Thurcaston And Cropston Gardening Club

Article by Richard Elks

‘The Essentials of Gardening’ with Mick Eaton

The Thurcaston and Cropston Gardening Club finished 2022 strongly following a difficult time due to Covid. But we were able to run a full, and very successful, programme of events in 2022.

The Club’s first meeting of 2023 was a talk by Mick Eaton called ‘The Essentials of Gardening’. We are delighted to report that the hall was almost full for this first meeting – and we are hopeful for another good year ahead.

Mick worked for 45 years for the Leicester City Council Parks Services, which included 10 years as their Horticultural Advisor. He is also President of the Leicester and Leicestershire Horticultural Judges Guild. He describes himself as a ‘compulsive gardener’.

Mick drew on his vast gardening experience to deliver this talk. He picked various topics to talk about but was also guided by questions and comments from the audience to pick up on their interests.

Plant names was one of the topics. Whist many gardeners know plants by ‘common’ names, Mick made the point that it is only by using the Latin name of a plant that you can be sure to get the plant you want. Latin names are recognised the world over and can tell gardeners a lot about plants, such as the genus and cultivar.

Grow and plant single (simple) flowers to attract and support pollinating insects

The growing conditions required for plants to thrive was another topic. This includes the soil type, for example, some plants require acid soil such as rhododendron and azalea which will not thrive if the soil is alkaline. Aspect is also important to consider in relation to shade, semi shade and sun. The height and spread of a plant should also be considered when selecting plants for your garden.

All plants want to grow, but often they need us to help them thrive and to give them what they need. Therefore, feeding plants is very important. They need nitrogen, potash, and phosphate. Nitrogen is essential for leafy growth, potash to encourage flower formation, and phosphate is essential for keeping plants healthy and encouraging new growth.

When Mick was talking about the different topics, he was frequently asked questions from our members. His answers were always good tips for us all –for example – he was asked about feeding bulbs. His answer - after the bulb has flowered and been deadheaded, feed the bulb for eight weeks.

Mick touched on other topics such as pruning and planting to attract pollinating insects. Probably one of the most difficult jobs in the garden for the amateur is pruning – when and how? Observation is the key word here; roses, cornus, buddleia, and many other plants benefit from pruning. For example, if buddleia isn’t pruned well, you often get all the flowers well above head height!!

Bees are out much earlier and later in the year because of climate change. Therefore we, as gardeners, need to provide nectar for bees all year round. In his job, Mick was tasked to improve bedding plants in parks for pollinating insects. This involved growing only ‘single’ (or simple) plants that are good for bees and moving away from ‘double’ flowering plants that were traditional in city parks. Grass on road verges was also left long, not to cut costs but to support insects.

Mick was very knowledgeable and informative. He also had a relaxed and easy-going style, encouraging questions and comments throughout the talk.

The Gardening Club meets in the Thurcaston and Cropston Memorial Hall

Whether an experienced gardener or an enthusiastic beginner we are sure you will find something of interest in this year’s programme. New members are made most welcome. What’s more, it is excellent value!! The membership fee is still only £12 for the year (pro rota) or £3.00 per meeting. So, if you are interested in gardening - come and give the Club a try.

For more information about the Club, please contact

Dave Haddon (0116) 235 9758: david.haddon20@ntlworld.com Or Richard Elks (0116) 236 8313: cropston161@hotmail.co.uk

The next Club events are:-

Wed 8th February East Midlands in Bloom Simon Lucas Simon is a judge for East Midlands in Bloom.

His talk will cover the history of Britain in Bloom and East Midlands in Bloom. He will tell us about its background from its small beginnings – 60 years old this year – and about the competition itself and what is involved with making an entry.

East Midlands in Bloom gold award winners for the past 10 years.

This will be an illustrated talk with lots of photos of things Simon has seen in his local role to brighten up the dark February days and to look forward to summer.

Wed 8th March The 12 Month Garden – Colour All Year-Round Geoff Hodge

Geoff Hodge is a freelance garden writer and editor for various national gardening magazines and websites.

He has written eight gardening books, including five for the RHS, with titles ranging from pruning and propagation to allotments and bulbs and a topic close to his heart – botany for gardeners.

He is one of the panel of “experts” for the gardening programmes on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. He appears on Q&A panels at flower shows across the country, gives lots of talks and demonstrations at garden centres, garden shows and for gardening clubs and answers hundreds of gardening questions every year for various organisations.

Colour All Year Round – The 12-Month Garden

Everyone wants a garden that looks absolutely fabulous 12 months of the year. But is that possible? Geoff Hodge looks at plants that will give you more ‘bang for your buck’ and help provide long-term interest. He also shares hints and tips on achieving a colourful oasis every day of the year.

Charnwood Group Spring 2023

An interesting programme of events is being planned for Spring 2023. Please come along and support your local Wildlife Trust.

Regular indoor meetings are held in Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall on the second Wednesday every month from September to May starting at 7.30pm. Admission is £2.50 for LRWT members, £3 for visitors, children free.

Wednesday 8th March 2023 at 7.30pm

AGM followed by

A presentation by Mat Carter, CEO, Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. Details to follow

Wednesday 12th April 2023 at 7.30pm

Cone Shells - Killers or Curers

Brian Hammond has collected shells all his life and the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow now houses around 10000 specimens from his unique collection. This talk is about these fascinating molluscs in the family "Conidae". These venomous & carnivorous snails hunt their prey, including fish, and some species have been known to kill humans. Their venom is very complex and is used extensively in drug research.