| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Coordinator: | |
| When: | Monthly on Tuesday afternoons 14:00-16:00 Third Tuesday of the month |
| Venue: | The Well, Baptist Church |
| Cost: | £3 per session |
The Garden Lovers Group is for those of you who love your garden and all things gardening. We do not claim to be that knowledgeable on this subject but the group enables like-minded u3a members to get together for horticultural chats and gives everyone an opportunity to exchange gardening tips, seeds and cuttings of our favourite plants.
This is a member-led activity with members drawing upon their knowledge, and experience, to teach and learn from each other for pleasure, with everyone invited to share their ideas and gardening experiences. We plan to have the occasional speaker and visit interesting gardens in the area.
If Maggie is away, please email Terry Wing
- Change of Venue - from the Tuesday 16 June 2026, Garden Lovers will be meeting at The Baptist Church in Gorleston from 2-4pm
Miniature Gardens - 15 September 2026
We would like you to get your thinking caps on and produce an imaginative miniature garden. There are several categories, ranging from a seed tray to a tablespoon, with various containers in between. The material used can be fresh garden plants or artificial, and you can add garden ornamentation to your heart's desire.
Just think ‘quaint’ and be as creative as you can; the sky’s the limit. All you need to be aware of is the size limit. Make sure your entry is no bigger than 18 inches square; remember, size doesn’t always matter. Categories below
| Large Container | Medium Container | Small Container |
| 12 - 18 inches | 8 - 12 inches | Up to 8 inches |
| Fresh Material | Fresh Material | Fresh Material |
| Artificial Material | Artificial Media | Artificial Material |
| Mixed Media | Mixed Media | Mixed Media |
Raveningham Gardens - August 2026
Our members travelled to Raveningham Hall and Gardens. On arrival, we were greeted by Sir Nicholas Bacon, who had kindly opened his gardens especially for us. He explained that the gardens were the brainchild of his late mother, Lady Priscilla Bacon, who, for fifty years, had transformed them and brought the Victorian Walled garden back into working order, now producing an abundance of fruit and vegetables for the house (The peaches and nectarines were amazing). We enjoyed our time wandering around the Gardens, St Andrew's Church and the Park, and were lucky that the weather was slightly cooler and the rain held off. To round off our trip, we enjoyed a late lunch at Burgh Hall, where the food and service were excellent. Go to the Gallery page to see more images
Summer Fair - 21 July 2026
We all enjoyed a wonderful afternoon examining all the fabulous produce brought to the fair by our members.
Despite a very difficult 'gardening' year due to a very wet spring followed by drought and a heat wave, the standard was exceptional. Congratulations to Chris and John Knowles for winning Best in Show for their Gloxinia and to Christine London for winning the Sweetpea Challenge. A full list of winners can be seen below.
Garden Lovers Summer Fair Winners
| Cut Garden Flowers | Candy Cooper |
| Single Rose | Margaret Bond |
| Dahlias | Linda Hands |
| Wild Flowers | Margaret Bond |
| Flowering Pot Plant | John and Chris Knowles |
| Cactus or Succulent | Candy Cooper |
| Tomatoes | Geoffrey Graves |
| Cucumber | John Muir |
| Beans | Grace Edwards |
| Longest Runner Bean | Linda Hands |
| Marrow or Courgettes | Candy Cooper |
| Onions | Grace Edwards |
| Root Veg | David Tyrrell |
| Apples | Grace Edwards |
| Soft Fruit | John Muir |
| Trug of 4 different vegetables | Sue Stannard |
| Fruit Cake | Sue Stannard |
| Sponge Cake | Linda Hands |
| Jams & Marmalades | Monica Graves |
| Chutney | Elaine Tyrrell |
| Sweetpea Challenge | Christine London |
| Garden Photograph | Grace Edwards |
| Garden Plant Photograph | Jo Graystone |
| Best in Show | Chris and John Knowles |
2026 Meetings
16 June 2026 - The wildlife of Great Yarmouth Cemeteries - Tony Brown
The wildlife of Great Yarmouth's cemeteries is famously documented by local naturalist Tony Brown, who frequently leads talks on the surprisingly rich ecosystems thriving amongst the headstones. The sites act as a renowned "migrant trap," hosting rare birds, insects, and varied flora.
19 May 2026 - Fritton Owl Sanctuary - Louise
Fritton Owl Sanctuary were founded in 2013 by Louise and Mark (who has since retired) with the aim to give a home to as many unwanted captive bred Owls as we can. Currently we have over 25 Owls in the sanctuary.
We also take in injured wild native owls and rehabilitate them so they can be released back into the wild. In the time we have been open we have managed to release about 85% of the wild owls in our care back into their natural environment. Louise may be accompanied with one of her feathered friends.
21 April 2026 - The Great Garden Quiz and Strawberry Surprise
A very entertaining afternoon opened with a far-ranging quiz that stretched us all to the limit, particularly the music section! There were no winners or losers as we all enjoyed it.
A raffle raised much needed funds for the group and we were then treated to strawberry gateaux topped with fresh strawberries and a warm drink.
A big thank you to Maggie and Terry for making it a very special meeting.
17 March 2026 - Lound Lakes and its Wildlife - Tony Brown
Tony has been interested in nature and wildlife since a youngster and still follows his passion today at 81 years old. He has been a wildlife photographer for many years and has photographed most aspects of nature, including insects, birds, wild flowers, fungi and mammals.
17 February 2026 - Saving Seed - Annette Hurt
A terrific talk full of facts and demonstrations.
Every step of the way was covered from collecting, winnowing, storing and checking viability before sowing.
Annette also bought with her some of her products made from beeswax and honey.
January 2026 - No meeting
The first meeting of 2026 will be on Tuesday 17 February 2026