| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Coordinator: | |
| When: | Monthly on Tuesday afternoons 13:30-15:30 Third Tuesday of the month |
| Venue: | St George's Theatre Cafeteria |
| 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
Sweetpea Challenge
It's that planting season again. A time for nurturing those tiny pods that miraculously burst into a magical display of colour. Not forgetting the narcotic aroma that delights our summer days. Why not treat yourself to a packet of sweetpea seeds and enter our Garden Lovers Sweetpea Challenge? We can all have a few seeds in pots on the windowsill, then plant the seedlings in a bigger pot in the garden. You could even share a pack or two with your Garden Group friends to have different varieties and colours. Later in the summer, we will have a competition for the best vase of sweetpeas; you might even win a prize. There's no better way to idle your days.
2026 Meetings
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