spring – Page 2 – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

What to look out for in the Old Pond Garden May 2025

Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’

A member of the hedgerow cranesbill family, seen commonly in roadside verges – but what a star! It was named after Mr Bill Wallis, a passionate plantsman, who chanced upon the original seedling sporting electric violet flowers instead of the common pink hue. It is a low sprawling perennial which shows its vivid purple flowers from late Spring until late Autumn. Lovely ground cover for sun or shade. Resistant to drought and avoided by snails – what’s not to like!

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.

Spring Show 2025

A good time was had by all at our 47th annual Spring Show on Monday 14 April. A great turn out of members and several entries for each class – including a magnificent 18 Narcissus ‘Pipit’ pots!

In total there were over 90 entries in 14 classes – well done everyone. Thanks is due to all those who organised, set up, judged, prepared the flags / certificates and did the raffle and refreshments.

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

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

We welcomed horticulturalist Joe Woodcock to judge the classes* and he was full of praise for each and every entry. Joe interspersed his judgments with interesting facts, tips and growing advice on everything from the merits of deadheading to an explanation of the source-sink theory.

Pat’s 10 jobs for April 2025

1. Pinch out sweet pea plants above the third leaf to make bushier plants and then, as the shoots grow, pinch out side shoots in the same way.

2. Sow hardy annuals now like Nigella, opium poppies and poached egg plants in any bit of empty ground you may have and mark them so you don’t forget where they are. Many of these are excellent for pollinators.

3. Prune hardy Fuchsias now to stimulate growth by cutting back to just above a healthy bud which will prevent them from getting too woody.

Nigella damascena seedlings — Young sweet pea plants

4. Check Dahlia tubers for any growth and make sure they’re getting enough light by turning them round regularly towards the light.

March 2025 Meeting and Show Table

A packed library for the March meeting, and the first Show Table of the year – congratulations to Kathy for winning this month’s Best on the Table prize with her Narcissus ‘St Patrick’s Day’.

There was also a Plant Sales table and the usual raffle with lots of lovely plant prizes. The main event was a talk by Fiona Davison, author of ‘An Almost Impossible Thing: The radical lives of Britain’s pioneering women gardeners‘.

Ali H

Plant of the Month: Camellia (March 2025)

During March, when the changeable weather still surprises us, it is wonderful to see the Camellias in flower, as they provide the much-needed WOW factor during the colder days – their profusion of flowers, colours, shapes and patterns add an immediate vibrancy and character to any garden or parkland.

In my neighbour Linda B’s garden, there are three Camellias but one stands out. The flowers are smaller and single, white (blush-pink as they age), scented and beautiful. The leaves are also different: matt-green and elongated and the overall appearance of the shrub is more elegant. It has grown, albeit slowly, and is now approximately 2’ in height. A plant app identifies it as possibly Camellia sasanqua.

What to look out for in the Old Pond Garden: March 2025

We hope you enjoy a spring walk around the walled gardens at Charlton House! Look out for:

Daffodil (Narcissus ‘Elka’)

Narcissus 'Elke' in the Old Pond Garden at Charlton House

A fragrant, small and early-flowering daffodil, you can spot Narcissis ‘Elka’ in the Peace Garden. It has pale petals and a creamy yellow trumpet. The name ‘Elka’ is apparently from a combination of the names of two ‘lady daffodil growers’: Elizabeth and Kate.

Wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae)

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae (wood spurge / Mrs Robb's Bonnet) in the Old Pond Garden, Charlton House, March 2024

Wood spurge is in the Euphorbia family, so take care! If the stems are broken, they gush with a thick milky latex substance that can cause blisters on skin. They are handsome perennial plants, shade loving, with zingy lime-green flowers in late Spring and rosettes of glossy dark green leaves. Another name for this plant is ‘Mrs Robb’s Bonnet’ – we would like to see the hat that inspired that name!

Pat’s Jobs for March 2025

Time to pot up those Dahlia tubers in 3 litre pots, making sure the tubers have an ‘eye’ which will shoot. Cover in compost, allowing the stem to rest at the surface, then label and water and keep somewhere reasonably light and frost free (greenhouse or windowsill) until they start growing.

2. Now is the time I start sowing sweetpeas: five seeds to a 3 inch pot and keep on a light windowsill or greenhouse until they germinate. You can try sowing directly into the soil which I think works well for some.

Great Dixter Behind the Scenes

Led by members of the garden team, the Behind the Scenes tours of Great Dixter provide an opportunity to explore the garden and meadows to examine the plants which are putting on a display at particular times of the year, offering an insight into the work that makes this happen. Limited to a maximum of 25 people, they allow visitors to have a good view of the plants.

A tour of the gardens in February was always going to be a little hit and miss in terms of the weather, but we were fortunate enough to arrive just as the rain stopped, so were able to enjoy the tour without getting soaked through!

As we enter through the front meadow, the area is full of Crocus tommasinianus, Crocus flavus and various forms of Crocus chrysanthus. Of course there are snowdrops everywhere. Our guides introduced us to the wide range that are cultivated here, from the common (but no less lovely) Galanthus nivalis, to G. Atkinsii and G. S. Arnott which are all doing fabulously well, as well as the less common G. Diggory and G. Washfield Colesbourne. We all peered at the diminutive G. Wendy’s Gold in a corner, sheltered by a wall and still tiny enough that if it wasn’t pointed out, you might walk past it! Some of the differences between the types are so small: those with an upturned tepal and look like little helicopters, while G. Diggory is plump and round.

Outing to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for Orchid display

This year’s Orchid display, based on the beauty of Peru, is being show-cased in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The display is absolutely stunning and should not be missed.

The glasshouse is divided in two sections: the arid, dry zone, featuring cacti and succulents; and the lush, tropical zone. Within the dry zone several large containers of orchids and hanging orchid planters are on display but it’s the tropical zone that contains the main display and you won’t be disappointed.

Inspired by the Peruvian flag and coat of arms, the display centres on a cornucopia (an ornamental goat-horn), overflowing with orchids, to signify the abundance of mineral wealth of Peru. Adjacent (keeping guard?) stands a distant relative of the alpaca.

June 2024 Meeting and Talk: Hever Castle and Gardens

A successful meeting was held in June with a packed audience and we were lucky to be given an engaging and informative talk by Neil Miller, Head Gardener at Hever Castle. In 2002 Neil started as a junior gardener at Hever following 10 years as an Insurance Broker and within 4 years was Head Gardener. Quite an achievement!

Famously Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, and Henry VIII frequently visited her there. At that time the surrounding land was marsh and bog land. Though there were many changes of ownership in the following centuries, it was not until 1903, when William Waldorf Astor bought the estate, that serious restoration and renovation took place and the design for the gardens was drawn up. Alongside the castle, a Tudor style Village was also built so that invited guests had rooms to stay.