We had a lovely relaxing day at Hall Place on 9 September 2020. It has been maintained very well considering lockdown issues. This “tropical” display near the main entrance was particularly colourful, with cannas, castor oil plants, dahlias and sunflowers. The topiary “beasts” looked very smart and the long borders were interesting for ideas as they were laid out by colour. After a picnic lunch, visiting the small but very good quality plant centre finished off an excellent day.
As you will see from our website What’s On, there are a lot of virtual garden tours now taking place online, but for those members who like to smell the plants and feel the breeze, this isn’t quite the same! Great excitement then as Pat and I decided to visit Great Dixter – for both of us it was the first garden visit of the year.
We had wondered quite how social distancing would work at Great Dixter, mindful of the narrow paths and tight spaces. However, the one way system in operation and the limitation on the number of visitors at any one time proved very effective. The only area currently out of bounds was the vegetable garden. Covid-19 is a truly devastating disease and it is hard to see any good in the current situation, but reductions in visitor numbers in galleries and in gardens does mean that you can take your time and appreciate things better.
We marvelled at the huge Fennel, which Fergus Garrett loves, scattered throughout the gardens.
The glory of the varieties of Phlox which seem to be in abundance everywhere. We mourned the loss of the name Aster (now the unpronounceable Symphyotrichium). I fell in love with the Pelargonium Concolor Lace.
We discovered a beautifully unusual double burgundy coloured Antirrhinum, but couldn’t find seeds for it. And, of course, we bought some plants! Both Pat and I have gardens already crammed with plants, but have a similar approach to gardening which is that there is always room for one more! In my garden, at least, this results in an undisciplined profusion. I look with envy at spaces which are carefully laid out (like the Chelsea garden below) and where every plant has its place, but this is something I can only aspire to!
Vija and Pat
Anna led a walk around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 30 September 2019 – a slightly grey but thankfully dry autumnal day. Our small group had a great time meandering around the park. The planting is very natural-looking with some wonderful pops of colour from red-hot pokers and Eucomis. Definitely worth another visit at a different season.
Thoroughly recommend visiting this exhibition if you can. We combined it with a visit to the Marianne North gallery and took all day over it. The sculptures are all based on plants and have been beautifully set around the gardens.
On 15 July 2019, CABAHS members took a trip to Chenies Manor in Buckinghamshire. There was a fantastic plant fair – so many stalls, so much to buy! And a wonderful old house too, well worth a visit anytime.
Following Dr Benz Kotzen’s wonderful talk last year, Anna arranged a trip on 5 June 2019, to see the roof gardens on Greenwich University’s School of Architecture and Construction building on Stockwell Street. Here is a picture of the meadow area on the roof.
CABAHS members visited RHS Wisley on 10 May 2019. A good time was had by all. We especially enjoyed the Alliums and Camassias.
Members Lori and Mary visited the RHS Orchid Show (8-10 April) at the Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, and sent in these pictures of orchids awarded Gold. There was a marvellous display from the Writhlington School Orchid Project, which is an enterprise run mainly by Years 7 to 13, where income generated goes to fund school trips to places like Rwanda and Sikkim to promote conservation.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 