Dates for your Diary

A sale of plants at Brian Cross’Lakemount Garden will take place every Saturday from April 13^th to May 4^th. Parking in old orchard on Mayfield side of garden.

Ballymaloe Cookery School have a series of Gardening courses in May and June e.g. Growing from Seed. Bookings 021-4646785.

A Spring garden at Cappoquin, Co. Waterford is open during May, Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – masses of daffodils and bluebells, also rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias. Enquiries 024-96144. Entrance fee 2 Euro.

A trail of 15 private gardens in Counties Wexford and Waterford will be open from June 2^nd to 17^th. Enquiries and brochure from Margaret Power, Abbey Road, Ferrybank Waterford – enclose s.a.e.

Cork Open Gardens – a trail of eight of the best – brochure now available from Neill Williams, Cedar Lodge, Baneshane, Midleton – enclose a s.a.e. (Also available from committee members)

The National Garden Exhibition Centre, Kilquade, Co. Wicklow invites you to a Gardeners Day Out on selected Saturdays until May. Includes workshop, talk and demonstration, tour of gardens, tea break and lunch, plant sale. Enquiries 01-2819890.

Irish Garden Plant Society have Mary Davis lecturing on "Swiss Cottages and Turkish Tents – Some Irish Gardens and their Embellishments" on Friday April 5^th at 7.45pm.in the SMA Hall, Wilton. Plant sale follows. Sounds interesting and different!!

Dorothy Greaves will host a Garden Party on 26^th May.

Irish Seed Savers Association: Stor Siolta, Capparoe, Scariff, Co. Clare. . E-Mail: issa@esatclear.ie Newsletter available.

Mini Outing for Members 1^st May to Ms Pat Hurley’s Garden, Cobh. (See upcoming events at end of newsletter)

Annual Outing Sunday May 19^th to Kinsale and district gardens and garden centres (See upcoming events at end of newsletter)

AOIFA: The AGM was held on Wednesday 20^th March,

in The Commons Inn Conference Centre in Cork. Cobh Flower Club Members attending were Margot, Carmel and Angela. The AOIFA newsletter will contain the minutes and is available to all paid up members (6Euro) and the club Secretary. The charity which will benefit from fund raising by flower clubs throughout Ireland during the next two years will be The Irish Heart Foundation. Members of this organisation are available to speak at any of these functions. The amount raised for The Arthritis Foundation – the last recipient – was 110,913Euro.

All clubs were encouraged to include at least one speaker per year in their activities. New topics available include "Journeying in Japan in Cherry Blossom Time", "Herbs and Healing", and "Wanderly Wagon" – more details available in the Speakers handbook.

Emily Whitston McDonald, Tipperary, won a Gold Ribbon in Canada, and Maureen O’Keeffe, the Lough, won Gold for her Collage – a postal entry. So no excuses. Brid Kelleher has been asked to serve on the NAFAS board of Judges.

There will be various Education Days available to Club members during the coming year. The first day will be held shortly and 5 members may attend, the team will comprise of one beginner and one advanced member who will each stage an exhibit, one intermediate member may bring her petite exhibit already constructed. Two other members may also attend.

WAFA: The World Show will be held in Glasgow in June, some Cobh members have already made arrangements to travel. Princess Anne will attend the Preview – so start practising your courtsies!!

The AOIFA Charity Event takes place in Tipperary from Friday,October 3^rd to Sunday 5^th in two Churches. Various events have been organised to coincide e.g. Musical Recital, Harvest Thanksgiving. Several Gardens will open during the weekend. Stewards are needed in both churches and if you would like to volunteer – please give your name to a committee member of your local club.

The Annual Social Weekend will take place in An Grianan from 16^th – 20^th Sept. Day admission is also available.

A marvellous demonstration by David Ryland NAFAS and World Show Demonstrator ended the day.

For further details of matters discussed see AOIFA newsletter.

You may be interested to note that NAFAS now recognises AOIFA qualifications as being on a par with their own.

The latest "Competitions Manual" is now available from the Sales Table – 7 Euro. This is a must for all those interested in taking part in shows and explains the principles and elements of design, criteria for judging etc.

FUTURA: Several members of Cobh Flower Club recently attended FUTURA – the title for the day was "Still Life" The day was presented by Brid Kelleher.

ANNUAL DINNER: "Booked out" would be the best way to describe the annual dinner held recently in the Water’s Edge Hotel and attended by members and friends. A great night was had by everyone – marvellous food followed by champagne to toast the launching of the Web site – the highlight of the evening was the performance by "THREE" (Pat Hurley, Martha O’Brien, and Mary Coleman – Sinead Sheppard eat your heart out). If you would like to relive the experience in the privacy of your own home – just consult the web site for the words!!! You will also find the poem written by Ms May Boyce especially for the night. "THREE" may be encouraged to give us a repeat performance at some stage.

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"Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration" Lou Erickson.

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• Annual Outing : Sunday May 19^th.

Bus leaves from Convent of Mercy, Bishop’s Road, Cobh at 9.30 a.m. on Sunday May 19^th and will return to this point at approximately 10 – 10.30 p.m. (Please note new departure and set down point. (No other stops)

The programme for the day will include -

• Meta Tucker’s garden in Kinsale
• D.J. Murphy’s Garden Centre, Bandon.
• West Cork Garden Centre, Bandon.
• The Rectory Garden, Crookstown.
• Dinner in Bawnleigh House (approx. 6.30 p.m.)

Price will be 42 Euro to include dinner, entry to gardens and gratuities. Please bring a packed lunch – including drinks. (There may not be an opportunity to purchase lunch)

Further enquiries, bookings and money before 8^th May,– Helen – cfhc@eircom.net or

Carmel- cfhc@eircom.net

Monday, May 13^th 2002

A talk on "St.Colman’s Cathedral"will be given by Ms Ann Wilson

Members will demonstrate arrangements suited to the Cathedral.

1. Three Hosta Leaves
2. A bunch of Heather
3. Three Wild Flowers (to be named)

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• Please note that there is a Sales/Bits table at every meeting for the sale of flower arranging accessories and plants etc.

• A library provides gardening and flower arranging books on loan to members.

• A raffle is held at all meetings.

• Tea/coffee/biscuits are provided at all meetings.

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Information for inclusion in this newsletter and on our website is welcome -

E mail: cfhc@eircom.net

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