Locating nearby gardeners to meet.

I'm near Chesterfield, South Yorkshire / North Derbyshire (Well on the borders, with long-standing, ongoing discussions where we are exactly lol). And, in the hope of trying to find other amateur "reasonably local" gardeners like myself, scoured the internet and various blogs. I've been a member of this site for a few years but haven't found an easy way to locate others where we could meet up, seed swap, etc. I have found, and joined another called Greenplantswap, which is designed specifically for locating in the UK, as opposed to information and discussions like this one. I'm not trying to "promote" the other, and even asked the Mods on this one if a similar function could be built on this site, but it was decided it wasn't appropriate.

My wife and I have met up with and made a really good gardening friend as result of the other site but, unfortunately, in spite of it being a very comprehensive and large site, it is far less active than this one - could be that my area (up to as far as 20+ miles) simply does not "produce" many sociable, enthusiastic souls like myself and wife! So if anyone like-minded, and in a nearby location (or just visiting), stumbles across this rambling of mine who wants to correspond, then Here I Be!!

 

Hi @Chesterfieldgardener how nice to meet you
@shiney does have a FAB garden meet up in Shinyland - Ill go and see if i can find the GC link for it

 

Just had a peek at your page - lovely photos! Thanks for your reply and help

 

Hi @Chesterfieldgardener,

Think you are pushing it you are trying to say you are a Yorkshireman .

Know the South / old West Yorkshire boundaries have been creeping further south in the last 100 years but even my old mate in Dronfield, has resigned to becoming a Spire - ite

I'm originally from south yorks but now a good few miles further north, but there are a few other regular forum members in your local area who may want to join in.

There certainly is a strong family scene if you join a local allotment society, but not everyone is able to take one on, even if one's available, plus its a lot of hard work getting a plot up and running again.

Spare seeds and plants always seem to get wasted, regularly throw out Fuchsias etc, just cannot stop taking cuttings .

Was just thinking the other day what to do with the 5 spare Glen Ample raspberry canes I will have when the pack of 10 arrive in January; none of the neighbours want them.
They don't cost that much, but seems such a shame to compost them, much better to swap or give them away.
Raspberry Glen Ample Long-Cane

 

Hi there - I also don't understand why there are not more meetings and i am not talking anything fancy (actually better not too fancy eh eh) but a visit to some gardens, to a market, to a festival and so on. Or a get together with some nice food...

 

Would never push it to claim I'm a Yorkshireman - I'm a London born deserter, and I always maintain this is North Derbyshire (Dint of fact our council is "North-East Derbyshire" even though we have a South Yorkshire post-code, and a Chesterfield phone number prefix - Haha.)
My wife is a Sheffield lass, and still trying to teach me South Yorkshirese!

I am literally a 10 minute drive from Dronfield - had my Lawnmower serviced there, last year!!

Because of the size of the "back garden" (Inherited a blank canvas of just lawn 12 years ago), we dug up a 3rd of it creating 6 small veg plots with a greenhouse and small shed (photos on my profile page), so no need to search for allotments. Fortunate, not least because of my wife and I aren't dedicated enough to maintain a place umpteen miles away haha.

We are the opposite to you when it comes to hoarding seeds, shrubs, etc. In fact, earlier today I was busily gathering Cosmos seeds (as per instructed by the missus...)
And your last sentence, "..such a shame to compost them, much better to swap or give them away.", leads me right back to my "hunt for / locate local gardeners" mission.

In the past I have mailed heritage tomato seeds in exchange for other seeds as far as North America - fellow members of the "Tomatoville" blog site, and with scrungee on this GC site - I have a thread from last year called "Rare Tomato seed". However, mailing a 4 foot Killmarnock willow we dug up last year was outside of our budget!

My most current and up-to-date gardener "blogging / photos" are on the other site I mentioned: with the member name "David & Hazel In Chesterfield." Yes, I know, I need to be updating my profile and photos on GC haha, and dividing my time more equally between here and there (hangs head in shame). We do now have 2 gardening helpers - Molly & Sago the Bengal cats. I posted a photo on the GC competition thread earlier this year, as an example of Sago "helping" with runner beans haha.

I would love to know who the other regular GC members are in my area. Maybe they would like various spare veg seeds inspected by Bengals? hahaha.

Thanks for all your replies and info. Looking forward to more

 

Hi FatController, I fully understand your reasons. The only comment I would make is that there is already some opportunity on GC for members to give out their (approximate or detailed) locations. I do love this site, but you can check out the system they work with on the site I have been mentioning

Perhaps there's a way to do some kind of informal survey of GC members to guage if locating / meeting is something worth having? I fully respect your reasons and decision as it stands.

I want to thank you and those involved for all the hard work that has gone into creating this great community

 

@Chesterfieldgardener you should count yourself lucky to be so close to Shineyland. I am 5,742km from it!

 

I am flattered to be given your confidence and support to do this!

I could first write a draft, then message this to you for any changes, or additions you think necessary. However, I do think a new thread with this information would be far better coming from yourself or one of the more established and recognised staff/mods who will undoubtedly receive far greater notice and response than a relatively unrecognised member like myself.

Also, my suggestion would be to highlight this - an announcement, as it were - on the home page to get the widest attention possible. The more who respond, the more accurate a picture you would get for the viability of this proposal.

Hi, also, Armandii... As I said earlier to FC, I fully understand all of these reasons, and I can only suggest you take a look at to see how they have accommodated the concerns, rules and protocol that GC has in place.