spring – Page 5 – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Pat’s Jobs for March

1. I sowed my sweet peas early in the month five seeds to a 3 inch pot and then placed them on a light window sill or greenhouse if you have one. They don’t need bottom heat and I don’t soak or nick the seeds but of course you can if you wish. Keep turning the pots so they don’t all lean towards the light.

2. Remove browning blooms from camellias to keep the display going especially the white ones which never seem to drop their spent blooms. I just wish I had room for more as they’re such a cheerful sight.

Batley Park, The Standard, London, SE3

The residents of London, SE3 and SE7 are treated to a two-month spectacle every year when the spring bulbs burst open beneath the London Plane trees in their local green space, called Batley Park.

Batley Park consists of a triangular space at the heart of the south-east London shopping centre, known as The Standard, surrounded by the busy, one-way B210 road.

During the winter, the park comes alive with the thousands of purple, mauve and white crocus sprinkled amongst the green sward, followed quickly by swathes and swathes of yellow daffodils, glowing like bright lanterns in the soft sunlight. It’s mother nature’s tapestry and a lovely sight to behold.

Crocus and daffodils among the trees in Batley Park

The park’s existence is all due to local campaigners, including The Rev John William Marshall, in the late 19th century, unhappy about the appearance of their village green. At that time it was known as Sheepgate Green, and due to their determination the space was transformed. Trees were planted and railings installed and thus renamed Batley Park, after the philanthropist, William Fox Batley, who contributed to the improvements. In 1889 a final touch was added – a Memorial Fountain was included on the south-west corner of the park. If you have not yet seen this year’s spectacle, do visit the park whilst visiting The Standard. At the time of writing I noticed that the daffodil clumps were still producing buds so that means local residents can enjoy this display for a few more weeks.

Anna L

March flowers shared by Members

We are always keen to hear about how member’s gardens are growing or about what you can see from your window but occasionally we receive shorter messages. So here are a few we’ve had recently.

Angela thought members might like to see a photo of her Amaryllis lily. She says “Their sale in supermarkets at Christmas has rapidly become a tradition. Their very decorative, over the top flowers people either hate or love. I love them. They are easy to grow and spectacular. I planted mine after Christmas and it has now produced amazing flowers.”

Viv sent us a photo of the first tulips of the year in her garden with some other pots. Unsurprisingly, she is getting excited about spring…

Viv's pot of Tulip Stresa with other pots

A visit to Perch Hill

A few weeks back Vija and I went to one of the open days at Sarah Raven’s farm Perch Hill in East Sussex. The preceding evening had seen torrential rain and an email arrived on the morning of the visit warning people of the muddy conditions and that a four wheel drive was essential. And they weren’t exaggerating… the field we were to park in was a mud slide with a tractor towing cars out of the mud!

But the rain hadn’t affected the garden. The tulips, many of which were in pots,were stunning with the same colours used repeatedly throughout the garden. They were well labelled so we could make a note of them and there seemed to be loads of new varieties and quite a lot in oranges and shades of reds. There were lots of pots with pastel shades too and it wasn’t just tulips. There was a whole bed planted with a tall variety of fritillary which you don’t see very often and is certainly different.

Additionally there were displays in pots of some lovely frilly violas and the glasshouse was planted with ranunculus and other early varieties of annuals. There were displays of early vegetables but they were small and obviously affected by the cold spring. And the tea and cakes were good too!

All in all a stunning display and worth a visit despite the mud and flooded roads.

Pat K

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.

Labour of love – Keukenhof (2)

A visit to Keukenhof for the second year running found a different garden, although the visits were only a week apart. Spring has evidently come later and most of the narcissus and hyacinths were still in full flower. Last year there were very few remaining in flower. The scent from both filled the air.

Even where some of the tulips had gone over they were still exquisitely beautiful – like a Dutch still life painting.

At home my hyacinths have been swept around by the rain and wind, but at Keukenhof they stand firm.

But then I looked closer. Each individual hyacinth has been individually staked, so discretely that it is hardly noticeable! What a labour!

Vija

Springtime at Sissinghurst

(with some wintry weather thrown in for good measure!)

A view of the tower and from the top of the tower (78 steps)

View from the tower at Sissinghurst in April

Spring Show 2023

Well, as we now know from a trawl through the CABAHS archive, our first Spring Show took place in April 1978, when the entries were recorded as “good considering the wintry conditions”. 45 years later, in 2023, our display has once again risen above the challenging weather and looked frankly fabulous!

Thank you to everyone who carried their exhibits into St Thomas’ Church hall, we had more entries than in the past few years, 73 in total, and everyone seemed to have a great evening. Our judge Mrs Norma Leslie said she had a hard time choosing the winners, listed below. Best in Show was awarded to Sharon’s “Perfect Pot of Pipits”, well deserved, and it was good to see so many entries in this class. The Wild Card class generated a lot of conversations around the range of entries, so that will be a fixture from now on. The short talk about past shows sparked some good ideas for future classes, such as one for Primroses and Auriculas and perhaps we can revive a “Domestic” class to add a baking angle to the evening (followed by some munching probably).

OPG Diary – Dec to March 23

Here is an update on what Jason and the Gardenauts have been getting up to in the gardens since my last post. Apologies it’s rather long, we’ve been doing lots!

December turned the gardens into a winter wonderland, and caused us to miss a few days volunteering, but gave some great photo opportunities. The prolonged cold period hit a few of the more tender shrubs quite hard and we lost some big favourites like the Teucrium.

January was about cutting back, the ivy in particular. The old walls cannot take the weight of the ivy so we are taking it off in stages and being careful of wildlife. Our efforts revealed the top of the doorway for the first time in some years!

We have removed the palms from the front lawn beds and the beds will be re-designed this summer. The Palms were planted as part of an annual bedding scheme years ago and never envisaged to get as tall as they have. The Tete-a Tete daffodils have all been lifted and will go in the woodland glade next year. The Summerhouse has had a good weed and tidy-up, as has the Mulberry. Snowdrops and Hellebores popped up in the OPG woodland side.

In February, we discovered our regular feline visitor is called Casper and he lives in Canberra Road but clearly considers the gardens his playground.

Visit to Beth Chatto’s garden

For those who haven’t visited, Beth Chatto’s Garden is a horticultural paradise located in Essex, England. In March, visitors can expect to see a range of unique features and highlights that make Beth Chatto’s Garden a must-see destination for anyone with an interest in gardening or nature.

One of the most striking things about Beth Chatto’s Garden in March is the abundance of early spring blooms. As winter fades and the weather begins to warm up, the garden comes alive with an array of colourful flowers and blossoms. The famous Gravel Garden is a great place to start exploring the garden. This innovative garden was created in the 1990s, and features plants that are adapted to dry conditions, making it an ideal spot for early bloomers like crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. Visitors can expect to see bright pops of colour as they stroll along the winding paths that wind through the garden.

In addition to the early spring blooms, March is also a great time to explore the woodland areas of Beth Chatto’s Garden. The woodland gardens are home to a wide range of plant species, including ferns, shrubs, and trees. Another highlight of Beth Chatto’s Garden in March is the chance to see the garden’s many rare and unusual plant species. Beth Chatto was a pioneer of ecological gardening and her garden is a testament to her commitment to sustainable practices. Visitors can expect to see a range of native and non-native plants that are perfectly suited to the local climate and soil conditions.

Vija