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As this is the first edition of the New Year I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful New Year. A year in which we hopefully will once again be able to share many enjoyable fuchsia happenings together. Detailed information on our programme leaflet and updates will be given during our meetings and via the pages of the Newsletter.
The unfortunate disappointing low attendance at our Annual Show last year and the subsequent drop in revenue, means we might have to tighten our belts somewhat more this year. However, with enthusiasm and the right attitude, we will no doubt manage (as one always somehow does) and have another very enjoyable year ahead of us.
Fuchsia Folk are Friendly Folk is the motto - something we do have to live up to. The New Year, gives us the opportunity for a fresh start - we ought to make the most of it. Let's try to make our resolutions stick a little longer this year!  Let's all try to be a little more positive and proactive this year by making a renewed effort. Support each other. Give our experienced members support in the running of the Society and our newer members a warmer welcome to make them feel a more integrated part of the club.
As far as our Society Newsletter is concerned I can assure you that there will be no let up in my personal endeavours to keep it going and you, the dear readers, well informed. Naturally our Society events will be covered but I also like to include as much as possible other fuchsia related news for your perusal. In this respect a helping hand now and then would be much appreciated, so please do submit items you consider suitable for inclusion.

Enjoy!!

Oprah interviewed Maya Angelou on her 70+ birthday. Maya really is a marvel who has led quite an interesting and exciting life. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts; they seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words:
"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."
"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."
"I've learned that making a 'living' isn't the same thing as making a 'life'."
"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back."
"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."
"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."
"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
This is an e-mail doing the rounds with the added prompt of: Please send this to five phenomenal women today. If you do, something good will happen - you will boost another woman's self-esteem. If you don't…….the elastic will break and your panties will fall down around your ankles!

The annual Society Dinner was held at The Mayfair, Seamer on Friday 19^th November.  They put on a very good carvery on for us and everyone agreed it was a most enjoyable evening. 29 Members attended. We ran a raffle as usual and raised £31, which, as is our usual practice, we rounded up to £50. This year we donated the proceeds to the Scarborough branch of the R.N.L.I.

At our January meeting, Peter Staveley, our President, advised members that we desperately need new Committee members.
Several of our current members have decided not to stand this year, due to ill health or other commitments. Ann & Aubrey Brooker are not in good health and have decided to stand down. Peter Long does not want to put up for election this year. We do thank them all sincerely for all they have done.
We need a full time Secretary. Christine Bramley is willing to stand for Show Secretary (or continue on the Committee), but she can not do any more.
That leaves our Society needing a new Secretary, Sponsorship Secretary and several new Committee members.  So please, please come and join our Committee. We can not run the Committee without you. If you want the Scarborough & District Fuchsia Society to continue we need some help.
Thank you.     Lois Staveley

Something to occupy you  as it is still rather cold to potter in the greenhouse for  too long!
All but one of the fuchsias listed below appear in the grid. Which one is the odd one out?

Also, when you have found them all there will be 23 'unused' letters left  over, spelling out the name of a free flowering cultivar well worth adding to your collection.

THE RELUCTANT GARDENER
by H.T.V Fletcher

Wintry Winter coming fast,
driving rain and icy blast
No more teacups on the lawn,
neatly trimmed and closely shorn
No more paths to sweep and rake,
no more flowers to tie and stake
No more fruit for making jam,
no more herbs for stuffing ham
No more pruning, no more weeds,
no more sowing silly seeds
No more "Exhibition" fame -
isn't it a blooming shame?
Hooray! Stoke the fire, brew the tea -
no more Gardening, Praise be!

With higher light levels and temperatures there is often an explosion in the pest population in spring. Keep a regular check on plants. Look over both the top and undersides of the leaves for white fly, mealy bugs and aphids.
Before taking drastic measures check for biological predators and give them a helping hand by squashing or washing pests off and, if possible, removing a few of the worst infected leaves.

Customers at Cartridge World in Seamer Road, Scarborough, have the opportunity to help the environment. The shop has launched a loyalty card scheme with customers being given a stamp every time they refill printer cartridges and toners. For every 8 stamps a new tree will be planted. The aim is to publicise that in Britain 47 million(!) empty cartridges are discarded into landfill sites every year.
Another Scarborough outfit, Infotone Ltd, of Westborough, also recycles cartridges. You can get yourself money off by bringing in an empty cartridge when purchasing a new one. Alternatively you can support their scheme in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Infotone provide freepost envelopes with their refilled inkjet cartridges for you to post your empties. For each recyclable cartridge collected 50p goes to the British Heart Foundation.

A group of Halifax Building Society workers from Halifax and Leeds planted more than 6,000 bulbs in the grounds of St Catherine's Hospice. The bulbs, provided by the Scarborough Ladies Inner Wheel Club & Irton Moor Garden Centre, should blossom into a carpet of daffodils and snowdrops this spring.

Plants under stress are much more susceptible to pest attack and take usually much longer to recover from any damage. Ensure that plants are watered well and fed regularly with a balanced fertiliser while in growth.

To be of some help to our less experienced members a kind of 'fuchsia question time' section.  The simple task for you is, to pose the queries, and I, with the help of some experienced growers within our friendly fuchsia folk entourage will come up with the answer for you!  Sounds like a good deal, so have a go, please jot your questions down and pass it on to me at one of our monthly meetings.

Although we are most familiar with the orangy-red ladybird with the seven black spots, there are 42 different species in Britain and more than 5,000 world-wide. The British species vary in size from a mere 2mm to about 8mm. Colour combinations vary from the common red and black to yellow and black (spotted in Newby), brown and even orange & white.
Different species have different number of spots, not as some people think a case of juveniles having fewer spots than adults do. The bright colours means we can spot them easily and observe them, but more importantly so can the birds - it warns them that they are in fact unpalatable!

There are various reasons why leaves become discoloured usually to do with the growing conditions.
Yellowing leaves can be the result of a mineral or trace element deficiency. However, if you are feeding regularly with a proprietary feed containing trace elements, then the cause is more likely to be due to inappropriate watering. Either over-watering or under-watering or indeed using very hard water.
In many cases, especially in late summer, it is however simply a case of the plant discarding older leaves. Triphyllas are especially  prone to this. You can remove unsightly yellowing leaves if they bother you. In the natural renovating process you'll find that new leaves will appear in their place.
At the onset of the season many growers also experience leaf discolouring due to chilling. Leaves turn a bronzy-red or silvery colour, often in blotches. This is usually caused by a sudden drop in the overnight temperature. Plants can also catch a chill by being exposed to a cold wind when they are being hardened off.
Some varieties i.e. Marinka, Mieke Meursing & Wapenvelds Bloei are more prone to this discolouration due to chilling, but any fuchsia plant can be affected depending on how cold it has been. Try to avoid sudden fluctuations in your greenhouse by ventilating freely during sunny spring days so that the difference between day and night-time is not too excessive.  We can use this phenomenon to our advantage by positioning some Marinkas in the greenhouse to sort of check that our heating is adequate!
Although 'bronzing' or 'silvering' of the leaves causes no permanent damage and subsequent new growth will be normal again, the plant might have been somewhat weakened and it might well affect its show potential.
Something else that I also found particularly disappointed are the many red blotches covering the leaves of some of the 'aubergines' such as Purperklokje and President George Bartlett during the summer months.  Again making them somewhat unsightly for display purposes, such a shame, as they are such free-flowering and striking cultivars.
With the above cases there is no permanent damage to the plants. However, when noticing discoloration on the leaves ensure you check the underneath too, as other marks can indicate that your plant is being attacked by red spider or fuchsia rust. (Adapted with thanks from an article of Mick Allsop of  Waltham Forest Fuchsia & Pelargonium Society )

Topical Tips for Greenhouse Growing
FEBRUARY
Check you have an adequate supply of compost, trays, pots, potting compost etc. and if re-using old pots and labels ensure they are thoroughly cleaned.
To economise partition off a small section in greenhouse and only heat  that.
Check regularly for signs of pests -  much easier to deal with a small outbreak now (squash between finger & thumb) then an infestation in summer.
Keep the glass spic and span to ensure adequate light.
Take stock of rested plants, prune back and repot in fresh compost, keeping a watchful eye out for vine weevil grubs.
Spray stems with tepid water to soften wood and encourage new growth.
Examine plants regularly, remove yellowing & fallen leaves to avoid botrytis.
Water plants sparingly only, early in the day, clean excess condensation from inside of glass and ventilate freely to avoid damp, stagnant conditions.
As natural daylight increases take first cuttings, ideally in heated propagator.

MARCH/APRIL
Ensure you are still attending to above points i.e. watering carefully, removing debris, ventilating freely and remaining vigilant re pests & diseases.
Inspect plants regularly especially the soft tips and the underside of foliage.
When sunny open vents and also door on hot days to avoid big fluctuations between day and night time temperatures.
As available material from over-wintered plants becomes more freely available take more cuttings, but be selective, only select vigorous even growth.
Apply temporary light shading for cuttings and young seedlings, remembering to remove at night and on dull days to avoid 'stretched' growth.
Turn plants every few days to ensure balanced growth.

MAY/JUNE
Apply adequate shading - early May sunshine can be extremely bright.
However, bright days are often followed by frosty night, beware and protect!
In  hot spells damp down to avoid red spider mite getting a stronghold.
Pot on cuttings when roots fill pots and young plants and if intending to show, check schedule to ensure they are in correct size pots.
Start supplementary feeding (¼ strength daily or full strength once a week).
Turn plants regularly (¼ turn a day) to ensure even growth and pinch for shape, if showing note stopping times - see page 27.
Space plants out and ventilate freely to create good airflow around plants.
Keep checking for pests - spray with systemic insecticide to avoid infestation.
Plants can of course be put outside in sheltered areas after hardening off.

In September a welcome return for Jim & Kathleen Muncaster. No wonder they had been invited back as we were once again treated to a quality lecture and supplied with plenty of food for thought to ponder about during the winter.
Jim started his talk with a rundown on pests and how to reduce the impact, both for themselves as specialist nurserymen and for us, the amateur growers. Taking us through the growing cycle he stressed the importance of starting by sterilising the compost, for which he uses diluted Armillatox (10ml to 5litre). He also uses this to control vine weevil, to help reduce botrytis at the onset of the growing season (as well as a fungicide like Rovral) and for washing down the greenhouse before re-housing stock in autumn. This is especially important if plagued by rust that spreads through virtually invisible spores. So, the whole greenhouse needs a thorough wash, including staging and all used pots For aphids, thrips & white fly they use some insecticide during the early months of the year, but as soon as the temperature is sufficiently ambient the environ-mental friendly natural predators (which are available for amateur growers too) are introduced. The only problem with this is that once the pests have all been eaten the predators move on. Pests may again become a problem towards the end of the season when there are no predators left. They supplement this in a very cost efficient manner by encouraging hoverflies & lacewings in and during the annual influx of ladybirds some of these are picked up from the garden and transported into the greenhouse. That's a tip close to my heart; I used to do it myself, but I have noticed a big decline in ladybirds the last few years - all lurking in Morton then! After the break a great slideshow featured some of the 250 hardy fuchsias in their National Collection. I have pencilled in a visit this summer and recommend you do likewise - looks like a must-see display.
Doug Stewart, the Radio Humberside's The Great Outdoors presenter gave an illustrated talk, appropriately about 'Fall Gardens', at the October meeting which I was unable to attend, but I have been told it was very good indeed!

We experienced an excellent start to the new season on January 19th with a talk and hands-on demonstration from local 'lad' Robert Kendall. Robert is on the staff at the Scarborough Borough Parks & Countryside Department, based at the Manor Road Nurseries. Amongst other things he is responsible for getting young trainees through their NVQ qualifications. Looks like a very satisfying job to me! Obviously very knowledgeable and used to 'instructing' meant his talk was well prepared, well structured, very informative and very enjoyable.
In the first half he enlightened us on the various ways of propagate plants, appropriately for the time of the year, demonstrating this on houseplants, but pointing out that most ways were also applicable to garden perennials and for some ways our beloved fuchsias. After the break Robert turned to his love of exhibiting sweet peas and took us through the various stages of growth from the initial seed sowing to putting the finished article, sweet smelling blooms, on the show bench. Keen on dahlias I had been looking forward to the talk, billed as 'Sweet Peas and Dahlias', but although dahlias did not get a mention during the evening (but it would have proved another good example of different ways of propagation - tubers can be split, providing each piece has a growing eye, and you can take cuttings of the new growth) I still considered it a very good evening indeed and I am sure all who attended will agree. Well done Robert!

At this point I usually just convey my gratitude to the 'guest authors' for granting permission to reproduce their articles.  I certainly want to do this again, cheers kind folks, but I also like to draw your attention to a serious issue - please do read on and take it to heart.
Help! - We have got a lot of vacancies to fill

First the hard facts:
Ann & Aubrey Brooker and Peter Long are standing down. The 2 co-opted members, Pat Norman & Lois Staveley, are having to seek re-election, in accordance with the Constitution. (But pleased to see, both are willing to stand for election.) There are 5 vacancies on the Committee this year.
By amendment to the Constitution as approved by the membership at the AGM in March 2004, as from this year, the Secretarial Role has been split into three sections, General Secretary, Show Secretary and Sponsorship Secretary. Nominations are therefore also required for these 3 secretarial posts.
Nominations for all vacancies need to be made in writing, signed by a Proposer and Seconder, to be received by Mrs C Bramley by 28 February 2005.  As from this year the Officers are also elected for a period of three years, as the Committee members are.

So. The Society Management is down to the bare bones. As it stands at the moment, assuming that the Treasurer is standing again and is re-elected and that the co-opted members are elected, we could be having only half a team,  3 Officers and just 3 Committee members. As 6 is the minimum quorum required as per Constitution, it will make the decision making process rather difficult, as with the usual illnesses, other commitments etc. it is unlikely that all will be able to attend all the committee meetings.
I realise that most of you have joined the Society to just attend the monthly meetings (and support the Annual Show) and naturally the Society is pleased to have you aboard.  However, if you have been comfortably just sitting on the sidelines but deep-down know you could make a positive contribution as a Committee member, then now is the time to stand up and be counted. Come off that fence! I appeal to you to give this important matter serious consideration. Members like you really ought to put themselves forward rather than expecting others to do so, which in the past has resulted in no one volunteering at all.

What we do need is vision to see the bigger picture, resolve to adhere to the principles of the Society to improve the knowledge of fuchsia cultivation and above all enthusiasm to encourage others.   The Management of Officers & Committee should give positive leadership and more people should be involved so it is representative of the membership and enables constructive debates. If balanced, it will be able to make the right decisions, keeping the Society running well and providing members with the enjoyment they joined up for.

The Society is 21 years old this year. When offspring reach 21 and you have just nurtured them through the difficult teenage years, suddenly at 21 they somehow (phew!) become responsible adults, blossoming whilst taking in all the good in life from a different, now adult, perspective. This is surely what we wish for our Society, a prospering adult life. We should not succumb to paranoia, by negative thinking aloud and doom & gloom of things that might never happen, but let it spur us into action. Naturally we have to be realistic and continuously fine tune things to keep abreast, as life itself is ever changing. But, all is not lost - no way, it never is! Where there is a will, there is a way! Surely we can not just sit here and stagnate and come to a halt (and slowly bleed to death). There is a viable future, so let's fight for it, spitting fire, guns blazing!

Back to the facts - let me spell it out: the Society does not need to fold, just adapt. The financial position is still healthy; membership is on par with other similar organisation; there is plenty of talent within the ranks to be utilised.

We ought to be celebrating coming of age, focussing on a bright future, which really is there for the taking if the Society as a whole can adopt a more positive attitude. I am compassionate about our Society as a source of enjoyment of our beloved fuchsias and an ideal way to share this with others. How about you?
If you really do care about the well-being of the Society take the plunge now.  You (& you & you & yes, you too) can be that badly needed bit of fresh air please do get more involved now and help safeguard the Society's future.
                                        Your Editor, Claudy Dixon

P.S. Your local library is a good example of how 'adapting' and moving with the times works well. With the widespread use of home computers and the internet it was deemed that books and libraries were on their way out. But just have a look in your local library now. Pro-actively they have been adapted to utilise new technology. They are now better than ever - excellent information centres, where access to computers has been made widely available for all, alongside an improved lending section, where good old books still rule. You can even read magazines and the local papers in a comfortable setting whilst you are enjoying a cuppa.  Rather than leading to the downfall, computer browsing session on the premises now gives people a taste of interesting subjects which they explore further by reading all about it in the so readily at hand books they can take home. The best of both worlds surely and much appreciated as the greatly increased use of the library service testifies.

The magazine also include a few articles from the BFS CAD's FUCHSIA NEWS which can be viewed on the BFS Website