AT the August meeting of Morchard Bishop Gardening Club, Derrick Dyer from Eggesford Garden Centre gave members an illustrated talk about spring bulbs which contained some very handy tips and advice.

Derrick and Alison Dyer came from backgrounds in sales and marketing and beauty therapy respectively to take on the challenge of running Eggesford Garden Centre.

Originally, in the early mid-17th century, the walled kitchen garden served the Eggesford estate. Nowadays, it is managed as an independent concern with a restaurant, gift shop and of course, plenty of wonderful flowers and shrubs for sale.

So, on that summer evening of autumnal weather, we looked forward to spring flowers. Derrick advised us to plant bulbs in autumn and look forward to an exuberant display in spring.

Bulbs are adaptable and bee-friendly, the buzzing adds an auditory sensation to the fragrant and visual treat.

One fact that surprised and delighted many of us is that if you cut a tulip bulb in half, you can see the colour of the flower! But, caveat emptor, do not be deceived into buying multiple small bulbs, as the larger, more mature bulbs produce more abundant flowers.

A good suggestion was to put plastic pots containing bulbs inside decorative terracotta pots and you can move them around the garden.

Derrick then showed us photographs of exciting new varieties available this autumn. They include the daffodil “Sealing Wax” with bright yellow petals with orange-red goblet cups, the wonderfully named tulip “Dancing Fairy”, a red-cream flower with yellow edging, and the chameleon-like tulip “Antoinette” which veers from buttery yellow to salmon orange like rhubarb and custard sweets.

There is also an allium, “Summer Drummer”, a pom-pom like purple flower with white tips.

At the end of the evening, we were able to buy some of these splendid bulbs and benefit from the 10 per cent discount available to members of the Gardening Club at Eggesford GardenCentre.

There was a spontaneous round of applause at the end of Derrick’s informative and fascinating presentation.

Members were reminded of the planted wheelbarrow competition running in the village as part of the Flower and Produce Show which will be judged during the week before the show, on Saturday, September 2. There is a generous prize for the winner sponsored by Eggesford Garden Centre.

Held in the Memorial Hall, doors open from 2.30pm on the day of the show and refreshments will be available. There will be a raffle and also the auction of exhibits at the end of the show.

Karin Moffett