Aims of the Society

Cleobury Mortimer Horticultural Society was founded about thirteen years ago by local residents with an interest in gardening and all things horticultural. It has grown steadily, and currently has around forty members with a mountain of knowledge and expertise to share!

The Society’s objectives, which were set when it was first established, remain the same:

to promote interest and knowledge of horticulture and gardening
to encourage the sharing of information between members on horticultural and gardening issues
to promote increased awareness of the local environment and to seek to improve it.

We:

meet monthly to hear interesting and illustrated talks, swap plants and share gardening advice, successes and tales of horticultural woe
go out on garden visits in Shropshire and the surrounding counties
hold competitions for both the Society’s members and for the wider commnity
organise two annual plant sales for the local community
look after one of the plant containers in the town’s high street
manage an area rented to us by a very supportive local farmer on which there are now allotments, both full and half plots
enjoy social occasions in the summer and at Christmas.

Membership costs £8 per person a year, which includes costs of all events and refreshments at meetings. Non-members are invited to attend the events for £2.

Calendar of Events 2011

All events take place in, or start from, Cleobury Mortimer. Talks take place at the Methodist Hall, starting at 8pm.

For information, contact the Programme Secretary, Steve Todd on 01299 271639 or email todd479@btinternet.com

10 January: ‘Tool sharpening for the terrified’- William Scott

14 February ‘Insects’ - Roy Mantle

14 March: ‘Gardening in retirement’- Maurice Bracher

11 April: ‘Garden design - tricks of the trade’ - Gill Guest

7 May: Plant sale - The Market Hall, Church Street 10am-noon

9 May: ‘Herbs’ - Julia Scott

23 May: Visit to Cottage Herbery - Meet Talbot car park 6.30pm

13 June: ‘Carnivorous plants’ - Mike King

25 June: Summer social - ‘Pimms and puds’ Catherton House 6pm

9/10 July: Cleobury in Bloom

August: Visit to RHS Wisley (tbc)

12 September: ‘Fruity frolics - ways to use your fruit and veg’- members

1 October: Autumn plant sale - Market Hall 10am to noon

10 October: ‘Decorations for Christmas’ - Helen Wallace

14 November: Annual General Meeting - Methodist Hall 7.30pm

12 December: Christmas social - St Elizabeth’s Hall 7.00pm

Cleobury in Bloom

CLEOBURY IN BLOOM 2010

The aim of the event in 2010 was to encourage more people to take part. So instead opf our usual competition to showcase local gardens, we ran a variety of events:

the schools’ competition. Four local primary schools were presented with a starter kit of plants raised by one of our members, together with a range of fruit and vegetable seeds, which the children planted and tended with the help of teachers, parents and helpers. Stottesdon Church of England Primary School was the winner, Cleobury Mortimer Primary School was the runner-up and both Bayton and Farlow Church of England Primary Schools were commended for their efforts and results. What a success! It was really pleasing to showcase the Lacon Childe School allotments, too – these young people have really shown what can be achieved when they put their backs and enthusiasm into a task. It was good that we were able to recognise their achievements with the presentation of a certificate at our award event. Next year, we are holding the schools’ competition again, including one, we hope, for the plot holders at Lacon Childe School
the allotment competition for members. This was divided into two categories this year – full and half plot. We decided that winners should have a trophy to keep, so we instituted the award of engraved glass trophies. We also gratefully took up Sir George Castledine’s offer to sponsor a trophy for the half plot competition, which is awarded this year for the first time. We intend to run these two allotment competitions annually.
the Chamber of Trade competitions. These are separated into a class for licensed premises, won this year by The Kings Arms, and one for business, commercial and public sector premises, which The Medical Centre won.
the working party initiative to tend the gardens of local residents who have difficulty in doing so themselves. We had only a couple of gardens to do – but what a job!! The physical effort was enormous and many thanks to members who toiled in either torrential rain or baking sun! But the garden holders were very pleased with our efforts and that made up for the blood, sweat and toil! We were very ably supported by members of St Mary’s Youth Project, who, with their youth leader, worked tirelessly to clear an overgrown stream.
the display of members’ skills and talents in St Mary’s Church, which was a huge success, and I felt incredibly proud of our members and the Society when the public came to view the result. What talent we have among us! It also provided an excellent backdrop for the award event.

Tree Pleaching

We have been pruning the seventeen beautiful lime trees that line High Street, Cleobury Mortimer for around ten years. This is a significant contribution to the local environment and has earned much praise and comment from local residents. They now look superb in both winter and summer.To date, the work has been undertaken voluntarily by members of the Society, assisted by Alan Guest of Alan Guest Mowing Services, friends of the Society and others from the local community. For the past two years, we have also been helped by Community Payback workers. This year, we felt that the job was just too big, especially since the trees are getting bigger and the members older! So grateful thanks go to Shropshire Council for working with us to assess the trees, which were then pruned by specialists paid for by the Council.

Allotments

There are nine full plots and fourteen half plots on land that is rented from a very helpful and accommodating local farmer! We operate a waiting list: contact Douglas Smurthwaite (details below) for further information.

Useful Links

Horticultural Society Contacts

Flo Hadley, Chair. Telephone 01299 271762 or email flo.hadley@btinternet.com

Douglas Smurthwaite, Treasurer. Telephone 01299 271194

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