May – Page 2 – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Plant of the Month: Iris (May 2024)

The show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show each May just zing with the stunning colours of the irises in bloom and they really are one of the main attractions (apart from roses) that are on display. Being ‘show-stoppers’, their impact allows the designers to then infill and arrange around them the more delicate flowers and foliage to an harmonious effect. Visitors admire, with ‘oooh’s and aaah’s’ at the soft, subtle shades and again, of the deeply-rich and vibrant colours of each and every iris grouping.

The name Iris means rainbow and in Greek mythology ‘Goddess of the Rainbow’. The petals and roots of several species, including Iris germanica (bearded) and Iris pallida (Dalmatian/Orris root) are used in the beauty industry, in the manufacture of perfumes, lotions, in food such as spices and even added to gin. Seemingly, the dried root, after 3 years, has the aroma of violets. This industry goes back to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and probably long before their time.

I have an Iris pallida flowering in my front garden, low-growing, which is highly fragrant. This was kindly given to me by Penny S some years ago. The flower is fading so unfortunately not worthy of a photograph but it certainly should be grown, as the variegated grey-foliage blends nicely with neighbouring plants. I wouldn’t be without it.

My number-one favourite, though, is Iris ‘Langport Wren’, a Kelways‘ introduction from 1973 and deservedly worthy of the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It was flowering in my front garden until a few days ago when the slugs/snails chomped its head off! The fragrance is reputedly of orange and chocolate – but I wouldn’t know as I haven’t had the chance to find out!!! The first photo below is of this delectable flower, a painterly amalgamation of browns, purples and russets, growing in Margaret T’s garden.

Spring in Cornwall

I have just spent a very happy week at Duloe Manor, a complex of self-catering holiday apartments and cottages near Looe in Cornwall. The main house was built in the 1690s for the Rectors of the local church. The whole complex is set in lush gardens of around three acres: a few mixed beds contained lovely combinations of saxifrages, irises and other familiar perennials while in less formal areas, swathes of wild garlic provided backdrops for beautiful pink campions as well as English bluebells in full bloom. In the car park several banks of pale yellow primroses remained stubbornly but delightfully in flower! Majestic rhododendrons provided splashes of magenta and purple.

A mixed bed contained lovely combinations of saxifrages, irises and other familiar perennials

Majestic rhododendrons provided splashes of magenta and purple

Pat’s Jobs for May

1. It’s a good time to take softwood cuttings of both tender and hardy perennials such as pelargoniums, anthemis and penstemons. Place in a shady spot until roots begin to form.

2. Put plant supports in place to stop things flopping and make them yourself from shrubby prunings or just push prunings in the soil around the plant.

3. I’ve Chelsea chopped my phlox today and also done a few clematis as they are far too tall and leggy after all the rain we’ve had.

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.

What to look out for in the Old Pond Garden April/May 2024

Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’ – Foam Flower

Enjoy a symphony of colour with this extraordinary Tiarella! A charming, shade loving relative of the Heuchera. In spring, slender stems rise above the leaves and hold a mass of pink and white starry flowers, giving a frothy effect – hence the common name the Foam Flower.

This variety has an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS and it copes in the difficult dry shade conditions under the Lime trees in the Old Pond Garden.

Never say ‘Never’

A few years ago I cleared out my greenhouse following the losses of the winter and dumped in my compost the remains of pelargoniums and other dead items. It’s always a little sad to lose much loved plants which have given you their best. I then had some fun ordering new plants to replace the old ones (and some others!). A couple of weeks later, I found several of my ‘dead’ pelargoniums lying in the compost and sprouting new shoots from the roots. Of course, I swiftly took them out and potted them up to achieve lovely healthy plants. I am now a little less impatient to discard anything that looks dead.

Spring at Exbury Gardens, Hampshire

A visit to Exbury Gardens in the week between two May Bank Holidays was a treat for the senses. I last visited after the summer drought and before the winter storms and asked myself, ‘how would everything look?’ In short, everything looked thrillingly fresh.

There have been some losses, which, while regrettable, have provided opportunities to the gardeners to open up views, plant new (drought-resistant) species and create entirely new gardens.

Anna visits Salters’ Garden

The City of London is a wonderful place to explore and is full of hidden- away gardens for us to access. We came upon this garden in early spring when we were meandering (slightly lost, really) towards the Barbican to visit the Conservatory.

Preparing for our Plant Sale and Community Day 2023

Sunday May 21st from 11 am – date for your diary!

Our annual plant sale takes place on the back lawn at Charlton House on Sunday May 21st and this year it promises to be our biggest (and best?) yet. We are being joined by Blackheath & Greenwich WI as usual, with their scrumptious cakes and savouries. The following groups will be there, and perhaps a few more!

The Charlton Society, Charlton Community Gardens, Charlton Toy Library, Blackheath Flower Arranging Club, Friends of Charlton Park, Friends of Greenwich Park, St George’s Garrison Church Woolwich, Charlton Central Residents Association and Neighbourhood Watch, Charlton Neighbourhood Forum, Repurpose Silvertown Tunnel and Charlton House Beekeepers

On top of this, stalls from the Producers Market will be there, with face painting and hot food, Frilly’s cafe will be open and you can view the brand new “Ottoman Journeys” exhibition in Charlton House. https://www.greenwichheritage.org/events/ottoman-journeys-life-and-afterlife-in-greenwich/

St Luke’s Church will be open, you can climb the tower to see the panoramic views and the wonderful Millenium tapestry will be on display too. You can download the poster here, please share it widely.

OPG Diary – May/June

It’s been a while since there was an update on the walled gardens, it’s been busy! The Volunteers are going strong, and the Old Pond Garden is looking particularly wonderful.

The Long Border started to run away with us, but is getting under control and looking incredibly full and interesting, even if it doesn’t quite have that “designer” look yet! We are waiting for the quote for works to the vandalised iron gates and hoping to create step-free access to the gardens.

We are continuing to point out a “Star Plant” each week. The latest is Silene armeria ‘Electra’, or Garden Catchfly. The Catchfly group of plants exude a sticky brown substance on their stems, just below the flowerhead, where insects get stuck. Have a closer look next time you pass by!

New ideas: we have started a “What’s in Flower” display in Frilly’s café, to entice visitors to come into the garden and see the flowers in situ. Also an Information table in the gardens (when we are there) showing a bit of the background and pointing out the plants coming into flower that week. Looking for more volunteers to do this, if anyone is interested? It’s a sitting-down job!

Kathy was very pleased to be awarded a Certificate of Recognition from the Volunteer Centre Greenwich/ RBG, although she considers that the recognition is for all the volunteers, not just her! Terry accepted the award on her behalf from the Mayor of Greenwich. Thank you to the Trust for nominating us, we do feel appreciated.