Four Parishes Arts Society - October 2009

“Growing Sweet Peas for Exhibition and Fun” by Jim McDonald on Tuesday 8th September

Once again the Society was entertained by an excellent speaker, Jim McDonald.   Jim has been growing and exhibiting sweet peas for 40 years and is Chairman of the Committee for RHS Trials for sweet peas at Wisley.  He has also won several local and national awards.

Mary, Jim’s wife, assisted him as the projectionist.  We saw some outstanding flower arrangements that both Mary and Jim had done at exhibitions all over the country.  We were also shown beautiful floral arrangements for weddings and one outstanding picture of an archway of sweet peas in a church that they had also arranged.

Slide after slide followed of exhibitions of sweet peas of every hue and colour.  Jim explained the rules for different classes and we saw pictures of many of his sweet peas that had won him his awards.

Jim showed us how to bring the seeds on placing them on about six layers of damp paper in large margarine boxes and then putting them in the airing cupboard until the first shoots appear.  This is followed by preparing the trenches, planting and staking and eventually the reward of seeing the blooming of the sweet peas in all their glory. He also gave tips on what fertilizers and pesticides to use and not to use.  It was obvious that a lot of hard work goes in to the growing of the sweet peas and we found his talk very comprehensive.

Many interesting questions came from the floor and Jim had seeds for sale which he had saved from his own flowers.

The culmination was pictures of the Queen Mother, then 92, with Jim when he had the honour of escorting her majesty around an exhibition being held in Windsor Castle grounds.  He explained she was very knowledgeable and took a keen interest in everything.

Future Events

Tuesday 13^th October – Quarley Hall – AGM followed by a talk on Embroidery by Owen Davies.

Tuesday 10^th November :  Please note change of venue.  The meeting is now at Grateley Hall and Suzanne Webber is entertaining us on the piano