 Grayshott Gardeners stayed close to home for this months lecture with one of their committee members sharing his and his wife's experiences of gardening in Grayshott over the past 35 years.
Mr Gordon Rae and his wife Judith have developed a beautiful garden of ½ acre from scratch with a significant amount being achieved since retirement. Their garden has a tricky north facing aspect at the rear and falls some forty feet from top to bottom with a number of large trees. Gordon, a keen photographer, had a wonderful selection of slides which showed the gardens development and how colour and bloom could be achieved throughout the year on a month by month basis.
Mr and Mrs Rae each have plants that they are beginning to make collections of. Gordon now has some one hundred different ferns and sixty or so different snowdrops; whilst Judith's love is hostas.
Gordon has always had a keen interest in gardening which he says was nurtured as a child by his grandfather in Coventry with the 'Dig for Victory' campaign.
However his career took him into agricultural chemicals and he worked for ICI for 30 years. It was on retirement as General Manager of Horticulture for ICI in 1993 that he was able to broaden his love of horticulture when he became Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society; a post he held for 6 years.
Since retirement he has acted in a voluntary capacity on RHS committees, been trustee of Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society and Joint Patron of the Garden Media Guild.
He was awarded the prestigious Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award in the Horticultural Industry, for outstanding services to British horticulture.
In his spare time he is a very active member of the Grayshott Gardeners committee and the Society is honoured to have Gordon (and Judith) as members.
November 12th sees the Society's Annual General Meeting at 8.00pm which all members are invited to attend. Cheese and wine will follow. Also please join us for a Christmas Party and light hearted quiz night on December 10th at 7.30pm. Both events will be held at Grayshott Village Hall as usual.
For further information on Grayshott Gardeners please contact the Membership Secretary, Anne Waddell on 01428 604714.
Photo: Gordon Rae
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