Members’ gardens – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

The View from my Window

The small patio is shielded from the sun, in a south facing garden, by an Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’. The tree caught my eye while on a trip to Kent. Must have one of those I thought. The sapling was bought and is now well mature. Some of the limbs show signs of viral attack, but it soldiers on.

Early to leaf, in February, the leaves are green and red. It produces sap, which attracts the aphids. With the aphids, the small birds make regular visits to eat the goodies. The birds include Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Robin and Goldfinches. The Dunnocks also pay a visit, foraging in the growth below, together with a variety of bees including the distinctive yellow faced variety. Soon after, it will produce a vast amount of blossom, and after that very small sycamore-like seeds. In time and onto autumn, the leaves go from yellow to orange and then fall, covering all the surrounding ground.

March flowers shared by Members

We are always keen to hear about how member’s gardens are growing or about what you can see from your window but occasionally we receive shorter messages. So here are a few we’ve had recently.

Angela thought members might like to see a photo of her Amaryllis lily. She says “Their sale in supermarkets at Christmas has rapidly become a tradition. Their very decorative, over the top flowers people either hate or love. I love them. They are easy to grow and spectacular. I planted mine after Christmas and it has now produced amazing flowers.”

Viv sent us a photo of the first tulips of the year in her garden with some other pots. Unsurprisingly, she is getting excited about spring…

Viv's pot of Tulip Stresa with other pots

The View from my Window

A piece inspired by Kathy’s entertaining post.

I, too, have a comfy seat looking out on my garden where I spend many happy hours deciding what changes need to be made in my garden (there is always something).

I am currently enjoying watching my pots of bulbs grow and begin to flower. I posted a photo on Facebook of my Harmony irises and my friend in Norfolk (who I think was rather envious) suggested I had a microclimate in my garden. It is very sheltered and faces west so maybe I do.

I have just decided to empty my rather unsightly compost bin and replace it with a smaller, more discreet one. I therefore have a large pile of compost which I am in the process of shovelling around the garden. I am expecting a spectacular display later in the year!

My Clematis Armandii under the tree is budding nicely. I planted it some years ago and was disappointed last year that I had so few flowers on it. That was until I looked out from the upstairs window and discovered that my neighbours were enjoying a beautiful display! It had put all its energy into growing to a lighter spot in the garden next door!

I find this time of year quite difficult garden-wise, especially when the weather is mild, as it is at the moment. I am having to restrain myself from going wild with the secateurs and cutting everything back. I shall wait another month before giving my clematis, roses and salvia a good hair cut. I think it is also time to give the Hibiscus Syriacus Woodbridge a trim as it has grown rather tall and thin.

I hope other people will write about their views, as Kathy suggested.

Carolyn H

The View from my Window

After over 30 years of living in our house and years of neglect, the monkey puzzle tree which was in the garden when we arrived, has decided to seed. Well, at least that’s what we think the cone shaped piece of greenery in the left hand side of the photo shows.

Monkey Puzzle Tree with seed on branch tip

Monkey puzzle trees are native to Chile and Argentina. It is thought that the tree gained its name in the mid 1880s when a tree was planted in Pencarrow, Cornwall. In seeing the tree for the first time, a guest touched the spine and commented that climbing the spiny, spiralling branches would be a puzzle even for a monkey. Ouch!

There is also an old English belief that the devil lives inside monkey puzzle trees and that walking by one will bring you bad luck and might even make you grow a monkey’s tail! Rest assured I do not have a monkey’s tail or not at least the last time I looked.

Our tree may or may not be a descendant from the one planted in Cornwall but it has added to our own garden’s character and folklore.

Happy gardening

Sue B

The View from my Window

Vija and Anna started these great posts about the view from their windows, and I thought I would add my bit. Really, in these cold, grey days of winter, it’s a bit odd that I should find the view from my window at all exciting. We have big patio windows which are unforgiving at this time of year and expose everything in the garden: the ragged border edges, uneven lawn, leaning obelisk (Storm Henk!) etc. But I can sit in my comfy chair looking out and now the leaves are all gone I can see all the way to the end fence..

…and I can Plan.

When I say I can see the end fence, this is because we took out a row of 20 ft high Leylandii trees last October. (Did we buy the house with them, I hear you ask? No, I actually planted them, one of those teeny gardening mistakes surely anyone can make..?) The idea behind getting rid of them is that it will let lots of light in, when next we have any. The stumps have been left, as I couldn’t face a stump grinder trolling through the house, so I need to Plan some sort of feature around them. (Maybe a birdbath on top of one..!)

A bonus is that for years and years I had been piling leaves and cuttings out of the way under the trees – so I am now left with some truly gorgeous compost! A little silver lining.

September – from my window

Sometime ago, Anna wrote an entry for CABAHS on what she could see from her kitchen window and the pleasure this gave her. At various times of year, most of us can look out of a window and see something to delight – it may not even be in our own garden! My neighbour grows fabulous roses and I can see these from an upstairs window.

This year I have planted Thunbergia Alata (Black-eyed-Susan) and Rhodochiton atrosanguineus (Purple Bells) in containers to clamber up tripods made of canes strung together.

Tripod covered in Thunbergia Alata (Black-eyed-Susan) and Rhodochiton atrosanguineus (Purple Bells)

In this container, the Thunbergia is a lovely dark orange, while in other pots it is the usual paler colour. Here, the two climbers have made friends with the velvety deep pink Salvia Curviflora. Seen from my kitchen, this combination has been a joy throughout this dismal summer.

Prior St Allotments Open Garden 2023

Like most of our members, I always enjoy visiting the Open Gardens Festival in support of Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, and I think the range gets better each year. So many special gardens on display, but I always make a point of visiting the Prior Street Allotments because they have a very different vibe, being working gardens. I’m sure in reality the plot holders do lots of scurrying around before the Open Day, but it looks just effortless and wonderfully “been there forever”.

The site is tucked away behind Prior Street in Greenwich and is made up of just 18 plots (with a huge waiting list, before you ask!). This land was part of the Nunhead to Greenwich Park railway, which closed in 1917. The allotments were started on an informal basis in the 80’s and are now protected by the Allotment Act. They open once a year to support the Hospice, and they serve the best cakes and Pimms in Greenwich!

A tale of two gardens

One very warm and sunny Sunday in June, CABAHS members were invited to come and visit our member Juli’s garden in Plumstead – which she generously opened specially for us, in aid of the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice. Juli’s garden is in the middle of a dense housing estate, but it is pretty easy to spot by the large banana tree sprouting over the top of her wall. Her garden beautifully demonstrates what can be done in a small space with some greenery, lots of care, and a sense of humour!

After the banana, the first things you notice are the Bee Lido and the fish pond, and I also liked the healthy looking lavender – which was a Charlton House reject that has been nursed back to full flower. Juli’s plant range includes her beloved roses, many perennials and even fruit trees. There are so many fun details, it takes much longer to properly appreciate than you would expect!

Thought for wildlife is everywhere in this garden, including Juli’s collection of friendly Bunnies – who were the stars at our Easter “Bunnies in the Beds” event.

Colour in the garden

During this blistering summer a number of people have commented on the colour in my garden (such as it is). I think this is down to a very few plants. (For those of you not enamoured with Sarah Raven, look away now). The top photograph is of Begonia ‘Glowing Embers’. These have flowered continuously all through the summer and I think the contrast of the leaf and flower is lovely. Although often grown as an annual, I have found that if I keep them in a sheltered and frost-free place over the winter they will flower again year-on-year. But be patient! The little stone-like tubers look thoroughly lifeless for a long time and, just when you might think they were totally dead, little green shoots appear.

The bottom photograph is of Petunia ‘Tidal Wave Red Velour’. These were originally plants in pots with cosmos and coleus, the latter two turned up their toes leaving only the petunia to inhabit the pot. It is only one plant and this too has continued to flower continuously through the summer. The pots have only been watered with waste water and have had no additional feed.

Both of these hard workers have come from Sarah Raven and, no, I don’t get a discount!

Vija

Members Gardens – July

I thought we should collect some pictures from members to show that despite the recent Armageddon heatwave, we still have gardens! There might be a few crispy edges here and there, but it appears a huge range of winners are out enjoying the sun.

Vija has sent in this lovely scented Pelargonium Pink Capitatum, container-grown.

Anna found a beautiful Jersey Tiger Moth in her garden, sightings of these seem to be getting more common. Pat says they like warm walls, and I have found them in my garden too. They are very eye-catching in flight, when the orange wings underneath flash out. Their caterpillars eat nettle, bramble and ground ivy, what’s not to like? Also in Anna’s garden, her Yucca plants love this heatwave.

Annie H says ” These Evening Primroses have been flowering continuously since early May. They appeared self sown in next door’s garden so I collected some seeds and this is the result. They open new flowers each evening which shrivel up the next day.”