News

Hello to you all and how lovely it is to have fresher days but with some sunshine and rain after all that many weeks without! We feel thrilled but somewhat "lost" in the evenings as we used to spend so much time watering the essentials from our butts and water we saved in the day.

Sadly our crops are still not good and we still have only a few items we feel we will be able to put into the Autumn Flower Show 19/9

It has been a very very tough year for growing but at least we can share that.

I am still somewhat concerned re whether any of you may have any entries to place in the show ? We ourselves - as said before will have only a few items as many of our vegs. have not done well this year and flowers have wilted. Our sweet peas were very poor indeed, despite watering and I so missed picking them and having that lovely scent indoors! Alan's beans were also poor and many other plants we had "have given up all hope in this heat" very sadly. Have to say we have already pulled these plants up as we do not want to save seeds from them as they have been so poor. Our indoor tomatoes however are still doing well, thank goodness and they are delicious and we are living off salads just now!

Anyway I am in touch to encourage you all to attend our AGM at the village hall on 28th August 7pm for prompt 7.15 start please.

We would welcome you all to this to discuss these issues and see if it will be possible to pull a show together and also discuss the past year and that ahead of us. Your input would be gratefully appreciated. We will serve drinks and a few small "nibbles "(Crisps Nuts and the like) so that once the formalities are complete we can chat and share gardening talk !

Meanwhile please take a look at our schedule already available now on our website direct. and see what you may have to enter so we can discuss fully re the show. If anyone would like a hard copy we will have them at the AGM.

I will leave the following Poster with details on here that you already had re our next planned talk on 17th October 17th @2pm for 2.30 AT THE VILLAGE HALL re FUNGI. We would like to know who may like to attend if you can KINDLY confirm at the AGM PLEASE - ALL WELCOME - FREE to MEMBERS and Just £4 for visitors. It is a great talk with much fun! Thank you and we so hope many of you will come along. (POSTER ATTACHED )

Sharing with you also that Westfield Horticultural Society are holding their Autumn show on 5th September at the village hall there. Hoping some of you may go along to support them as they have some lovely shows and are great group.

Finally we have been very kindly invited to a great talk from Fergus Garrett to be held by Battle horticultural and Floral club on Wednesday 16th at 2.30 at Battle Memorial Hall in the town ( Park in Mount street car park) Thank you Alan Gavin for this kind invite and we hope many of you will consider attending. We will be there ourselves .Book direct with Gavin as listed on the poster

Thank you.

Meanwhile we so look forward to seeing you on the 28th and enjoy the week and the BH weekend ahead of us when traditionally the weather usually changes. but lets hope it keeps some sun for you all to enjoy.

One thing a lot of people near us are doing is noting which of their flowers shrubs vegetables etc did well in this drought, so we perhaps can begin to plan ahead as with climate changes, as it seems sadly we have to change alongside it if our gardens and crops are to survive year on year!

Kind Regards from us all and see you on the 28th ( Oliver our Show secretary will be home and be there also)

Thank you all

Mary B x

PS have also added 2 x pictures that we took at Penhurst Place/Retreat back last month - such a beautiful place and garden x

All very lovely - we are all here so lucky to live in such a pretty area with wonderful nature around us. Make the most of the changing seasons x

Hello to you all.

Hoping you are all surviving this constant heat and more very hot days are expected with very little sign of rain! Our garden looks horrid despite trying to water many pots and plants each evening from our water butts and from any water we have saved during the day as used indoors.

As we are nearer to the Autumn flower show on 19th September I am getting somewhat concerned re whether any of you may have any entries to place in the show ? We ourselves will have only a few items as many of our vegs. have not done well this year and flowers have wilted. Our sweet peas were very poor indeed, despite watering and I so missed picking them and having that lovely scent indoors! Alan's beans were also poor and many other plants we had "have given up all hope in this heat" very sadly. Our indoor tomatoes are doing well so thank goodness for that as they are delicious!

So hard this year and very tiring.

Anyway Our next event for the society will be our AGM to be held on 28th August 7pm for prompt 7.15 start please at the village hall.

Please come along to discuss the past year and plans for the society onwards but especially re the Autumn's shows validity? Your input is gratefully appreciated. We will serve drinks and a few small "nibbles "(Crisps Nuts and the like) so that once the formalities are completed we will have time to relax, chat and discussion.

Meanwhile please take a look at our schedule already available now on our website direct.( Poster attached) and see what you may have to enter so we can discuss fully re the show.If anyone would like a hard copy we will have them at the AGM

Looking further ahead and to remind you all that into October on 17th @ 2pm for 2.30 we have a lovely talk planned from Doug. Edworthy (who was brought up in Crowhurst - in Old Forewood Ln - alongside Alan and family ) who will offer a really interesting and detailed talk on his subject of "Fungi" - a subject he was inspired to study after growing up and spending time in the Forewood in the village ! (Poster attached) Free to members and just £4 for visitors and all welcome to attend Would be great to confirm some numbers when we meet please if you are able to attend

Sharing with you also that Westfield Horticultural Society are holding their Autumn show on 5th September at the village hall there. Hoping some of you may go along to support them as they have some lovely shows and a are great group.

Finally THIS SATURDAY 15th from 2pm Bexhill Garden club have their Summer show to be held at St Augustine's church hall Bexhill Poster attached. Hoping some of you maybe able to attend as they again have lovely shows and are great friends/suppport to us.

Look forward to seeing you all at the AGM or at the other shows before this as noted here.

Take Care. Keep well and enjoy the next few sunny days/weeks of Summer as they will last. Keep cool and keep watering!

The rains will come and I think then we will have too much and flooding may occur as the ground is too dry to soak it up - so get prepared !!!

Please note sarahraven.com has some bulbs at reduced prices as it will be soon the time to plant them for next spring ( will need to be in pots for now as ground too hard!!!) Also time to begin to take cuttings off plants like Geraniums.

Kind Regards from us all

Mary B x

Hello all.

Just dropping by to remind you all that the final few open gardens are opening next Saturday 8/8 for the Hospice -a little further a field at Sandhurst

That completes all the garden visits for them this year but the NGS has many opening still during the rest of summer into Autumn and beyond. They are all so good and so worth visiting if you do get a chance.

Meanwhile this year we have had many Butterflies in our garden flying around and they are so lovely to enjoy. We have already completed our entry into -

The "Big Butterfly Count " for this year and so hope you all will have a go too.

It is so important that data can be collected to monitor these wonderful creatures - so please try to set aside a couple of hours on a sunny day and log your findings online direct asap.

Our next event for the society will be our AGM to be held on 28th August 7pm for prompt 7.15 start please at the village hall.

Please come along to discuss the past year and plans for the society onwards. Your input is gratefully appreciated. We will serve drinks and a few small "nibbles "(Crisps Nuts and the like) so that once the formalities are completed we will have time to relax, chat and discussion.

Our Autumn Flower show will follow on 19th September at the village hall.

Please take a look at our schedule already available now on our website direct.( Poster attached)

Looking further ahead into October on 17th @ 2pm for 2.30 we have a lovely talk planned from Doug. Edworthy (who was brought up in Crowhurst - in Old Forewood Ln -alongside Alan and family ) who will offer a really interesting and detailed talk on his subject of "Fungi" - a subject he was inspired to study after growing up and spending time in the Forewood in the village ! (Poster attached) Free to members and £4 for anyone else who would like to attend All Welcome. ( Poster attached) Attendance numbers required pls.

We also both visited Herstmonceux Castle and grounds in the week on their open day for the NGS. That was so lovely and very inspirational and we had a wonderful time there on a sunny afternoon. (space here will not allow me to at present share our pics. of the Castle and grounds- sorry)

There is so much to see around this wonderful area of East Sussex and just on our doorstep!

Enjoy whatever you are next up to and enjoy your holidays if you are going away.

Hope to see several of you at the AGM

Thank you so much for your kind support.

Mary B x

Hello to you all on this yet another bright sunny morning - a bit cooler than before which is more tolerable. However still no rain for our gardens, so the ongoing supports are required with daily watering/feeding and trimming etc!!! It is so hard still to keep our gardens flourishing and it is currently somewhat concerning for our future Autumn Flower show in September.

Lets see what happens nearer the date in September with all fingers and toes crossed, and please do not forget we have other classes that I am sure most people could also enter. There is at this show also Honey entries of course for our lovely Bee keepers who have included a lovely Honey cake recipe, that you all may cook and enter, even if you do not look after honey bees themselves - just use a jar of lovely Sussex honey! Oliver has now completed this Autumn flower show's schedule which is now on our website so take a good look at what you may consider entering later on. Thank you so much.

Meanwhile Alan and I went to Penhurst Place, a Christian Retreat last Saturday which is very near Battle/Ashburnham. We had a very happy afternoon being shown around the whole estate. The accommodation, the very pretty gardens surrounding the estate and the white Geese that have made their home there for many years. (Sadly with the drought their pond was dry but they had a lovely old sink in their field full of fresh water to drink and dabble in if they so wished.) There was also a wonderful exhibition of Jay's beautiful nature related photos that she is always taking (and showed some of at out recent talk ) and some stunning Textile prints and Paintings made by one of the cookery staff there and an artist. They were a real treat to look at - such talent and all inspiring to Nature!

After this we had delightful "cuppa" and piece of tasty cake sitting in their beautiful tree shaded garden. We so hope some of you made this visit which I shared last week with you all.

Finally there were many gardens open in Hastings/St Leonards area over last weekend with many very pretty and welcoming gardens on display to raise funds for the Hospice - including their own garden there- which is a beautiful peaceful garden all the time and we have visited many times. We have also donated many plants there also that we have had left from our plant stalls over time!

I have added a few photos taken at Penhurst here for you to enjoy but meanwhile please note that this week - on Wednesday 22nd Herstmonceux Castle and very pretty gardens are open to the public via the NGS. The entry cost is just £12 for this day and refreshments will be available to purchase in their lovely cafe there.

A wonderful chance to see this beautiful place that over latter years has had much enhancements/renovations so is well worth a visit, even if you have been before. Again Alan and I hope to go along and also hope we may see some of you there also.

Finally next Saturday 8/8 there are several lovely gardens open for the very last events for the Hospice of this year within Sandhurst village - so not too far away and I am sure like all these beautiful gardens that have been offered by St Michael's will so be worth visits.

Enjoy again whatever you maybe doing as the summer remains with us at this time and keep me updated.

Many Thanks

Mary B x

Sorry me again !

I forgot to add to yesterday's Newsletter that Penhurst Retreat Centre just outside Battle TN33 9Q (where Jay - that gave us that lovely nature talk earlier in the year at the village hall is head gardener ) has an OPEN DAY for everyone this Saturday 18th July 10.30- 4pm FREE entry and with Delicious Refreshments to be bought !

I have never been and Jay says it is a very pretty garden so Alan and I will go there first over the weekend before going on to the Hastings Hospice ones also open this weekend as advised.

I have also been able now to add a few pictures from our visits last weekend's visits to open gardens at Hailsham and Eastbourne.

The gardens were so lovely. Perfect for a "Sunny Sunday afternoon" !

Enjoy

Best Wishes

Mary B x