Cringleford and Eaton Horticultural Society
January 10th 2012
The President Diana Misselbrook opened the meeting. Her designated charity for the year is Lupus UK. This is an incurable disease of the immune system causing damage to joints and muscles etc. Diana also asked for volunteers for the posts of Vice President and Show Committee Member. There were 3 entries for the table show of carrots, Hamamelis and Clivia, and one attractive arrangement of Winter Colour.  Mary Muff (Tel: 01603 453417) asked for ideas for the half day outing, which will probably be on the 2nd Sunday in May.
Our speakers, John and Anne Bridges, gave us a comprehensive and lucid slide talk on their recent trip to South Africa. Anne is especially knowledgeable about plants as she is a flower arranger and on the committee of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society.
Their views of Table Mountain overshadowing Capetown were magnificent and included details of bright yellow Asters that grow on top of the mountain among shale and shingle. They visited Kirtstenbosch Gardens, one of the most beautiful in the world. Here grow many varieties of Leucospernum, Proteas, Strelitzias (including the new variety Mandela’s Gold), Gazanias, Lionotus and Mesumbryanthemum among many other plants indigenous to South Africa.
They visited Robben Island where Mandela among others was imprisoned for many years. The heat was intense – over 40°C, and the sunlight so harsh that some prisoners lost their eyesight. Anne and John were shown round by ex-inmates.
At Cape Point they enjoyed the antics of the Jackass Penguins and then travelled to Boulder Bay along the East Coast, pausing to paddle in the Indian Ocean.  Here they saw native reeds, palapa, used as thatch, fine Agapanthus and the unusual Mickey Mouse Bush. On an ostrich farm they watched a female incubating her eggs, each one the size of 22 hen eggs.
Although South Africa aims to exclude non-native plants, the roads are bordered by oleander.  This is poisonous to insects, so birds avoid the roads too, reducing motoring hazards. They also grow Australian eucalyptus around native forest as fire barrier, as eucalyptus burns at a higher temperature than the native species.
The Durban Botanical Gardens was another highlight. The Lollypop Plant or Golden Shrimp Plant, Pachystachys lutea, grows outdoors here.  The tall lychee tree, Litchi chinensis, was in flower. Fever tree, Acacia xanthophloea has yellow wood and is used in inlay work.
Anne and John went on safari and saw lions, impala, hornbills, gibbons and warthogs.  They were entertained in a Zulu village and visited a witch doctor, before ending their travels in Pretoria.

Our next meeting will be on 14th February and will be held in Cringleford Church Hall at 7.30pm, when Rosemary Ward will introduce us to Plants for Spring Colour.