Horticultural Society

You may not realise it, but if you live in Cromhall, you're already a member of the Horticultural Society; its rules state that all members of the parish shall be deemed to be members.

The highlight of the society's year is the Cromhall Flower Show, held in the school field on the first Saturday of September. Visit the Cromhall Flower Show page for more information.

The committee is keen to inspire us all to develop green fingers throughout the year by organising trips and arranging talks.

The society is also hoping to breed a new generation of village gardeners: they have given each child at St. Andrew's School a potato to grow - and the results are weighed out at the Show, with the winner collecting £5.

Use your spending power to help Cromhall Horticultural Society

If you buy your bulbs from Simply Tulips, a mail-order company based in Stroud, you can help boost funds for Cromhall Horticultural Society.

Simply Tulips' 2008 catalogue is now available, with discounted prices for orders received before July. If you place your order through Cromhall Horticultural Society, Simply Tulips will contribute 10% of the cost back to the Society. Click here to download your copy of the Simply Tulips brochure

Click here to visit www.simplytulips.co.uk, or use the gardening query form below if you'd like to order through the Horticultural Society.

Send your gardening query

Our village experts are happy to answer your gardening queries or advise on problems. Send through your questions using the form below, and we'll publish the responses on a topical basis.

Q: I have to grow my runner beans in the same spot every year. Despite digging in compost and Growmore the yield keeps dropping. Is there some specific nutrient/fertiliser that beans need? Is there a variety that may do better?

A: In an ideal world runner beans should be rotated with various other crops. Prepare soil by digging a trench 1 spade deep x 24" wide. Work in plenty of farmyard manure. Growmore not needed as beans have a low nitrogen requirement. For long beans a copious supply of water is required throughout the growing season. Varieties - Enorma, available from Suttons, or for show Stenner from Medwyn Williams. It is generally thought by growers that 2007 is not a good year for beans. Good luck for 2008 and bring some to Cromhall Show.

The committee

Please also use the queries form to share your ideas and suggestions with the committee.

Maybe you'd like to see more plant sales in Cromhall, a competition for the best village garden, or you have an idea for a project to brighten up the whole village.

The present committee is:

Ray Padfield
Peggy Collett, Show Secretary
Sue Bryant
Gordon Cornock
Pete Banks
Stewart Flisher, rolling Chairman
Helen Young
Ann Greenhalgh, Treasurer
Roy Greenhalgh
Claire Jaggard
Cath James, Assistant Secretary
Steve Aston, rolling Chairman

More committee members and volunteers to help with the Flower Show are always welcome; if you'd like to be involved, contact Ray Padfield on 01454 294509.