Welcome to the CABAHS website. Here you can find information about the Society, what we do and how to join in, along with general posts on gardening.
For our next meetings and events, see our Programme of Events.
Plant of the Month: Abutilon (January 2026)
On Christmas Eve 2025, after enjoying a treat of delicious coffee and mince pies, we were shown Karen S’s very stunning red-veined Abutilon, growing extremely happily in the shade, on the north-facing side of the garden. Covered in glowing, pendulous, lantern-like flowers amongst its dark-green foliage , the shrub lit up the garden during those dark, December days.
This very healthy shrub with maple-like leaves, had been cut back hard some time ago and had grown very quickly. It was a cutting from Margaret T’s garden two or three years ago. Its growth was very impressive indeed. But before that, the cuttings originally came from North London some years ago, from a plant-lover’s garden. One Abutilon in this garden was seen growing happily as a tall shrub/small tree beneath a mature tree, thus receiving a fair amount of shade and protection, which I think is necessary, as Abutilon species originated from tropical and subtropical regions of South America.
Abutilons have a long-flowering period in London, in bloom from early-to-mid summer and again in early winter. Karen’s shrub is still flowering now in January, but the prolonged cold snap earlier this month has, naturally, affected it – not as upright as it was but still continuing to bloom, although the flower colour is no longer quite as vivid. Let’s hope it warms up and recovers quickly. I know how it feels!
Continue reading Plant of the Month: Abutilon (January 2026)CABAHS Resolution for 2026
In addition to gathering members’ personal gardening resolutions for 2026, our January meeting also launched the Committee’s proposal for a CABAHS-wide resolution for the year, inspired by Plant Heritage’s search for ‘missing collectors’.
The best way to save plants is to cultivate and propagate them, then share them with others.
– Roy Lancaster
Seed Collection and Cuttings!
Grow Amaryllis!
“Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are considered naff by some – their flowers being so spectacularly over the top and being so widely available in supermarkets. But I think their spectacular-ness is attractive and grow them every year.
I hope this photograph of the Amaryllis that I have grown this year will encourage those who do not already grow them to do so. Perhaps we could have an annual Amaryllis competition at CABAHS!”
Angela
Prompted by a member’s New Year Resolution to keep and re-grow their Amaryllis bulbs, here is some RHS advice on the steps to take to have flowers next year from the same bulb, and for years after that too!
RHS Hippeastrum care
including Planting, Aftercare, and Propagation
There are several methods. I have chosen to try the simplest, which is to allow the plant continue to grow leaves and photosynthesise for the spring and summer months, then die back. Induce dormancy for about 6 weeks in a cool but frost-free, dark place (we have a coal cellar), before bringing back to light and warmth and resuming watering. It’s all going to plan so far, they have leaves and buds are forming, even though I did forget to put them in the cellar until the beginning of November, then forgot to get them back up until after New Year…
Ali H
Resolutions for 2026
At our January meeting, members were asked to share – anonymously – their garden-related resolutions for the coming year. In addition, the CABAHS Committee put forward a suggestion for a CABAHS-wide resolution for 2026 (more on this in a separate post).
A fine, wise, and hopefully achievable range of planned actions were submitted, with members resolving to complete practical tasks that are easily put off or forgotten, right through to adjusting their attitudes / approaches to their gardens.
Always a good start:
Continue reading Resolutions for 2026“I am going to actually go into my garden.”
January 2026 talk: Clematis for every season
On Monday we welcomed Everett Leeds who gave us an amusing and highly informative talk about the prolific world of Clematis. He has been involved with Clematis for many years through growing, speaking and writing about them. He has been the Chairman of the British Clematis Society four times and is co-author of The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Clematis . Everett’s enthusiasm for the genus was highlighted when he shared a photo of his former home with the front fence, hedges and trees completely swamped by a 120 foot long and 40 foot high ‘monstrous’ C. Montana. After cutting this completely away, he planted another!
January 2026 Meeting and Show Table
Our first meeting of 2026 welcomed Everett Leeds as our speaker. A Clematis expert, Everett gave an entertaining talk and also sold seeds of some of the Clematis he discussed.
As usual, members enjoyed refreshments, took part in the raffle, shared their garden-related resolutions for 2026 and, of course, there was the regular Show Table. Six members took part with a wide variety of entries. We hope that as Spring gets going more members will be keen to show off and share their plants that are looking good each month.
Continue reading January 2026 Meeting and Show TablePat’s 10 jobs for January 2026
1. If you can brave the cold and wet it’s time to winter prune that Wisteria by cutting back all long whippy branches to within two buds of the main framework, so you can shape the plant for flowering.
More information on Wisteria pruning, including a video, from the RHS.
2. Any form of mulch is good on the soil now, in the form of your own homemade or bought compost, or even leaf mould if you have it. If you can’t face lightly forking it in, the worms will do it for you.
New Year flowers in Members’ Gardens
Following on from the New Year’s Day Flower Count in Charlton House Gardens, several members did their own Flower Count, and reported some surprising (and not-so-surprising) discoveries.
The winter-flowering shrubs were of course out in force (Camellia, Jasminum nudiflorum – winter jasmine, Skimmia japonica, Viburnum – both V. bodnantense and V. tinus, Clematis ‘Freckles’ and Daphne odora), as were the hellebores (though mine have remained resolutely in bud with not a single one opening yet!). Mandy A’s Loropetalum (Chinese witchhazel) was in flower, as were several people’s Hebes. My Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese quince) was covered in fruits, but still producing the odd confused flower too, along with a nearby Geranium macrorrhizum and Geum rivale.
Continue reading New Year flowers in Members’ GardensNew Year 2026 Flower Count at Charlton House Gardens
On a perishingly cold day – encouraged by a wintry sun – the intrepid Garden Volunteers ventured out on their mission to spot which brave flowers are showing off in the gardens this new year, 2026.
This is the third year we have undertaken a flower count, so we should know roughly what to expect. UK weather data shows that 2025 was the sunniest on record, and probably the warmest too. Here in the depths of winter, it’s easy to forget the unprecedented spring sunshine and incredibly hot summer that we’ve had. This is bound to have disrupted plant lifecycles and confused some into flowering at the wrong time.
Continue reading New Year 2026 Flower Count at Charlton House GardensPlant(s) of the Month: December flowers
What a mild 2025 December we are having! So mild, the weather is confusing some plants, such as lavender, Calendula and yellow-flowered Phlomis, out in flower at present.
One of the joys of winter is admiring all the window boxes, the wide variety of beautiful Christmas door-wreaths and observing what’s flowering in front gardens whilst out strolling.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 