The village Garden Club Show

I realise that I have not written about the Village Garden Club Annual Show which was held at the beginning of this month.   I am Show Secretary and this was our fourth show. There are three of us on the show committee and there is a lot of work involved in putting on a show.  Having done four shows now,  it's a well oiled machine and each of us knows our own particular job. This is good because it cuts down the number of meetings we need to have. Apart from a post show meeting and a meeting early in the year to decide on the classes for the show schedule, we just need to be in email contact.

The exhibits in this years show were up to our usual high standard, but we wish more of our member would exhibit. Still,the show looked good and we were pleased we had good weather on the day as we hold  the show in the garden of one of our members.

Runner Bean class - mine are top right and for the 4th year running got a First!

Fuchsias galore!

 

Those of you who know me will know that I am not a fan of fuchsias. I do grow the odd plant and have three or four hardy fuchsias in the garden, but I find them fiddley to grow, and they need lots of watering - and their flowers drop!  So, friends and family were surprised, to say the least, when I announced I was off to see a fuchsia show last Sunday. Not the Farnborough Fuchsia and Pelargonium Society fuchsia show, of which I am a member, but the British Fuchsia Society London National Fuchsia Show no less.  Fortunately I did not have to travel to London because the show was held in a village close by.

My real reason for visiting this Show was to take a look at the hall to see if it would be suitable as a venue for The Pelargonium and Geranium Society National  Show when it is next held in the South East of the country.   I was, however, amazed at the quality of the fuchsia exhibits. The hall was filled with plants - three tables down the centre of the hall with exhibits on each side of the tables. Tables around all the edges, plus on the front of the stage and on the floor in front of the stage.

There was a smaller hall within the building and here one could buy a cup of tea ad cake. Salad lunches had been served at lunchtime. This being the 75th anniversary of the B.F.S. there was a large wall display of their events over the years. There had been a tombola in here as well, obviously well supported as it was over when I arrived early afternoon.

It was a pleasant afternoon and I met several friends there as well.

My Blue Jug is filled with White and Purple Phlox

It's been a while .....

It’s been a little while since I was last here.  We have celebrated another birthday, had a trip away for the weekend, and a day out to a National Trust property.

The birthday was my younger son, Daniel’s 40^th birthday.  I can hardly believe that he is now 40.   Despite two serious illnesses in his life, one being cancer, he has overcome them and we are very proud of him.  He did not want a large celebration, but just a meal out with his wife Lisa, his brother Matthew and his girlfriend, and us. He chose an Indian restaurant close to where they live.  We had a really super evening out just the six of us.

The next weekend Brian and I went to Eastbourne for a weekend.  This was actually my birthday gift to him last January, but this was the first opportunity I have had to book something up for us.   We had good weather and enjoyed our two days there. 

Our hotel was opposite the pier

We also had a day out at Hinton Ampner, a National Trust property near Winchester in Hampshire. 

On our way to the property we planned to call in at New Arlesford for coffee.  We have often stopped here for coffee or afternoon tea.  Unfortunately on this occasion we found we were not able to park – so we turned round and went to a place we had spotted on the way in.  What a find this place has turned out to be.  It is called Long Barn Lavender Farm.  It was a really delightful place to stop for coffee on a warm early August morning.  We sat outside and were served a really good cup of ‘real’ coffee.  I cannot describe the scent of lavender in the air – it was quite soporific and we could have stopped there for far longer.   However, the lure of the small plant nursery nearby was too much for me, and I eventually ventured forth!   The plants there were really good value, and very well grown.  However, the only thing that I eventually bought was six small broccoli plants for my vegetable garden.  I have been looking for some for a while now as my own seeds did not germinate at all.   I also had a look round the lavender plant nursery on the other side of the barn.  There was a lady demonstrating how to make lavender wreaths and I wished I could have joined in.  It seems they take bookings for classes of this type.   This is a stop we will make again for sure.

We have been to Hinton Ampner before, and I enjoy the quietness of this garden.  It is not flamboyant with flowers, just a really pleasant homely garden.  We also went round the house and again, this is a house that I felt we could live in, despite there being many rooms, they were not overly large and the place has a definitely ‘homely’ feel to it.   What I really love ‘tho, is the large vegetable garden.  Oh, how I would love a vegetable plot like the one at Hinton Ampner.

Guarding the vegetables

Runner bean arch

Can you spot the pumpkins?

Finally an update on the blue jug.  I have been putting these cheerfully yellow Alstromeria's in it for the past couple of weeks.

More soon, I hope!