This month’s meeting included an interesting talk from Clare Lanes about the three-year renovation project of the Rose Garden at Greenwich Park, the monthly Show Table display, the raffle, the potato competition, the sales table and of course plenty of chat and information about upcoming events (NB: Horn Fair on 19 October!).
I first visited Kiftsgate Court Gardens near Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire in 2018 and always vowed to visit again, which we did at the end of August. This magnificent Manor House is located opposite Hidcote Manor (owned by the National Trust), so in a day you can visit both beautiful gardens.
Kiftsgate was originally bought by Heather Muir and her husband in 1920. She designed the garden, advised and influenced by her friend Lawrence Johnson who designed the famous Hidcote. Heather Muir’s daughter Diany Binny became the next custodian, and it is now run by her daughter Ann Chambers and husband Johnny who are very hands on and always present in the garden.
Continue reading A visit to KiftsgateIf your own space is looking ‘a bit green’ at the moment, think about adding annuals to liven up your garden in 2026. Here are a few I highly recommend:
This year I’ve grown Zinnia elegans SPRITE MIXED at my allotment and they are looking good – tall, healthy, robust, colourful and bee-friendly. I am very pleased with them, as the flowers themselves are a mixture of vibrant and subtle shades, and, as an added bonus, no signs of stem rot (fungi/bacteria more prevalent in warm, wetter summers that attack the stems).
I sowed the seed straight into the soil in two rows. Two or three weeks later, I thinned the seedlings and replanted those thinnings into a third row. So, they are tightly packed and they don’t seem to mind that and I don’t need to stake them. Flowering from July to October, this robust variety is perfect for displaying in gaps in borders or containers. And ideal for picking, although I don’t have the heart to do that yet!
Continue reading Plants of the Month: The annuals (September 2025)1. Well at last the rain has arrived and is ready to drown all our plants! You may need to empty those saucers you put under pots for some of your more tender plants before they drown or rot…
2. This month and next is a good time to cut down and split many perennials ready for our sale at the Horn Fair on 19 October which soon comes round. I split sedum and Hesperantha the other day. I needed two forks back to back but made about fifteen plants! Check which plants are suitable for splitting in Autumn as some are better done in Spring.
3. Increase your supply of Pelargoniums by taking cuttings now below a leaf node. It also provides insurance for next year. We always love unusual varieties for the sales table if you can spare them.
Hidcote Manor has existed in one form or another for centuries, but the present garden was only established in the early twentieth century when Lawrence Johnston bought the property at auction on behalf of his mother and the two moved in in 1908, adapting the house to suit their requirements. Having been farmland for much of its history, Johnston had a blank canvas on which to begin work. He was a keen plantsman and went on plant-hunting expeditions himself – today Hidcote’s plant collection still contains many species regarded as of national importance, and many gardeners will be familiar with Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ and Rosa ‘Lawrence Johnston’.
Class 17 (‘photograph of a display of plants on a table’) in our recent Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show was partly inspired by Vija’s ‘Fantasy Garden Tables‘ post in May, which in turn was inspired by Monty Don’s ever-changing and covetable table displays on Gardeners’ World. Members’ photographs were displayed and judged on a digital screen, and were so varied, lovely and interesting, we thought we’d show them here (click on images to see in more detail):
The 2025 Autumn ‘Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show’ was held on Monday 18 August in the Old Library at Charlton House.
As it is usually held in September, there were some adjustments to the range of classes. It was a well attended and lively show, and our fears that perhaps there would be fewer entries – due to the date change or the fact that we have had such a long period of drought – were unfounded. In fact, across the 18 classes there were 150 entries and we had to extend the show tables!
As this year is a special one, in which we celebrate the 75th anniversary of CABAHS, there were a couple of ’75th anniversary’ themed classes, and we were delighted to welcome as judge Jillian Smith, long-time CABAHS member and Chair of the Society, and now joint Vice President with Ron Roffey. Jillian has a long experience in judging shows over many years and has a beautiful garden in Winn Road, which was opened to the public on a number of occasions to raise money for charity.
Continue reading August/Autumn Show 2025
After a brilliant summer, autumn is not too far away and this is when we start to notice more and more orange-flowered plants and berries becoming features in gardens and parks. Orange is a warm and comforting colour, and I’ve listed three that you might be interested in:
Continue reading Plants of the Month: The Oranges! (August 2025)1. Time to trim back lavender hard if it has finished flowering, but try not to cut into the old wood. If you’re lucky you may get a few late flowers.
2. And time to give that Wisteria and Campsis a hack back by removing all the whippy growth and tidying up for the autumn.
3. Azaleas. Camellias and Rhododendrons are making their flowers for next year and need regular water at their roots or they’ll drop their buds and have no spring blooms.
Continue reading Pat’s 10 jobs for August 2025
A group of enthusiastic members visited the Old English Garden in Battersea Park last weekend, led by Ruth, who worked there for Thrive, during the period during which it was transformed from a rather overgrown historic site to an award winning and inspirational garden reimagined by a well-known designer.
The original garden was designed by JJ Sexby in the early 1900s and renovated a couple of times in the 1960s and 1980s, during which the lily pond was drained and filled with bedding schemes, the hard landscaping changed to crazy paving and then to the current brick pavers, and the splendid Wisteria pergola deteriorated.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 