Category: Local
Whilst Winters are always busy, they are a good time to be catching up with learning so I finally managed to get a place on the Coppicing Course at Harcourt Arboretum and it was well worth the wait and in this article I share the things I learned on the day.
It is always a pleasure to wander around others well tended gardens on a warm sunny day and if you are regular visitor it may well be worth buying the May 2023 edition of Gardeners’ World Magazine which includes a 2 for 1 pass for adult entrance fees at almost 400 gardens until April 2024.
Looking for a particular plant or just fancy a bit of wander? There are plenty of great garden centres and plant nurseries on your doorstep and here is my list of those I know – hope you find a new one to visit and enjoy.
You can’t keep a good garden club down and even though they can’t hold their wonderful monthly talks it doesn’t mean everything has to stop and so from the 18th May until 1st June, The Hagbourne Garden Club will be offering plants for sale at various locations around the village (socially distanced of course!).
There are few things that taste quite as good as vegetables harvested from your own garden but getting started can seem a bit of a challenge especially if you only have a small patch. Robert Longstaff will be talking about this very topic at the Hagbourne Garden Club on Thursday 27 February from 7pm.
Blewbury Manor is a garden that is on my doorstep but I haven’t yet managed to get to visit. Set in 10-acres, I am told it is a must visit as it offers something for everyone and so I am really keen to have a look around. Fortunately, Richard Roslyn, the head gardener, will be speaking on Thursday 27 November at the Hagbourne Garden Club and it will be interesting to hear how they manage the garden and find out how I can get myself there.
Should you find yourself at a loose end on Saturday 14th September why not head over to the Harwell Village Produce Show and admire the efforts of local growers young and old. The show is at Harwell School and opens at 3pm. For more details, see the photo.
The Didcot Allotment Society (DAS) is holding its Annual General Meeting on Saturday 11 May. In addition to its AGM, there will also be a plant sale so you may well find yourself walking away with a bargain.
The Didcot Allotment Society (DAS) and Sustainable Didcot are holding a seed swap event on Saturday 16th March from 2pm where you can bring any surplus seeds you might have and swap them for others.
An article in the Guardian caught my eye and highlighted research published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution that shows bees favourite flowers include, amongst other things, brambles, buttercups and dandelions. In other words, we need to make a bit of room for weeds in our gardens and allotments.
The Didcot Allotment Society (DAS) and Sustainable Didcot are holding a seed swap event on Thursday 24 January from 7:30pm where you can bring any surplus seeds you might have and swap them for others.
What do you do with a plant that for one reason or another is no longer needed? Perhaps it has outgrown its allotted spot or has multiplied beyond belief but don’t throw it away just yet – try swapping or selling it through Green Plant Swap – a great website that brings together plants and people.
Bear with me on this as I am in the process of writing up details (with pictures) of various local gardens that are worth visiting.