Blog
Cool Season Hardy Annuals
Lou Archer has been raising Alpacas near Farlow for many years (and collecting their famous “Lou’s poo”). Cleobury Gardeners visited Lou back in June: we loved the alpacas which we got to feed and hang out with! Post Covid Lou also established a cut flower business...
No-Dig and Organic Gardening
Rachel Shrivens, Chair of Shropshire Organic Gardeners, gave us a great presentation in October on no-dig and organic gardening. Here is a summary of Rachel’s talk along with useful information from her handouts (see also useful links at the end). Added compost:...
Cleobury Gardeners’ visit to Coddington Vineyard and Garden
Coddington Vineyard and Garden, not the easiest place to find, but well worth the effort which a number of members made on a very very windy day in October: this was also an Open Day for the National Garden Scheme. This is a lovely site to visit and is set in a...
Learning to grow food competition 2025 – results and outcomes
This year, our competition was funded by a Community Grant of £300 from Midcounties Coop and compost was provided by Farlow Farm Nursery. Thank you to both. Learning to Grow food has made a huge impact on all the nurseries and schools that enter, which includes almost...
Bonsai For Beginners
Simplicity, elegance and beauty are the foundations of the ancient art of “bonsai”, meaning “planted in a container”. Linda Ridpath has grown bonsai trees for 40 years and brought some of her beautiful trees for us to see at Cleobury Gardeners in July. Bonsai...
Alpacas and cut flowers
Among the many small businesses tucked away in Cleobury Country is The Archers at the Larches in Oreton, established by Lou Archer, where she keeps 21 alpacas and runs a thriving online business selling products made from their fleeces - socks, scarves, throws...
Workshop April 2025 – Pruning Hydrangeas
Led by Claire Tatler, Head Gardener at Wollerton Old Hall in Market Drayton on the 12th April 2025 On a beautiful Saturday morning, members of Cleobury Gardeners assembled, secateurs in hand, at one of our gardens in Catherton to take part in a practical session on...
My passion for hostas – exploding the myth
Linda Power Ashman By highlighting some of the problems of growing hostas, the reasons for them and offering solutions, I hope to explode some of the myths and bad press these plants receive. Focus of the talk: (A) DECISIONS AND DIMENSIONS – Location? Where’s...
Composting for beginners – getting the right mix and turning muck into magic!
Our speakers on Monday 17th February were Shropshire Master Composter Rachel Strivens and Bridgnorth-based Paul Pickerell, restating the message on COMPOSTING FOR BEGINNERS. Rachel first visited us in March 2022 when we had our first lesson in turning green garden...
Learning to grow food competition brief 2025 – Wyre Forest School
Sponsored by Midcounties Coop and Farlow Farm Nursery One potato, two potato, three potato, four! There are three main objectives for this year’s competition: to develop the concept of seed varieties for a fruit or vegetable to develop the skills of fair comparison –...