Roehampton Garden Society

Category Archives: News

General news


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Success at Chelsea

One of our Plotholders, Alexander, was part of a prize winning team at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. He helped to create “The Shifting Garden”, which won a silver-gilt medal in the Container and Balcony Gardens section.

The Shifting Garden reflects the changing climate and plants that need little or no fertiliser and can cope with periods of dryness. Alexander developed a new formula for the Hypertufa material for the containers which does away with peat and is far more sustainable and eco friendly than concrete, as well as being lighter and porous, so lichens can more easily grow on it.

Many congratulations, Alexander!


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Swallows and Swifts

We can look forward to the return of our migratory birds over the next four weeks.   Swallows, swifts, wagtails et al, will arrive with one thing in their minds, to nest.  There are Swift boxes attached to the walls of a couple of houses bordering our allotments and Huntingfield Road.  The Swifts arrived last year on the seventh of May, I will report back, when I see them this year.

Bill Young

Migratory birds all need somewhere to nest. Their chicks need good shelter from sudden cold spells – which also reduce their food supply.

Swifts will come back to the same nest year after year. They like high, deep crevices to nest, but because we’ve lost many old houses and buildings, and as roof spaces are filled or mended, their numbers have declined dramatically and they are now on the UK Red list of conservation concern. Fix a wooden swift box to the outside of your home to give them somewhere to nest. You can build your own swift box, or if you are short on time or DIY skills, you can buy a ready-made swift box If you have space, a Swift box in a warm, sheltered spot might help.

RSPB

Find out how to make a swift box here


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It’s No Mow May – should you let your grass grow?

We’ve lost nearly 97% of flower rich meadows since the 1970’s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.

A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May!

With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.

Information from the Plantlife website

The 10 most common plants recorded during the campaign last year were daisies, creeping buttercup, yellow rattle, common bird’s-foot trefoil, field forget-me-not, meadow buttercup, white clover, common mouse-ear, oxeye daisy and dandelion.

Bird’s-foot trefoil is a rich sort of food for 140 insect species! Even the humble dandelion is loved by bumble bees.

Read more about last year’s survey in this article in The Guardian

Find our more about No Mow May and join in on the Plantlife website


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Getting the grass to grow…

If you’d like advice about growing and maintaining a lawn, there’s lots to read on the RHS website.

Try this special section of the RHS website all about lawns here. Starting from Seed; Spring and Summer care and a special ‘problems’ section make this a comprehensive read.

Seed lawns, Turf lawns, Chamomile lawns……advice on your own lawn month by month here

As the RHS so rightly says, “One person’s weedy lawn is another’s wild flower meadow”….

wildflower meadow

If you feel inspired to give the wild side a chance, the RHS has very good advice about how to put away the weedkillers and fertilisers and give your mower a rest! All you need to know about Lawn and Mini Meadow Habitats from the RHS.


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Sparrowhawk and Robin

A lovely March story from Bill Young….

A pair of Jackdaws have acquired a very desirable residence in Elmshaw Road, just opposite Stewart’s allotment. The house had a vacant chimney, it is the centre for a hive of activity, the excited pair dropping sticks down the chimney, followed by a period of very intently, peering down into that chimney. All this in the hope one would lodge and form the base of their nest. Evidently they were successful, as they’re now disappearing down the chimney, with sticks, mud, straw and anything they think suitable.

I have got some shallots under a polythene cloche, whist digging up some weeds next the cloche. I was accompanied by a female blackbird, a robin and two sparrows all enjoying the worms, beetles, woodlice and ants exposed, as I rooted out the weeds.
A shrill shriek from the blackbird, with a whish it was gone, as were the sparrows. I found myself surprised, staring at a sparrow hawk about ten feet away. It had appeared from nowhere! It was on the ground staring at the robin, which had simply and calmly, had ducked under the polythene and into the polytunnel. The sparrow hawk totally ignored me, loped towards the polytunnel, thrust a foot under the polythene and tried to snag the robin. Which simply hopped away, adroitly using the wire stanchions of the tunnel, to limit the leg’s reach and get out of range. All this time, the robin was facing its sparrow hawk opponent, watching it intently. There was maybe a two inch gap between the soil and the polythene edge. The hawk then decided to try and get under the polythene and get at the robin. As soon as its head went under the polythene, our robin ducked out the other side and at top speed disappeared into Jim’s garden.
The hawk then, with a look of disgust, flew up and onto the top of a Elmshaw house chimney, where it proceeded to rearrange its feathers. This greatly disturbed all the resident Elmshaw Road Jackdaws, who communally began to mob it, creating quite a hullabaloo The sparrow hawk at this point gave up and flew off towards Putney Heath.

with thanks to Bill Young


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An invitation from Borde Hill Garden

Borde Hill is a fascinating garden in West Sussex, not far from Wakehurst Place.
As an Affiliated Society of the RHS we have received an invitation to the following event:

Dear Affiliated Society,
Borde Hill Garden would like to invite you to an exclusive event on the 27th April for an opportunity to meet the owners and learn about the future of the garden.
The day includes lunch and a tour with the Head Gardener.

Places must be pre-booked (max 4 per group). The cost is £45 per head.

If you would like to go, and would like to be put in touch with others interested, please do let us know at rgs.sw15@gmail.com

Book directly with Borde Hill BOOK HERE

For further information please email Borde Hill Garden directly.


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How to Sow Seeds – from the RHS

Well – it’s certainly seed sowing season now! The RHS has been encouraging everyone to join in – and has produced some excellent advice with ideas for us all.

Faye, an RHS expert, is sharing seed sowing advice over on the RHS YouTube channel.
Watch her How-To videos and follow along for help and guidance sowing seeds of any size.

Here’s how to grow basil:

and here is the full play list on YouTube….


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Spring Plant Fair at the Garden Museum

On Sunday 16th April the Garden Museum is hosting a Spring Plant Fair. Expert plant growers and specialist nurseries from around the country sell some of the best garden plants you’ll find in London.

This year’s fair also features a programme of talks and workshops on growing flowery annuals, seed sowing and increasing wildlife and biodiversity in small spaces, as well as a cookery demo and tasting in our studio kitchen. Book each talk online. Find out more here

Time & Place

16 Apr 2023
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Garden Museum

Entry £5 (£4 members)


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The Old Laboratory at Wisley re-opens

The doors to the Old Laboratory at RHS Wisley are opening to members and visitors for the first time in over a century on 20 March. Now hosting memories of plant scientists and scientific discoveries, together with horticulturally themed exhibitions, you can step back in time with scientists in the early days of Wisley.

Entry to the Old Laboratory is included with normal garden admission.

Book a timed slot to visit the Old Laboratory on your visit to Wisley – free entry to RHS members.

Find out more and book here


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Time to plan the Vegetable garden

Looking for inspiration? Just want to see some ideas?

Gardener designer, Jack Wallington, shares his techniques for planning your own kitchen garden and shows you how to start sowing seeds indoors. View on Youtube

Lots of good tips and tricks for beginners from the RHS website here

And a masterclass in how to make good compost and why you need it from Monty Don View on Youtube