volunteer – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Old Pond Garden Diary Update (April-December 2025)

As we come up to Christmas and the end of 2025, this is a great time to look back at how the ‘Old Pond Garden’ (OPG) project has fared this year.

Christmas 2025, dressing the tree of heaven with baubles, plus garden volunteers — Tree of Heaven, *Ailanthus altissima*, dressed up for Christmas
(plus 27 garden volunteers!)

Of course, it’s not just the ‘Old Pond Garden’ project any longer, as volunteer work now covers the whole estate, but we are still fond of the OPG tag. Since April, the Garden Volunteer scheme has been run by Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust (RGHT), however considering 80% of volunteers are also CABAHS members, it’s fair to say we are still very interested and still very involved.

Sharon has taken on the crucial role of Volunteer Lead for RGHT and works with Head Gardener Jason to make sure everything runs smoothly. She posts lovely updates on the garden team’s WhatsApp after every session, keeping us all on track, and sends a report off to RGHT every month.

Here are some highlights picked from Sharon’s reports of the past few months, I make no apology that this is a rather long post – we have done a lot!

Horn Fair 2025

Thank you to everyone who supported our October plant sale at Charlton House Horn Fair! Whether you helped on a stall, donated plants or bought plants – or all three in many cases – it was a fabulous effort. In addition to the serious and successful business of fund raising, everyone seemed to have fun, meet new people (maybe new members or volunteers..!) and of course, talk about plants.

Old Pond Garden in a break in the weather! October 2025 — The weather looked so promising as we set up… but the gazebo was definitely needed!
Everyone wanted to meet Miss Willmott, but the plants were, of course, the main draw.

The weather forecast is not good... CABAHS volunteers preparing for the Horn Fair 2025 — The weather looked so promising as we set up… but the gazebo was definitely needed!
Everyone wanted to meet Miss Willmott, but the plants were, of course, the main draw.

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…

London in Bloom 2024: Gold and more for Charlton House Gardens!

Only our second foray into the world of London in Bloom (part of RHS Britain in Bloom) and we have achieved a coveted Gold award!

Last year, we only entered the Walled Gardens category, but this year – since we now cover most areas of the whole estate – two categories were entered: the competitive “Our Community” and also the RHS “It’s Your Neighbourhood”. Although these look for gardening excellence, they also cover community involvement.

London in Bloom Gold certificate — Thursday volunteers and Jason with our awards

Thursday volunteers with awards — Thursday volunteers and Jason with our awards

The judges visited on a very hot day in mid June and had already been to several local gardens including Charlton Station and Orchard when they arrived at the gates of Charlton House. On reflection, it was a great idea to show them around the estate in reverse order – we did the Meadow and Wilderness, followed by the Glade and Long Garden, then finishing with the jewel that is the Walled Gardens. Following that route they saw the progression of work and Jason was able to explain his ideas for each different area.

They loved the Glade, with its mounds made of green waste and excess soil, demonstrating how nothing goes to waste and the creativity of making a flat area more interesting. Remember this?

Making the Glade mounds — Making the first mound

The best words in the report were reserved for the Old Pond Garden – the judges report says “Jason, working with the volunteers, has restored the walled garden quite possibly to something that is better than the original walled garden.” Wow! They go on to say ”Jason truly understands the secrets of good design and plant combinations, and makes an excellent Head Gardener. We see the harmony of working with volunteers, who have been able to put many of Jason’s thoughts, with his expert guidance, into reality.” What an accolade!

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.

The Woodlands Farm Cottage Garden

If RHS gold medals could be given to individual gardens, then The Woodlands Farm Cottage Garden deserves that honour. I am, at the moment of writing, sat on one of the many benches enjoying this charming garden.

Volunteers started working to create a cottage garden back in 1998 and now, 25 years on I am gazing at their ‘gold-medal’ creation. The garden has everything one would want: wide gravel paths edged with brick or logs meandering around several large informal flowering beds; a rose and clematis-framed timber pergola walkway; glasshouse; summerhouse; raised vegetable and fruit beds; propagation area; pond; a bug hotel; and, very importantly, tables and chairs for family snack times.

Beds in the Woodlands Farm Cottage Garden

A wren has announced its arrival on the beautifully pruned Exochorda and children and mothers are coming in to excitedly explore and admire the garden’s loveliness. From my bench are carefully pruned shrubs arising tall from the spring beds. This allows visitors to clearly view the purple honesty, inky-blue aquilegias, mauve vinca, forget-me-nots, narcissi, tulips, camassias, allium buds, geraniums, hellebores, wallflowers, bergenia, primulas, lamiums and more – all looking their very, early-spring best. Masses of tall cow-parsley are breaking into flower in front of the flowering choisya and viburnums, creating an harmonious effect. And I’ve spotted purple-stemmed cow parsley looking extremely healthy, as well (most envious!)

Seat in the Woodlands Farm Cottage Garden

This cottage garden is sheltered and faces south. It is surrounded by mature trees and many evergreen shrubs so it has its own little micro-climate.

Before I leave, I glance once again at the charming, delicately-pink blossom on the spreading branches of the old apple tree. With a table and chairs set beneath its canopy and spring flowers in the foreground, it is a really lovely vision. And it’s a gold-medal from me! The garden is open to the general public. More information about Woodlands Farm Trust here. Do visit before the spring flowers fade.

Anna L

Overbeck’s Garden Devon

On a recent visit to Devon we decided to visit Overbeck’s Garden owned by the National Trust. If you can brave the narrowest of South Devon lanes (and scarily so!) you’ll come to Overbecks built into a cliffside at Salcombe and overlooking the Kingsbridge estuary. The setting is stunning and because it’s so sheltered supports plants and trees from around the globe.

The day was very warm but luckily there’s plenty of shade provided by the collection of trees including magnolias, olives and palms of various sorts and the feel is very much sub-tropical. Amongst many areas there’s a Gazebo Garden, a Banana Garden, the Old Quarry, the Statue Garden and a lovely shady Woodland garden with a viewing point over to Salcombe with stunning views. Many lovely plants grow on the slopes and with only 3 full time gardeners I should think they rely heavily on volunteers although how they regularly navigate those lanes was a mystery to us. There’s a refreshment area (outdoors) and a picnic area. If you are in South Devon it is very well worth a visit and I hope the pictures convey the variety of lovely plants and trees you can see.

London in Bloom: Silver Gilt award for the Old Pond Garden, Charlton House

“The transformation by volunteers is incredible” began the report on the Old Pond Garden by the London in Bloom Judges. They awarded the garden 164 points out of 200, that’s 82% and a first in my world but Silver Gilt in this particular horticultural competition! Just 6 more points and it would have been Gold – so we are in touching distance of that magic category.

The judges assessment is split into 8 categories. Our top scores (in order) were for ‘community involvement’ (92%), ‘environmental sustainability’(88%), ‘maintenance-litter’ (well done Joe), and ‘range and quality of plants grown’. We scored lowest on ‘access for people’ and ‘maintenance – walls, paths etc’. The judges praised Jason’s “beautiful design” for the garden which has provided “radical planting changes” rather than a simple “tidy up”.