THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth and District Floral Society

THE last meeting for 2017/2018 was a different workshop with Donald Morgan, society president, taking members on a very modern/contemporary journey with his title of “Dare to be Different”.

Using thermal insulating board covered in paper and wool, sticks, test tubes and cable ties, he showed members how to make a construction into which the flowers were added in the test tubes. A very clever idea, which brought out everyone’s creativity in and they all managed to create something different depending on colour scheme, flowers and foliage.

The AGM will be held on Tuesday, 11 September, at 7.30pm in Llanfarian Hall.

The 2018/2019 year will begin with a demonstration by Sharon Dower at Llanfarian Village Hall on Tuesday, 18 September, at 7.30pm entitled ‘Nature’s Cast Offs’. Sharon Dower is the owner and founder of Floral Innovations, a private school of floristry and flower arranging, based in Swansea and a successful florist with over 30 years of experience.

Membership for the year is £25 with a variety of demonstrations by expert NAFAS Demonstrators. New members are welcome.

Then the following meeting, on 16 October, will see Beti Wyn Davies giving a talk entitled ‘The Flowers of Costa Rica’.

Bridge club

Winners on 3 August were Peter and Helen Lees - visitors from Shrewsbury - with John Holmes and Alan Stein equal second with Mike Jones and Keith Bellamy.

The winners on 5 August were Roger Boyle and Jeff Thomas, with Joyce Blair and Jacqui Roberts tying for second place with Mike Jones and Martin Page.

Aberystwyth Bridge Club normally plays twice a week in Waunfawr Community Hall, starting at 6.45pm, with Friday being the main evening.

For further information, contact the club secretary on 01970 639229. For beginners’ lessons, contact Elenid Thomas on 01970 828765.

U3A

On Thursday, 19 July, the speaker for the afternoon was Jennifer Cairns, who, with her local knowledge and research, spoke about ‘Stones, stories and intriguing history and mystery in West Ceredigion’.

Identification of various stones and sites were projected on to the screen and many questions were asked by a very interested audience.

There is no meeting in August. The next meeting at the Morlan Centre will be held on 20 September, at 2.30pm.

New members are always welcome to join the meetings.

Horticultural Society

The fourth of the Cardiganshire Horticultural Society’s 50th anniversary year’s summer outings, took place on Tuesday, 31 July, when a party of 46 enjoyed a really memorable visit to two contrasting gardens in rural Powys.

Having visited David Austin Roses at Albrighton earlier in the month, the first of the day’s visits was to his daughter Claire’s hardy plant nursery and private garden near Sarn.

The visit was particularly interesting in that up to now Claire has not been taking parties, but is in the process of creating a coffee shop, restaurant and retail outlet for very high quality plants at the old pub in Sarn.

The CHS party was the first to visit her new venture and enjoyed coffee on arrival plus a good light luncheon as well as an excellent visit to her nursery and private gardens.

In the afternoon the party retraced its steps to the village of Dolfor and enjoyed a visit to Cwm-Weeg, a 2.5-acre garden set in 24 acres of wildflower meadows and bluebell woodlands. On arrival, the party was very warmly greeted by Dr Wolfgang Schaefer and he gave a thrilling introduction to the gardens he has created.

Although exotic species have not been planted, he has used a wide range of plants with great effect to create a formal garden in the English landscape tradition with vistas, grotto, sculptures, lawns and extensive herbaceous borders. The result is a garden with a tremendous wow factor. One of the best garden visits organised by the current summer trip organisers, was rounded off by a mouth watering tea on the terraces.

The final outing for the 50th anniversary year is into the Snowdonia National Park on Wednesday, 29 August. The party will first go to Plas Tan y Bwlch in the lovely Vale of Maentwrog where the well known garden writer/ broadcaster/ designer/restorer Tony Russell will show the party the work he has been leading to restore the gardens after extensive storm damage some years ago. The second garden to be visited will be Bryn Gwern the two-acre garden of Hillary Nurse, the NGS organiser for South Gwynedd, set in the hills overlooking Dolgellau.

Places are still available and a warm welcome is extended to anyone interested in gardening and horticulture, to bring the 50th Anniversary programme of garden visits to a splendid finish.

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