Urr Valley Garden Club members receive a masterclass on fuchsias

Lorna Thomson

1 October 2024 at 11:40 am·1-min read

Professor Stephen Phillips spoke about fuchsias to members of Urr Valley Garden Club — -Credit: (Image: Galloway News)

At the first meeting of the new season, Urr Valley Garden Club members and visitors were treated to a fascinating presentation by Professor Stephen Phillips on the cultivation of fuchsias.

Having travelled and worked worldwide, he is now an honorary senior research fellow at the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow. Despite his academic commitments, he is also a volunteer at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and has been a judge for the National Fuchsia Society for more than 30 years.

As well as describing in detail the different groups of fuchsias, a practical demonstration was given on propagation and care of plants including over-wintering.

Professor Phillips very generously brought many excellent young plants to the group for members to take home, with donations made to charity.

New members and visitors are always welcome. Further information from treasurer/membership on 07971105626 or go to Facebook.

The Guardian
Some Australian states are discovering what happens when they have too much rooftop solar
Alerts to possible power shortfalls have become a familiar occurrence. But experts say it won’t be long before the opposite is common
Isle of Wight County Press
Morrisons petrol stations to close for four days ahead of takeover
Two Isle of Wight petrol stations will close for four days, starting tomorrow afternoon (October 13), as part of a ‘changeover’ period.
CBC
Great white shark found dead on Haida Gwaii
A great white shark has been found dead on the coast of Haida Gwaii in northern B.C..It was discovered by Mike Miles, who says he saw it while driving just south of Tlell, B.C., off Haida Gwaii's east coast."I thought I was seeing a young orca, then thought it was a beaked whale," he told CBC News via text message. "Then, a great white shark! Cool and a bit sad."He reported it to the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), which has confirmed the species, saying it was a male measuring
The Conversation
Ancient humans were so good at surviving the last ice age they didn’t have to migrate like other species – new study
Most animals retreated to small, warmer enclaves. But some, like humans, seemed to have stayed where they were.
Dudley News
Dudley Zoo welcomes first bush dog pups in its history
DUDLEY Zoo and Castle has welcomed its first litter of bush dogs in its 87-year history.
CNN
Two African countries say they need to kill elephants for food. Critics say it’s cruel and won’t work
It’s a gut-wrenching concept: drought is now so bad in parts of southern Africa that governments say they must kill hundreds of their most captivating wild animals
Lancashire Telegraph
Birdwatchers flock to reservoir after 'striking and rare' bird spotted
Birdwatchers have been flocking to a reservoir in Foulridge after a hoopoe has been spotted in Foulridge Lower Reservoir.
Dorset Echo
Council opposes fuel allowance cut - as 'worried OAPs are sat in darkness'
DORSET Council has voted unanimously to oppose the Government’s cut to the winter fuel allowance as councillors heard that 'worried OAPs are sat in darkness'.
Associated Press
It's not just Fat Bear Week in Alaska. Trail cameras are also capturing wolves, moose and more
Millions of people worldwide tuned in for a remote Alaska national park’s “Fat Bear Week” celebration this month, as captivating livestream camera footage caught the chubby predators chomping on salmon and fattening up for the winter. Within half a mile of a well-populated neighborhood in Anchorage, the state’s biggest city, several trail cameras regularly capture animals ranging in size from wolverines to moose. Ten cameras capture lynx, wolves, foxes, coyotes, eagles, and black and brown bears — "just whatever is out here,” said Donna Gail Shaw, a co-administrator of the Facebook group.
Futurism
Wildlife Populations Have Shrunk a Shocking Amount in Just 50 Years, Report Finds
Nature in Danger Amid widespread environmental destruction and the pressures brought by climate change, the average size of wildlife populations across the Earth have plummeted by 73 percent in just fifty years, according to a new analysis released by the World Wildlife Fund. This astonishing figure comes from data on nearly 35,000 animal populations encompassing […]
The Telegraph
Energy giant plots £24bn net zero building boom
ScottishPower is to invest up to £24bn in clean energy projects, citing Ed Miliband’s decision to approve a clutch of controversial solar projects earlier this year as a key motivator.
Associated Press
Oregon's most populous county adds gas utility to $51B climate suit against fossil fuel companies
Oregon's Multnomah County, home to Portland, has added the state's largest natural gas utility to its $51.5 billion climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies over their role in the region's deadly 2021 heat- dome event. The lawsuit, filed last year, accuses the companies’ carbon emissions of being a cause of the heat-dome event, which shattered temperature records across the Pacific Northwest. About 800 people died in Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia in the heat wave, which hit in late June and early July 2021.
CBC
Yukon man touts value of bear spray after close call with aggressive grizzly
If you've ever wondered whether it's worth carrying bear spray with you out in the bush, just talk to Paul Burbidge.The Whitehorse man recently had a close and terrifying encounter with a grizzly bear, and says it was a can of bear spray — and not the rifle he was carrying — that saved him from a more serious outcome. Burbidge survived the encounter unscathed, but definitely shaken.It happened on Monday when Burbidge took his dog out for a walk on a small trail, bringing his gun along to maybe d
The Packet - Falmouth
Barbers and restaurant taken to court over trade waste
They were ordered to pay thousands of pounds in fines and costs for failing to show they had disposed of their waste legally.
HowStuffWorks
The Flying Snake Doesn't Fly So Much as Fall With Style
To some, the thought of snakes flying through the air is the scariest thought imaginable, but, as we'll explain, flying snakes don't actually fly, they "fall with style."
The Guardian
Maggots to the rescue: innovative food waste solution may help wild fish populations too
Project Mila’s team of volunteers collect organic waste from households, markets and restaurants in Mombasa and feed it to voracious larvae
Storyful
Man Sets Up Homemade 'Petting Zoo' at ATM
A man offered New Yorkers a rare sight when he set up his own petting zoo in an ATM vestibule.Footage captured by Annie Bao shows the man tending to his dog, bunnies, parrots, cockatoos and other birds in a homemade zoo.Birds cages, a shopping cart, food containers and pet food can be seen scattered around a Bank of America ATM vestibule.“This might be the most exclusive petting zoo,” Bao wrote under a post on TikTok. Credit: Annie Bao via Storyful
The Conversation
Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over
Sea glass, while an eye-catching treasure and a multimillion-dollar industry, exists because of decades of improper waste management.
PA Media: UK News
ScottishPower aims £12bn more at UK clean energy after Labour solar farms row
Cash comes alongside £8 billion from Danish energy giant Orsted and £2.5 billion from offshore wind power firm GreenVolt.
CNN
Rising costs of climate change may reshape the South
Over the next 30 years, millions of American homebuyers are expected to relocate due to the rising cost of home insurance and property damage from climate disasters.

Latest stories