Autumn Coach Trip

Cosmos at Wildegoose

We were lucky to have wonderful weather for our last outing of this year. First we were taken through the attractive Shropshire countryside to the delightful Wildegoose Nursery which talented young couple Laura & Jack Willgoss have transformed from its derelict overgrown state into a nursery & walled garden showcasing many unusual plants, working in tune with nature. In front of the recently restored unusual curvilinear Georgian greenhouse, Jack explained the background to their venture then took us on a tour of the garden, with time to for us to browse round, make plant purchases & visit the tearoom before the coach took us on to the nearby Morville Hall. 

Those of us who are National Trust members took up the opportunity to tour the hall which is tenanted & only open 3 days a year. Others explored the adjacent Dower House Garden owned by historian & writer Katherine Swift, telling the history of English gardening, with hidden gems in the nooks & crannies. Some even managed to visit both before enjoying refreshments at St. Gregory’s church, completing a lovely day out. Please do have a look at many more photographs on http://www.cwggc.co.uk/gallery/ with links to all three gardens on http://www.cwggc.co.uk/events/ 

Topiary at the Dower House
More autumn colour at Wildegoose

The Colours of Autumn

Justin with a grin!

Justin Harrison our September speaker arrived early & set up a beautiful plant display for his presentation and to welcome us into the village hall, laid out a different way to keep us all on our toes! With his usual energy, he kept us all captivated as he showed how contrasting leaf colours & plant structures are as important as flowers in achieving a vibrant picture. He had brought a wide variety of plants, from autumn stalwarts such as Rudbeckia through striking evergreens to salvias, grasses, unusual irises & rosemary ginger. His display was all for sale after his talk concluded, with many snapped up quickly.  

There weren’t any entries for this month’s competition of a pot of autumn bulbs, which is a shame, but it meant that Justin only had to draw the raffle after answering questions before his well-earned cup of tea. Now we’re looking forward to our Autumn coach trip to Shropshire on Friday 13th (we’re not superstitious!), with Wildegoose nursery/garden/tea room in the morning then on to Morville Hall for a choice of gardens in the afternoon. 

Dianthus
Members browsing the plants

Leucothoe Curly Red