cake – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Spring Show 2026

Another enjoyable evening was had at our 48th annual Spring Show on Monday 20 April. While entries were a little down on last year, probably due to weather variations and unavoidable absences, we still viewed 69 submissions across 14 classes. Indeed our judge for the evening, RHS judging veteran John Hughes, commented on the consistently high quality of entries.

John proved a fair, interesting, decisive and informative judge, explaining his assessments and offering tips on showing plants to their best advantage. Thank you John! Thanks is due also to all who organised, set up, prepared the flags / certificates and did the raffle and refreshments.

Judge John Hughes sharing tips on showing Narcissi CABAHS Spring Show 2026 — Tips and feedback from judge John Hughes

Judge John Hughes waxing lyrical about the teacup displays CABAHS Spring Show 2026 — Tips and feedback from judge John Hughes

Spring Show 2026 – classes to enter

The CABAHS Spring Show will take place on Monday 20 April 2026 and classes will be judged by John Hughes. Here’s a reminder of last year’s efforts!

Getting the 2025 CABAHS Spring Show set up and ready for judging — Spring Show 2025

Some of the 18 entries for Class 13: Narcissus 'Pipit' CABAHS Spring Show 2025 — Spring Show 2025

The classes you can enter this year are shown below, please have a go at as many as you like!

August/Autumn Show 2025

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.

August Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Display 2025 – classes to enter

This year’s Autumn Show will be held a month earlier than usual, on Monday 18 August, at 7.30pm in the Old Library at Charlton House.
Please note that due to the earlier date, the Potato competition will be judged as part of the Show Table at September’s meeting.

Here’s a reminder of last year’s efforts!

Whole table of entries, Autumn Show 2024

The classes you can enter this year are shown below, please have a go at as many as you like!

Plant Sale Bonanza, May 2025

What a day was had at yesterday’s plant sale in the Peace Garden! We had more plants for sale than ever before, longer queues than ever before, and made more money than ever before. The CABAHS members and Charlton House garden volunteers worked harder than ever before too – but it was absolutely worth it. Between us we raised well over £4000 to be divided between the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice and the gardens maintenance fund.

Plants for sale! Charlton House Gardens volunteer plant stalls, May 2025 — Just one moment at a busy, busy plant sale

Plants for sale! CABAHS plant stalls, May 2025 — Just one moment at a busy, busy plant sale

Plant Sale! 18 May 2025

That’s this Sunday!
11-3pm in the Peace Garden at Charlton House

We are gathering plants, plants and more plants…

Autumn Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show 2024

The 2024 Autumn Show was held on Monday 16th September in the Old Library of Charlton House. It was well attended and the standard of entry was very high – particularly given the strange growing year we’ve had.

Whole table of entries and audience awaiting decisions

Jason judged the flower classes and Melanie the vegetables but there was lots of discussion between the judges and Stella, the Chair. Anna judged the cakes and preserves, ably assisted by Annette, and Hugh weighed the potatoes. As ‘Best in Class’ winners and ‘Highly Commended’ entries were announced, the judges explained the reasons for their decisions. Finally, they agreed their choice for Best in Show.

May Plant Sales 2024

May is the month for plant sales! We held two this year, our big annual one was held at Charlton House on Saturday May 18th, along with the Blackheath & Greenwich WI and a select group of other market stalls. The plants were all set out in the Peace Garden which is not only a lovely setting but also meant we didn’t have to carry them too far! Visitors started queueing outside the gates before we opened at 10, aiming for a bargain and a bit of horticultural conversation.

People buying plants — Peace Garden 10.05 am

Queue to buy plants — Peace Garden 10.05 am

Our plants had mostly sold out by 12.30, which was a bit sad for latecomers. But volunteers were on hand to chat about the gardens and Stella presented her findings about the history of the garden in the Old Library.

We also had a “Bugs in the Beds” trail for the little ones and Frilly’s was open all day.

Plant Sale, Cakes, Trails, Tours, Talks!

Date for your Diary: Saturday May 18th from 10am

Preparations for our annual Plant Sale are well under way and it’s shaping up to be a GOOD DAY! The Garden volunteers have been potting up for weeks and CABAHS members have been sowing, taking cuttings and splitting their prized perennials. We will have a lovely selection for sale. They are not garden-centre plants – they are better, because we know how well suited they are to our local conditions!

The WI bakers have also been busy, and promise their usual delectable display of cakes. There will be other market stalls too and Frilly’s will be open for drinks and snacks.

For the kids, we have a “Bugs in the Bed” discovery trail around the Old Pond Garden, with a prize if (when) they solve the puzzle.

Sunday morning in the jungle

Last Sunday Jean, Val and I spent a very pleasant couple of hours in the jungle! The jungle in question is only a few minutes from Peckham High Street.

Bamboo next to the summer house in the jungle garden

Flowers to add colour to the jungle garden

The owner, Clive, generously opened the garden to CABAHS members for a private view. Some of you may have visited before as the garden is regularly open on Open Garden weekends and has featured on TV with Carol Klein.

Clive lives with various members of his family in a huge house in a leafy street in Camberwell. When they bought the house, the back garden had been severely neglected and was a ‘jungle’ of brambles. A digger sculpted out the different areas of the garden, paths were laid and interesting artefacts (many associated with Buddhism) added, to create a sense of discovery around each bend and corner. A few years ago, part of the next door garden was acquired, thus extending the original garden.

Range of heights and leaf shapes in the jungle garden

Sense of discovery round each corner in the jungle garden

There are numerous chairs, benches and sofas dotted around in quiet, sheltered corners and even a cosy shed/garden house full of interesting pictures and objects – perfect for a peaceful read on a summers day with just the swishing of the wind in the leaves for company.