Autumn and Winter Plant Showcase
Very sadly we opened our October meeting with the sad news that a well respected, active and valued member of our group had passed away. We stood for a minute's silence and the singing of 'Jerusalem' followed.
The date of the Beryl Behague Community Christmas Tea was announced. This will be on Friday 29th November 2.30pm – 4.30pm. Our WI works alongside the Church and Parish Council to provide food and volunteers for this event and this is our main community event of the year. Two outings reports followed. A visit to see Lesley Smith as Peggy Knight had been an enjoyable afternoon and the Autumn Group meeting with Joanne Massey as Lola Lamour had been a great success.

Byron Lewis from Lichfield Garden Centre was introduced next. He had brought a selection of plants with him which he described and gave tips on how to look after them so that they provided colour over the Autumn and Winter months. The first was an evergreen , Hydrangea Seemanii, which is a climber with small white flowers, perfect in a large pot or in a sheltered, shady site where the lovely evergreen foliage will provide interest all year round.
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Skimmia Rubella plants are compact evergreen shrubs with red buds in winter that open to white flowers in Spring. The tree heather, Erica arborea is an upright evergreen shrub, with green needle-like leaves and many small bell-shaped white flowers. Lovely bronze Heuchera are perennial plants that look perfect in pots and provide Winter colour. Another useful foliage plant is Lysimachia or creeping jenny. It is a vigorous evergreen perennial forming a wide mat of creeping stems. A Calocephalus brownii which is a silver foliage plan is ideal in a pot, also planted up with heathers or semi hardy cyclamen. Byron also brought us some unusual bulbs to look at. A huge foxtail lily bulb and fritillaria bulb were available to buy.
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Byron had showcased a colourful selection of foliage plants that were then all available for us to buy.
Our next meeting is on Wednesday 13th November when we will have Dolly Shepherd giving a talk as a ‘Parachutist and Fairground Entertainer’. We meet in Yoxall Parish Hall at 7.30pm and visitors will be very welcome. Further details can be obtained from Penny Bailey through the link below.