magical Houseplants – Holly White.
Holly, a direct descendant of the Spider and Rubber plant generation but also a qualified horticulturist has found her love of plants move indoors particularly post Covid, where social media helped fuel the first real houseplant boom since the Victorian era.This helped introduce a whole new catalogue of tropical and sub-tropical plants to the nation that we could, for the first time, affordably keep in our homes. However, whilst the choice has never been greater, we have seen little change in the care advice, espoused by Dr Hessayon, over 40 years ago.
Holly will be exploring the origin of our houseplants in order to give the best care advice possible, addressing the fears and concerns she comes across both in the online shop she owns and runs, and at the Plant Fairs she attends.
April 21st Wildflowers of the Norfolk Coast – Simon Harrap.
The Norfolk Coast is one of the last unspoilt wildernesses in Britain. The beach, dunes, shingle ridge, salt marsh and soft, easily eroded cliffs are all the product of natural processes, demonstrating the power of wind and wave.The coast is home to a wealth of wild flowers, some are widespread, but many are specialists that have adapted over time to cope with a harsh environment, and quite a few are only found on the coast.
Simon has been searching out wild flowers for many years and has written several books, including his photographic field guide, Harrap’s Wild Flowers, and Flowers of the Norfolk Coast, now in its second edition.
He also manages, together with his wife Anne, ‘Natural Surroundings’, gardens and a small nursery situated on the Bayfield Estate near Holt and just a couple of miles from the coast, with a wide variety of hardy plants set in wildlife-friendly gardens.
Our summer programme begins in May where we visit local gardens.
Summer Programme 2026
All summer meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month. See timings below for each meeting. Please try to car share where possible and park considerately to neighbours. As always wear footwear suitable for uneven ground!
- Tuesday May 19th.
A visit to The Elms, Toft Monks - 7pm.
Cost £4 per person to include refreshments (This cost is subsidised by £1 per member by the club).
The Elms, Elms Road, Toft Monks, Beccles, NR34 0EJ.
We begin our summer programme with a visit to The Elms at Toft Monks. Gardens are set around a beautiful, moated Queen Anne house and barn which serves as a wedding venue. There is an extensive spring bulb display as well as the herbaceous borders, and formal rose garden with ponds. Refreshments will be available including teas, coffees and soft drinks, all included in the cost.
Ample parking is at the rear of the property behind the large barn. - Tuesday June 16th.
Private visit to two gardens in Stoke Holy Cross - 7pm.
Cost £4 per person to include refreshments. (This cost is subsidised £1 per member by the club, funds to a charity of the homeowners’ choice)
Garden 1 – 47 Norwich Road, Stoke Holy Cross, NR14 8AB.
Anna and Alistair Lipp invite us to their west facing garden with views of the Tas Valley and water meadows, developed over 25 years. Features include a rose and vine covered pergola, gravel beds, raised terraces shaded by magnolias, a greenhouse housing exotic plants, a wildflower meadow, and an informal pond.
Garden 2 – Stackyard House, 23 Norwich Road, Stoke Holy Cross. NR14 8AB.
Margaret and Neil Sparrow moved to Stoke Holy Cross in 1999 and built their home on a three acre field overlooking the Tas Valley. They created a garden designed to make the most of the sloping site and stunning views down to the water meadows. The garden combines large areas of grass and trees with more structured elements such as mixed borders, a vegetable garden with raised beds enclosed by a yew hedge, and a summer house garden still under development. Ongoing changes are shaped by local wildlife, as well as the challenges of our variable weather. Refreshments will be available.
Parking for Garden 1 at the village hall or church hall on Long Lane, and for Garden 2 at the church (400 yards away). For those with limited mobility there is some parking on the road at Garden 1 and at Stackyard House, Garden 2. Please car share where possible. - Tuesday July 21st
Private visit to two gardens on the outskirts of Bungay, opposite and near to the Three Willows Garden Centre - 7pm
No charge.
Garden 1 - Treetops, No 9 Woodland Drive, off Flixton Rd, Bungay, NR35 1PE.
Val and Nigel Whyte’s garden is arranged into four distinct areas. The front garden is dominated by a large hornbeam and planted in a cottage garden style, leading to a small, sheltered courtyard. To the rear is a wonderful view of the Waveney Valley, with mixed sunny borders featuring roses and a sloping area where a wildflower garden is being established.
Garden 2 – No 4 Woodland Drive, off Flixton Rd, Bungay, NR35 1PE.
Alison and John Witchell moved to Bungay five years ago. The garden originally had four separate levels; following major improvements completed in September 2024, all levels are now fully accessible. Many plants were relocated during the works and are now re establishing alongside new planting. Charcoal has been incorporated into the beds, and a large rainwater tank has been installed beneath the patio to assist with watering. Refreshments will be available.
Parking on Woodland Drive, please car share where possible. - Tuesday August 18th
Private visit to two Denton garden club members – from 6.30pm.
No charge.
Garden 1 – Barn House, Darrow Green Rd, Denton IP20 0AY. (at T junction with Manor Farm Road (Misery Corner))
Sandra and Colin Gordon, have an established garden featuring a large lawn with mixed flower bed and borders including roses, rhododendrons and azaleas. Due to wet conditions, some rose borders have been replaced over the years with grasses and hydrangeas, alongside the introduction of a wildflower garden. The garden is surrounded by mature specimen trees and includes a large wildlife attracting pond at the front. To the rear is a productive vegetable garden with greenhouse and fruit cage.
Garden 2 – Fir Tree Farm, Darrow Green Rd, Denton IP20 0AY. (second property on the left approx. 300 yards after Garden 1 - towards Wash Lane)
Christine and Jason Kerr moved to Denton ten years ago to a garden largely consisting of grass and gravel. Following property renovations, work began on the garden in 2020. The front garden was transformed with the introduction of lawn, raised beds and a cottage garden feel. More recently, flower beds have been added to the rear garden along with a metal tunnel walkway (constructed by Jason) incorporating climbing roses and shrubs. The garden now includes an extensive collection of dahlias. Refreshments will be available.
Parking is available at both properties but please car share where possible.
- And finally note the date! Saturday September 5th.
The annual DGC Open Show at Denton Village Hall. See separate Show Schedule for details.
Future 2026 dates for your diary:
October 20th – the start of our winter programme, details to follow, starting at 7.30pm.
November 17th - 30 years of Denton Garden Club celebration dinner.
December 15th - Christmas activity evening making wreaths and table decorations.The Annual Show
An Annual Open Show is held either in July or, more commonly, at the beginning of September, or even at the end of August!
The 2026 Show will be held on Saturday 5th September
Full details, the entry form etc. can be seen Here.Details of this year's winners and those from previous Shows appear on the Show History Page.
Christmas Tree Competition 22
Following on last year's triumph, the Club again decided to enter a tree in the Alburgh competition.
There were more entries this year, including one from the Art Group, but the Club won again -
The tree was then proudly displayed at the Club's very successful Christmas Social Event on December 29th.Christmas Tree Competition 21
A group of Club members joined together to create an entry in the 2021 Alburgh Church Christmas Tree Festival. To their great delight, following a poll of those attending, they were rewarded with First Prize.
The pictures below, thanks to Peter Wiltshire, show:
The winning entry -
The trophy and certificate -
And the plaque on the trophy -
The following photos are from recent shows – click to enlarge.
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