october 19th
Dawlish - A town of flowers with Suzanne Jones
At very short notice, Suzanne our secretary stepped in when our advertised speaker called in unwell. to walk us though the lanes of Dawlish over the last 100 years. Suzanne has slowly been researching and writing up the history of horticulture across the area of Dawlish, encompassing Holcombe and Cofton. For most of the 20th century this was a major flower producing area, at its height in the 1920's and 30's, 300 acres were given over to the growing of violets, a major cash crop to the area. Suzanne explained that the geography and soil, along with the access to the London markets via the railway made it ideal. After WW2 the violet industry dwindled and then the pinks took center stage, with lots of them grown in the small holdings along Port Road. It is said that in early summer you could smell pinks all down the valley from Houndspool to the town center. However, these were not the only flower crops with Anemones grown widely and a diversity of flowers, such as polyanthus, gladioli, freesia, roses, chrysanthemums and carnations. The horticultural industry across the area came to an end slowly through the 1970's to the 1990's as more nurseries were built on for housing, cheaper plants were air freighted in and young people did not want to take over the work. Suzanne finished her talk with a quick walk around the lanes introducing us to plants now growing in the wild that were at one time just garden flowers.
september 26th
Improving your garden photographs with Nigel west
We invited Nigel to talk to us so he could suggest ways to help members improve taking photos with their mobile phone so they could enter the Dawlish in Bloom competition in the next Summer Show.
Nigel started his talk by showing us before and after photos of his own garden and how he and his wife planned and planted their outdoor areas.
When taking garden photographs though, it is always more interesting to observe people or animals using and enjoying the space. He illustrated this with a prize-winning photo of a young boy and his dog in a garden with lots of plants in the background.
Nigel suggested the way to learn is by taking photos all year round in all types of weather, looking for interesting details.
To get the best focus when taking a close-up photo, when the image box appears on the screen, always tap it as the phone has built in technology to help attain the best picture. Some phones have a wide-angle lens which produces an even better image so use it. For context when taking a single bloom, always leave a bit of room around the flower so the bloom stands out.
To help us all focus on shape and colour, Nigel set us a task in composition on a black background. It was very interesting to see how many variations we all came up with, grouping the 4 shapes or selecting which ones complemented or contrasted with each other. Just like you may use plants in the garden, for instance blue colour plants recede into the background whereas yellow colour stands out and comes forward. This can help to fool the eye and “deepen” a border for instance.
Nigel then encouraged us to save the original data image, using the automatic software on the phone to edit and crop to achieve the image you want. Of course there are plenty of Apps that do a similar job. He recommended ‘Images to Print’ in Teignmouth to get a favourite photo printed and put in a frame to display in your home.
He then gave a demonstration of a selfie stick which is available for under £10 online, a versatile aid to taking photos in awkward situations or positions using Bluetooth connectivity. Another accessory is a small torch for lighting flowers and a piece of white card to use as a reflector. Most importantly though are sachets of lens cleaner, also used for cleaning spectacles.
After Nigel’s very informative, entertaining and well-illustrated talk, I`m sure we will see an uplift in entries to Dawlish in Bloom at our Summer Show in 2025.
june 2024
Ian & Caroline Lycett – King FOOD, FORAGING, MEDICINE and MAGIC
We knew we would be in for an entertaining time as Ian and Caroline came dressed in 17th century outfits with fresh plant samples. They started their talk by informing us that back in medieval times, men were considered to be Hot & Dry and women – Cool and Dry! People were influenced by information both written and perceived from the bible and the church.
· Ian asked us to identify a plant he was holding … it was what we know as Yarrow. The Romans used this as a military herb to wipe wounds and prevent infection. It is a mild herb that goes well with cheese.
· Elderflower was easily identified by our members – we all knew that the flowers can be made into cordial or fritters and the berries used to make wine in autumn. What we were not aware of was the leaves when rubbed on the skin are a natural insecticide against midges, mosquitoes and other insects.
· If bladder stones were a problem in times gone by, then perhaps Dandelion may have helped. Also know in French as “Piss a Lit “(wet the bed) the name derives from “Dent de Lion” (Lion teeth) the shape of the leaf. It is a diuretic and helps to pass the stones with repeated use.
· Another invasive “weed” that we all instantly recognised was Ground Elder (not related to the elder tree) also called Bishops Weed. Apparently, it`s good for gout, tastes like celery when raw and like Mango when cooked.
· A game that children played ages ago was throwing Cleavers or goose grass at each other as it`s sticky buds adhered to any clothes which kept children occupied for a while. The cooked leaves are very peppery. Caroline then gave us an insight into where the term Pin Money came from – in olden times pins were L shaped metal, so people saved up money to purchase these at the local fair. They used the buds of cleavers at the end to protect the fingertips and identify where you had used them.
· Woundwort has been identified as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. This plant has antiseptic properties and won`t stick to blood so was used to stop bandages sticking to a wound, like a gauze.
· The Romans brought Nettles to Britain as a medicinal. They are so versatile and used as a gargle to soothe throat infections, and a very nutritious soup can be made with the new young growth, they also make a refreshing herbal tea. Most importantly it is a fibre crop with paper and strong rope being made from the stems. In fact, in present day Germany, nettles are grown commercially to make an Eco cloth.
· Days Eye is named as the flower follows the sun, more commonly known as Daisy, the leaves can be made into an antiseptic eye wash and is helpful with hay fever symptoms too. The small leaves taste like Lambs Lettuce.
· Ian then told a tale about Rosebay Willow Herb that is endemic along roadside verges. People burnt the leaves and spread the ashes in their thresholds to deter snakes! There is a Bible connection here with the only snake in Britain is the Adder.
· Seed pods of Garlic Mustard were passed around to taste – they were very tasty – mildly garlic, my favourite! This is also named Jack by the Hedge.
· A very practical use for the large Burdock leaf was as wrapping for any food as paper was very expensive.
· Caroline showed us a salve she has made from finely chopped Plantain leaves. She uses this as an anti-inflammatory which also helps with any sting from insects or nettles. Squeeze the juice straight onto your skin and it will promote skin growth. The seeds can be made into flour too.
· To end their informative and fascinating talk, Ian then told us about the properties of Ivy – after chewing the stem the sap sets in a decaying tooth like a filling. He described primitive dentistry from a barber surgeon, which we all winced at, and how people managed back in those times.