Daffodil Festival 2025
Sedgemoor Gardens Club
A club for those interested
in gardening in Langport and district
About Us
www.sedgemoorgardensclub.co.uk
Sedgemoor Gardens Club is a club for all those in the Langport area who are interested in growing plants and gardening. During the autumn/winter months (September - April) we meet once a month, on the second Tuesday, in All Saints Hall in Langport. We have a speaker every month (except in December when we have our Christmas buffet party and quiz) who usually starts talking about 7.40 pm. Before the talk we gather from 7pm onwards to chat and take part in monthly competitions. We also have regular seed swops and plant sales. After the talk there is time for a further chat over tea/coffee and biscuits and often a chance to buy plants from our speaker.
In March we hold our Spring Daffodil Festival in Long Sutton Village Hall. This is always a feast for the eyes, with the hall full of beautiful daffodils, tulips and sweet smelling hyacinths, as well as cakes and preserves. Although only members can enter the show, our judges are always impressed by the standard of our entries and have commented that some of our entries which fail to win prizes would in fact be prize winners in some much larger shows!
We are members of the Gardens Group Gold Club (Brimsmore is one of their garden centres) and the Gold Club sponsors our website. Members are entitled to discount cards for 25% off spring bulbs in the autumn and 25% off most products in January and February. There is also a 'Talk and 25% Discount Evening of Shopping', at Brimsmore Garden Centre in May. Kelways Plant Centre offers 10% discount on outdoor plants and shrubs and members can also register directly at Overt Locke to receive a discount on garden items.
This year our club outing is in June, visiting Tyntesfield House and Garden and In July we have a visit to a local garden, travelling in members' cars.
Our AGM is in September, followed by a short talk. We are a friendly bunch and would love to see some new faces so if you are interested, please contact our Secretary to find out more( Jean on (07854 711236 ) or, from September to April, just turn up at All Saints Hall on the second Tuesday of the month between 7 and 7.30 pm.
The cost of a year's single membership, payable in September, is £15, (£25 per couple). Members also buy a £1 lucky ticket, which then goes in the draw for a £5 garden token, at each of our meetings, and these fees allow us to pay for a wide range of interesting speakers. Non-members/visitors - £3 entrance fee.
Sedgemoor Gardens Club is a club for all those in the Langport area who are interested in growing plants and gardening. During the autumn/winter months (September - April) we meet once a month, on the second Tuesday, in All Saints Hall in Langport. We have a speaker every month (except in December when we have our Christmas buffet party and quiz) who usually starts talking about 7.40 pm. Before the talk we gather from 7pm onwards to chat and take part in monthly competitions. We also have regular seed swops and plant sales. After the talk there is time for a further chat over tea/coffee and biscuits and often a chance to buy plants from our speaker.
In March we hold our Spring Daffodil Festival in Long Sutton Village Hall. This is always a feast for the eyes, with the hall full of beautiful daffodils, tulips and sweet smelling hyacinths, as well as cakes and preserves. Although only members can enter the show, our judges are always impressed by the standard of our entries and have commented that some of our entries which fail to win prizes would in fact be prize winners in some much larger shows!
We are members of the Gardens Group Gold Club (Brimsmore is one of their garden centres) and the Gold Club sponsors our website. Members are entitled to discount cards for 25% off spring bulbs in the autumn and 25% off most products in January and February. There is also a 'Talk and 25% Discount Evening of Shopping', at Brimsmore Garden Centre in May. Kelways Plant Centre offers 10% discount on outdoor plants and shrubs and members can also register directly at Overt Locke to receive a discount on garden items.
This year our club outing is in June, visiting Tyntesfield House and Garden and In July we have a visit to a local garden, travelling in members' cars.
Our AGM is in September, followed by a short talk. We are a friendly bunch and would love to see some new faces so if you are interested, please contact our Secretary to find out more( Jean on (07854 711236 ) or, from September to April, just turn up at All Saints Hall on the second Tuesday of the month between 7 and 7.30 pm.
The cost of a year's single membership, payable in September, is £15, (£25 per couple). Members also buy a £1 lucky ticket, which then goes in the draw for a £5 garden token, at each of our meetings, and these fees allow us to pay for a wide range of interesting speakers. Non-members/visitors - £3 entrance fee.
Join us
- All Saints Hall Langport Somerset
- Langport Somerset TA10 9RQ
Please contact our secretary, Jean, on 07854 711236 or, as she is often away (lucky thing!) ring 07903030533 to get our President www.sedgemoorgardensclub.co.uk
Programme 2025-2026
TALKS PROGRAMME 2025-2026
| September 9th 2025 | Peter Goodenough | A.G.M & ‘Water Retention and Wildlife Gardens' | ||
| October 14th 2025 | Abigail Willis | 'Somerset - a County of Glorious Gardens' | ||
| November 11th 2025 | Jonny Hartnell | 'Gardens of Madeira ' | ||
| December 9th 2025 | CHRISTMAS BUFFET & QUIZ | Quiz & Christmas Buffet | ||
| January 13th 2026 | Claire Hart | ' Square Metre Gardening' | ||
| February 10th 2026 | Barry Hamblin | 'Lavender - the Forgotten Herb' | ||
| March 10th 2026 | David Usher | 'The story of Hestercombe Gardens' | ||
| April 14th 2026 | Gold Club Speaker | 'Pest and Disease Control' | ||
| May 12th 2026 | GOLD CLUB DISCOUNT EVENING | |||
| June 9th 2026 | COACH TRIP | Visit to Tyntesfield (NT) | ||
| July 14th 2026 | EVENING GARDEN VISIT (TBA) |
Latest News
Monthly competitions
Monthly Competitions These run from September to April. Members are invited to enter as many of the five classes as they can each month - up to 2 entries per member in each class. Complete the entry card provided on the evening and place it by your exhibit with your name face downwards. In each class 1st - 3rd will be awarded and given 6,4,2 points respectively. Every other entry gets one point. There are no competitions in December. At the end of the season the winner of each class will be the member scoring the most points from 6 or less entries and garden tokens will be awarded to the winners at the AGM in September.
Classes: Every month two classes are the same - the Single bloom or stem is always Exhibitor’s choice and the Houseplant is always either a flowering or foliage plant
The Flower class:
September - 3 Dahlias or 2 sprays of Floribunda roses
October - 3 Michaelmas daisies or 3 Dahlias
November - 2 sprays of berries or autumn foliage
January - 2 Iris or 2 Christmas roses
February - 3 different Hellebores or 3 different seed heads
March - 3 different daffodils or 3 snowdrops
April - 3 sprays of Polyanthus or 1 spray of blossom
The Vegetable class:
September - 5 runner beans or 1 cucumber or Exhibitors choice
October - 1 cabbage or marrow or Exhibitors choice
November - 3 carrots or potatoes or 2 Exhibitors choice
January - 6 sprouts or 2 cabbages or Exhibitors choice
February - 5 onions or 3 shallots or Exhibitors choice
March - 5 leeks or 1 lettuce or Exhibitors choice
April -1 cauliflower or 5 Spring onions or Exhibitors choice
The Fruit class:
September - 3 dessert apples or tomatoes
October - 3 dessert pears or 3 nuts
November - 3 dessert apples
January - 2 cooking pears or cooking apples
February - Exhibitors choice (not frozen)
March - 3 cooking or dessert apples
April - 2 stalks of rhubarb
Members' Benefits
Members' Benefits
We are members of the Gardens Group Gold Club, which offers members 25% discount on a varied selection of bulbs and garden materials in the autumn. There is also a Discount evening in May when we are entertained in the Garden Centre with 25% of everything, tea/coffee and biscuits and a talk by a member of of the Gardens Group staff. They also provide us with daffodil bulbs for one of the classes in our Spring Show and plug plants in April - we look forward to seeing these again in September when there is a prize for the best mature plant.
Kelways Plant Centre gives members, 10% off outdoor plants and shrubs on production of our membership card and we can also apply for a club discount card from Overt Locke in Somerton, who give our members a 10% discount on everything.
Visits Photo Album
The evening visit to the NGS garden at Bradon Farm took place on a perfect summer's evening. Deborah, the owner designed and oversaw the construction of this very different garden 25 years ago and regaled members with entertaining tales of the trials and tribulations that the work had involved. As a result,she has produced a wonderful classic formal garden of parterres,knot gardens, pleached lime walks, herbaceous borders and wild flower planting.To conclude the evening we enjoyed tea and cake in the Orangery.
The American Museum and Gardens June 2025
Our visit to the American Museum & Gardens was thoroughly enjoyed by members and friends alike and blessed with ideal weather after a drizzly start to the day. We saw fine examples of American decorative arts and a stunning collection of quilts together with Dallas Pratt's map collection. The Museum's wonderful gardens include over two acres of formal gardens, together with an arboretum, parkland and spectacular views across the Avon Valley.
Castle Drogo visit -June 2024
Club visit to Sutton Hosey Manor, Long Sutton in July 2022
Club visit to Exbury Gardens May 2022
Visit to Polden Wines 2021
A.G.M. Minutes
Minutes of the AGM held in All Saints Village Hall
Tuesday 9th September 2025 at 7.30 pm
Apologies: Joan & Neil Burrows, Kath Thornton.
Present: Club Officials: Peter Goodenough, Sylvia Goodenough, Jean White, John Tipping, Joan Tipping, David Geach, Anne Geach, Janette Gay, Andy Gay, Mary Bromby
Club Members: 14 other club members, which includes 4 new members.
Minutes of the last AGM: These were read and agreed by all present.
Matters Arising: None
Chairman & Secretary Joint Report:
In Brief – David welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending the meeting tonight. For the benefit of the new members, David gave a brief summary of who we are and what we do throughout the year. He explained, what being a member of the Gold Club involved and what we are entitled to and how we receive discount vouchers and are also eligible for a discount evening. The Gold Club is run by The Gardens Group through Brimsmore Garden Centre, Castle Gardens and Poundbury Gardens Centres. He gave a brief account of some of the interesting and varied talks given to us throughout the year. For example - a talk we had on Dahlias, Garden Design and Borders and the Commonwealth War Graves and how they are looked after, to name just a few. He also mentioned our coach trip to the American Museum and Gardens and our local garden evening visit. All of these being very good. David went on to Thank all of the Committee Members for their dedication and hard work through the year. On behalf of us all he gave a very special thanks to Sylvia who is retiring from the committee after 15 years of service. During that time she held many roles - catering arrangements, especially for the Christmas Buffet and Daffodil Festival, obtaining speakers, taking on the role of secretary, and setting up our website. Sylvia was also our Daffodil Festival Organiser for many years, doing a splendid job and keeping us all in order. She has now passed this task over to Andy and Janette Gay. Sylvia was very appreciative of the bouquet of flowers presented to her. David also mentioned he and Anne, along with John & Joan, will be stepping down from the committee and the end of our year. Therefore, this is an opportunity for some of you to come forward and join the committee. David clarified the reason why we had not distributed the daffodil bulbs this evening. NB. This is to be read in conjunction with the full chairman's and secretary’s report.
Treasurer’s Report
In Brief- Mary explained there are 2 pages of the report. The first page list the income sources and expenditures for the year and either a surplus or deficit. Happily, it shows a surplus of £670. The second page shows a summary of the sources of of the clubs reserves or cash on hand to date. It also shows the year end bank reconciliation for both current and deposit accounts and balance of petty cash. It also shows transfers from one account to the other whereby interest was earned, amounting to £30.11 for the year. Mary had included a comprehensive schedule of the accounts detailing the fixed expenditures and the income for all the events held in 2024 / 2025. Both the Daffodil Festival and Christmas Buffet are and important factor for the clubs sources of income. Which means without the amounts raised by these events, there would be a shortfall to cover our fixed expenses. However, based on our current reserves I recommend the membership subscriptions will remain unchanged at £15.00 single £25.00 for a couple. No Issues were put forward. NB: to be read in conjunction with the full schedule of accounts.
Programme Secretary’s Report
John gave a comprehensive run down of the speakers arranged for the year, giving a brief description about each one. The speakers for 2025 / 2026 are listed in the Membership Card. The club coach outing for 2026 is to Tyntesfield House and Gardens (National Trust) and will be on 9th June. Our discount evening will be at Brimsmore on 12th May. The evening visit on 14th July will be to a local NGS Garden and has yet to be arranged. John asked members for any suggestions for speakers or for club visits.
Show Secretary Report:
Our daffodil show was very successful and a big boost to our finances. Sylvia agreed it was a great job, and Andy and Janette will do there very best to make this coming years festival as good a success. What we need is for you all to bring along exhibits, including all you new members. It’s fun to enter – and you could win a cup. You now have 6 months to plan your entries. Our Judges come from outside of the club, so we need you to put out a tremendous display giving them plenty to look at and mull over for the best entry in each class. The cake recipe is provided by our Produce Judge, Naomi.There are many classes as you will see when the show schedules are available in December, at the Christmas Buffet evening. It’s not just daffodils, there are tulips too. We hope you make the effort to enter in 2026 even if you haven’t done so before. It’s a good fun and a great afternoon.
Website: Joan gave out the website address:- sedgemoorgardensclub.co.uk which continues to provide members and the public with information about our club and also highlights the Gold Club and other local gardening events. We use it for publicity and hope that it may attract new members from time to time. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements
Election of New Committee Members and those who are willing to stand again. It was unanimously agreed to re-elect those committee members at the end of their term of office. These being John and Joan Tipping. No new members came forward for election.
A.O.B A question was asked if we can bring our surplus plants, cuttings or seeds, to the monthly meetings – this has always been there but not very often done. Yes! Anyone can do so whenever they wish.
Presentation of Prizes for Monthly Competitions: Janette thanked members for taking part in the monthly competitions for last year. She then read out the winners and prizes were presented. Single Bloom – Jean White Flower - Joan Burrows Houseplant - Kath Thornton Vegetable - John Tipping Fruit - Andy Gay Plug Plant - Janet Hale
Meeting closed 8.20 pm approx. Refreshments were served on arrival.
Financial report 2025
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