We don't have a regular meeting time or place, but we arrange monthly meeting on WhatsApp choosing a place and time to suit the most members. It tends to be on a Thursday or Friday when it is less likely to clash with other u3a events. We also use WhatsApp to communicate with one another, arrange trips and lifts, make suggestions, ask advice, post pictures, swap plants and anything else with a horticulture connection. We currently have 25 members.

We have decided to visit our members gardens and open-gardens in the summer months. To visit garden centers, near and far in early Spring and late Autumn, and not to meet in December, January and February but to keep in contact via WhatsApp.

We had a Garden Themed Quiz in February. It was held at AGEUK Grimsby. We had 4 teams, Spades, Rakes, Wellies and Gloves. It was very harmonious and good fun and we had several new people attending and some have since joined the group.

We have organised a trip to Wentworth Garden Centre on Thursday 30th April. Apart from being a conventional Garden Centre, it has a Sunken Garden, an Italian Garden, a Rose Arch, a Rockpool garden, a Maze, a Deer Paddock and many other interesting areas. It also has 3 cafes! The idea was very popular but we did not have enough car drivers willing to travel so far, so Tim Cockerton came to our rescue and has organised a coach trip for all local u3a members. We now have a full coach of 53 passengers and a few stragglers making their own way there. Many Thanks to Tim as it would not have gone ahead without his input. I hope he has arranged some nice weather for us.

A new u3a garden group member, Anita, has very kindly (and bravely) invited the group to visit her allotment, and maybe garden. We have penciled in the 21st May. We will post on here when it is confirmed.

If you would like to join the group, use the link at the top to contact Vic, the leader, and give him your mobile number so you can be added to the WhatsApp group and have all the information needed to take part in the trips and gatherings.

Gardening Group Blog Posts

27 March 2026

It was a cold damp visit to "Your Place", a community centre and garden in Grimsby's East Marsh. However being gardeners we were well wrapped up and we enjoyed Ernie's chat about the gardens and the biggest whale bones in England which are being made into an arch.. Almost everything is procured by donations, the flower pots, the planting medium the seeds, and the the plants. Local volunteers sow in pots and trays in a conveyor belt system. This results in 1000s (yes really) of plants for sale at minimal price (20p for small pots and £1 for big pots containing 5 sizable plants). Everything sold is pure profit. The aim is not to make money but to provide an interest for the local underprivileged community. 14 of us spent over an hour being entertained by Ernie and a few stayed on for his sourdough demo.

20 November 2025

9 group members met in the warm cafe and managed to find nearby tables. After refreshments several of us downloaded the Pennels app which allowed substantial offers. Beryl bought 2 resplendent primulas for £1 and Pat was able to get 30% reduction on a terrarium plant.

We amused ourselves by looking around the Christmas exhibits and Tony was pleased to find an orchid pot. It was nice to meet up and get inside in the warm, away from the bitter cold damp weather.

17 October 2025

We had a big trip to Sleaford for our October meeting. 14 of us car shared. The trip was in 2 parts, first we visited the garden of Clare's late mother and then we went onto Anwick Garden Centre for lunch and a look round. There are a lot of photos but there was so much to see.

Clare's mum's house is soon to be sold. This is a garden we all would have dreamed of owning in our younger days. It is 3 acres, triangular shaped and edged by a train track on one side and the River Slea on the other. To relieve flooding several ponds have been added with some success. Clare's mum was an enthusiastic member of Sleaford in Bloom and organised much of the winning displays from this garden in her younger years. The garden has also won the East Midlands in Bloom Wildlife Award in the past. The garden is divided into several areas, grasses to hide the train line, a wildlife patch, an ornamental pond, some flower areas, fruit trees greenhouses and polytunnels. We all came armed with secateurs and trowels and took several cutting and picked the fruit. It was a dry, mild day and we all really enjoyed it and are so grateful to Clare for inviting us.

Click to enlarge photo

We all returned to our cars to drive 15 minutes to Anwick Garden Centre aka J. Parkers Garden Centre, where we had a good lunch. The garden Centre was rather hidden down a back lane, but it was nice, clean, well kept and had a good variety of indoor and outdoor plants and garden paraphernalia (and some Christmas items). They also famously sell Parkers Dutch bulbs. There were 6 rows of bulbs of every conceivable type and colour. It was so difficult to choose but most of us left with at least one packet. Grimsby and Cleethorpes will be very colourful next spring. We all had a lovely day and returned to Grimsby by 4:30.

18 September 2025

21st August 2025

The First Garden Visit

On a sunny day in August, Clare led a group to visit the Secret Sarden in Louth. It certainly is well hidden! It looks like an ordinary house in an ordinary street but the garden at the back is huge and is bursting with exotic and common plants arranged around little separate areas. 8 members went and enjoyed refreshments there as well as the inspiring garden.