Last month of the year to lay turf or sow lawns. Aerate and scarify established lawns and raise the height of mower blades for final cuts to keep grass slightly longer to withstand winter. Consider giving established lawns a feed to reinvigorate following the hot summer.

Complete bulb planting including tulips.

Finish all hedge trimming and clear away dead leaves including the dead leaves of rhubarb. Plant new rhubarb crowns and cover with manure.

Harvest all autumn fruit. Plant winter lettuce under glass and lift a few roots of mint, put in boxes in a warm place for winter use. Earth up leeks and celery. Lift and store carrots and beetroot. Cut down tomato plants and ripen any late tomatoes in the greenhouse or kitchen window sill.

Lift dahlia tubers, cut off the tops and store the tubers in a dry frost free place. Do the same with gladioli corms. Plant wallflowers for Spring colour.

On climbing roses cut side shoots back to leave two buds and on bush roses cut back long stems to reduce wind rock. Wash down the greenhouse with diluted Jeyes fluid or similar before insulating for the winter

Stoke Poges, Wexham and Fulmer Horticultural Society has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK, for “passing horticultural knowledge and tradition from generation to generation since 1884”.

Two representatives from the Society attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in MAY, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

The Horticultural Society, affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, is one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.   The number of nominations and awards has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.   Winners are announced each year on 2 JUNE – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse.   They include volunteers helping people overcome mental health problems through sport ;  volunteers using caravans as mobile cafe/information centres in geographically remote locations ;   another group mentoring children who have a parent in prison ;   and this Society serving the local community for 135 years.

Representatives of the Society will receive the award from Sir Henry AUBREY-FLETCHER, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire later this Summer.

The Chairman, Mrs Ruth ROOLEY says :

“I am absolutely delighted; this award recognises volunteers past and present over many generations and will, I hope, inspire others to be involved and ensure the future”

President Emeritus, Jon HOMAN adds :

“Gardening is known to improve health and well-being, wherever you live, whatever your age.   It can be a most rewarding career or a very satisfying hobby “

Village Fete Rose Competition 

A Rose Competition was held at the Stoke Poges Fete on Saturday 8^th June sponsored by the Horticultural Society and judged by Brian Christie, a National Rose Society Judge.

We were delighted by the response with some 50 wonderful entries and Brian stayed on after judging to provide helpful advice on growing and showing to the many visitors.

The winners of the four individual classes who received small monetary prizes were as follows:-

1. Large-flowered  bloom-fully open. Jon Homan.
2. Large-flowered bloom-perfect stage ½ to 3/4 open. Anna Gray.
3. One stem cluster-flowered rose carrying 3 or more flowers. Pat Rofe.
4. One stem miniature rose (any small-flowered rose e.g. Flower carpet or Seagull type). John Cox.

The best overall exhibit was submitted by Anna Gray, who received a National Rose Society Bronze Medal for her rose ‘Snow Queen’.