Fethiye Times Gardening Club started a new year On Wednesday 3 January Club when members met at the Nil Bar in Calis to start a new year of garden-related activities.

The Annual Report for 2006 was presented at the meeting and can be read in full here.

Annual Report of Fethiye Times Gardening Club for 2006

Introduction

The Club held its Inaugural Meeting at Yakamoz Hotel in early September 2005.  Eleven people were present and it was agreed to meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 2pm at venues to be arranged.  The Club would focus on visits to members’ gardens, to other gardens of note and to nurseries with, occasionally, meetings taking the form of presentations or discussions.  Pat Temiz agreed to organise a programme of meetings.

In October the Club visited the Orman Bakanligi Nursery and in November 17 people shared the cost of a minibus to visit the Palm Centre at Koycegiz.

In December the Club met at Pat Temiz and Chris Robinson’s home in Yaniklar and it was agreed that for 2006, a 5YTL per person membership subscription be collected to cover membership for the whole year or part of the year.  Money thus collected would be used to subsidise Club outings and cover other expenses. Jan Jones agreed to act as Treasurer and keep money and accounts in the Yakamoz Hotel safe. It was also agreed that the Club should not meet in June, July and August.

Communication would be via e-mail with members not on-line being kept abreast of events by those who are.  Monthly meetings would also be announced and reported on the Fethiye Times website.

2006 – Programme

January:  meeting kindly hosted by Sue and Turkay Tekin in Uzumlu.

February:  meeting held at the Nil Bar, Calis where Onar Landscaping gave a talk on their work – and also generously gave all present gifts of gardening gloves and seeds.

March:  meeting kindly hosted by Sue Bromley in Akarca Site. This garden was the first to be photographed by Mike Warren with images then posted on his website and linked through to Fethiye Times.

April:  meeting held at Paradise Garden Hotel, Oludeniz where the manager conducted a very interesting tour of the gardens and then provided tea for all on their dining terrace overlooking Oludeniz beach.

On 29 April a Plant Sale was held at FIG with 25% of proceeds being donated to FIG for their work in local schools.

May:  meeting held at Yakamoz Hotel, Ovacik which included visits to three gardens:  Yakamoz Hotel garden; neighbouring traditional Turkish garden; Bill Worthington’s garden specialising in cactus a few minutes’ walk away.

September: meeting kindly hosted by Chris and Pat Johnstone in Ovacik.

At the end of September a second plant sale was held at FIG with 25% of proceeds being donated to FIG for their charitable works.

October:  47 members took part in a day trip to Koycegiz.  Leaving Fethiye at 10am the bus first stopped in Ortaca where members visited the Nomad Bazaar which sells terracotta pots and ethnic items suitable for garden use.

There was a break lunch in Koycegiz then the party went to the Palm Centre where each member received a free cactus plant and free transportation to Fethiye of any large plants bought that day was offered.

Everyone took part in a guided tour of the gardens and received refreshments covered by the entrance fee.

November:  meeting hosted by Chris Robinson and Pat Temiz in Yaniklar.  As it was raining the opportunity was taken to discuss changes to subscriptions and membership terms for 2007 and it was agreed:

1. To raise the subscription to 10YTL per person for the year or part year.

2. To charge a one-off fee of 5YTL per guest per meeting when members brought guests to meetings.

3. To co-opt Suzanne McCullough as Membership Secretary which would allow Pat Temiz to concentrate on planning the programme of meetings.

4. On future trips such as that to the Palm Centre, if any spare seats were available they would be sold to non-members at full cost.

The above agreements to be ratified at the AGM in January.

December:  small group visited the Orman Bakanligi Nursery on the Antalya road.

On 20 December the Gardening Club Christmas Quiz took place at the Kosem Restaurant and 22 members competed for prizes of bottles of wine bought from Club funds.

A copy of this report, together with the accounts to end 2006, and original membership forms for 2006, to be placed in Yakamoz Hotel safe along with list of members present at AGM who agree above is a true account of Fethiye Times Gardening Club proceedings to end of December 2006.