Archive

May 2022 gardening Tips 29 April 2022
This year, April and March seemed to swap places in terms of weather, so Magnolias and Camellias were in peak bloom and then ‘browned off’ by frost in my garden. The daffodils, primroses and hyacinths have been more resilient and given a very good show. Everything else is later than usual – slower to germinate […]
Keep the society going! 29 April 2022
Dear Members, On May 9th our chairman (Alec) has called a committee meeting during which the winding up of the society by the end of September will be discussed. The reason is that we have not recruited any new committee members. We need a new chairman, treasurer, show secretary and trading secretary, without whom the […]
April Hints and Tips 1 April 2022
2022 – The beginning of April – cold and snow! I’m wondering what the spring and summer will offer. However, I can see buds fattening on apples, pears, azaleas and magnolias and the earliest Prunus trees and Camellias are in flower. The main show for Spring-flowering shrubs is usually in April and May and it […]

March Hints and Tips 1 March 2022
Hints and Tips for gardeners in March 2022. March is one of the busiest months for gardeners. The days are getting longer and the soil starts to warm, but you still have to watch out for frosts. Underground, the infra-red light that penetrates below the surface triggers growth and germination.

AGM and Quiz 25th February 23 February 2022
The AGM and quiz took place on 25th February. Issues discussed. Agenda: Chairman’s Report Treasurer’s report Show Secretary’s report. Recruitment/election of committee members Options for the future of the society AOB
Trading Shed News 10 February 2022

February Hints and Tips 31 January 2022
Welcome to the start of the growing year, when seeds can be sown, potatoes prepared by chitting, and the first flowers: daffodils, snowdrops, primroses, winter aconites and pulmonarias show some colour. February involves pruning many late flowering shrubs to encourage new flowering shoots, for example: A useful tip for Wisteria – 7 & 2. In […]
January 2022 Gardening Tips 1 January 2022
Liz Kirton writes : On the last day of December 2021, on a quick stroll round my garden, I found that even in the ‘deep mid-winter’ there are flowers to appreciate:- witch hazels, both red and yellow unfurling their petals, Iris unguicularis adding their beautiful blue flowers, winter jasmine giving a lovely yellow sheen to […]

December Gardening Tips 2 December 2021
This is a difficult time for plants: when water freezes in the ground, they cannot replace water lost from the leaves. They have adapted by losing their leaves and becoming dormant, or by having waxy, waterproof leaves. The lance-like leaves of bulbs let snow slide off them. You may have noticed this in the last […]

October Gardening tips 1 October 2021
Now is the time to watch the wildlife plant nuts and other seeds in the lawn and flower beds for a new woodland to grow! Now is a time for golden leaves and golden sunlight and a golden ground where the leaves have fallen. Leave them until they turn muddy brown; this will encourage worms […]

Summer Show 2021 Report 11 September 2021
The 2021 Church Crookham Garden Society Summer Show was a success.

September 2021 Gardening Tips 31 August 2021
After 2020’s bumper harvest of apples, I have a very meagre crop this year, but the pears are looking hopeful. The seasons have been later this year: wind and rain have taken a toll. The rain has made hoeing weeds useless and, as a result, I have been hand weeding – the compost heaps are […]

Summer Show 21st August 5 July 2021
CHURCH CROOKHAM GARDEN SOCIETY There was no show in 2020, but we very much hope to run one this year. ANNUAL SHOW 2021 SATURDAY 21st AUGUST CROOKHAM MEMORIAL HALL, CHURCH CROOKHAM New members and show visitors welcome Admission Free Click here for the Show schedule (pdf) Please have a go and make it a great […]
July 2021 gardening tips 1 July 2021
As I write this, in June, my garden is about three weeks behind how it was last year. The weather is beyond prediction for the next two months. If it turns hot and dry, then stop mowing but keep hoeing. Hoeing is a sure way to make it rain! – that, and cleaning the […]

June Gardening Hints and Tips 1 June 2021
We have had a late Spring this year (2021), with drought and frost holding plants back. I note that last year, at this time, I remarked on the good set of apples and pears; whereas, this year, the apple blossom is barely out yet. I did spot a woodpecker (spotted) tearing some blossom off…such a […]

Welcome to Church Crookham Garden Society 27 April 2021
A vibrant garden society active in Church Crookham, FLEET, Hampshire. We hold several annual events and shows and run a comprehensively stocked stores hut with discounts for members. HISTORY Church Crookham Garden Society was formed in 1954 as the Ryelaw Garden Society. It was founded by residents of Ryelaw Road as an outlet for their […]
April Gardening Tips 26 April 2021
We wait, with keen anticipation, through January and February, the blooming of daffodils, the signals of Spring. First, the dwarf varieties like Narcissus jonquilla and bulbocodium and then the full-sized plants. All too soon, by April, we are dead- heading spent flowers and leaving the leaves to feed the bulbs for next year. Pheasant’s eye […]

This Year’s Events 31 January 2021
Sadly, the 2021 AGM and quiz scheduled for the 26th February cannot go ahead ‘in the flesh’, but we are holding a ‘Zoom’ videoconference AGM on 26th Feb 7.30pm. If you are interested in joining in, please let Liz Kirton know and you will be sent the joining online address. If you wish to submit […]
February Gardening Tips 31 January 2021
Welcome to the start of the growing year, when seeds can be sown, potatoes prepared by chitting and the first flowers: daffodils, snowdrops, primroses, winter aconites and pulmonarias show some colour. February involves pruning many late flowering shrubs to encourage new flowering shoots, for example: A useful tip for Wisteria – 7 &2. In the […]
January Hints and Tips 4 January 2021
Reasons to be Cheerful The shortest day has been and gone and the daily period of light has, almost imperceptibly, increased. The infra-red wavelengths penetrate the soil and activate enzymes, via chemicals called phytochromes, that start seeds and dormant plants growing. Witch hazel, Sarcococca, Daphne odora and Mahonia are just some of the scented flowers […]

December Gardening Tips 1 December 2020
Most leaves of deciduous trees have fallen by now and you tidy gardeners will have swept them up and started the leaf mould process – you cannot buy leaf mould. Beech hedges will retain their dead leaves until Spring. Oak trees will continue to lose leaves and you can watch as ‘herds’ of leaves skitter […]

November Hints and Tips 4 November 2020
After this year’s vagaries of temperature and rainfall, plants have become confused and some are flowering now when they should flower in spring; e.g. the apple blossom at RHS Wisley (not to mention witch hazel and irises in my garden). It is now worth considering the plants that have thrived or suffered this year and […]

The Beginning of the Church Crookham Garden Society 8 October 2020
We were contacted by Jackie Richardson, who had come across our website when researching on the internet and she kindly told us of her father, Georg Ballard, having started the Society in 1954. Here is Jackie’s History of the Church Crookham Garden Society (pdf) Maybe it will jog some memories. Do let us know. (Contact […]
Hints and Tips for October 2020 1 October 2020
October will probably bring the first frosts and they will precipitate colour change, leaf fall and the sound of blowers that will reverberate in the neighbourhood! So long as the leaves are disease-free, they can be collected, and will decay to form leaf mould. Your heap of dead leaves may make a home for hedgehogs, […]

Awarding the 2020 Banksian Medal 5 September 2020
Dear Members, Since you were deprived of the opportunity to compete for most points in the Summer Show to win the Banksian Medal 2020. The RHS suggests that it should be awarded to someone who has gone ‘above and beyond’ to help the Church Crookham Garden Society survive or has helped other members with their […]
September gardening advice 5 September 2020
Autumn is early here this year. Leaves dropping, berries ripening and apples ready to pick in August. Although the apple crop is heavy this year, potatoes, beans and sweetcorn have not flourished for me in dry, hot, wet, cool fluctuating conditions. There are still the asters, chrysanthemums and Hederanthas (Schizostolis) to come into their own […]

Tips for July and August 8 July 2020
Tips for July and August 2020, writes Elizabeth Kirton : All that planning and preparation is worth it in July and August. Now you can harvest raspberries, currants, gooseberries and freeze any surplus to cheer up winter menus. By the end of August, the apple and pear harvest can begin; these fruits can be stored […]

Trading shed update 26 June 2020
June 2020 : Alec Grant writes : Dear Members I hope you and your families are all well and, if so, enjoying the summer weather. This is becoming a weekly update as, due to the Covid restrictions, together with the vulnerability of our shed teams and members, we are do not consider it safe to […]
Shed opening from 20th June 2020 17 June 2020
June 2020 I trust that you and families remain well and staying safe in these difficult times. We are delighted to announce that the trading shed will re-open Saturday 20th June at 10:00 for members by appointment only. In order to accommodate the Covid-19 social distancing rules and substantially reduce possible transmission of the virus, […]

June gardening Tips 31 May 2020
Talk about blowing hot and cold, wet and dry! This Spring has been so changeable, that it has made planning crops or splitting clumps of perennials very difficult to do successfully. The late frost caught my beans and potatoes, to my dismay. In spite of last Summer’s drought, rhododendrons and azaleas have performed well in […]
Trading Shed Re-opens for Members 29 May 2020
Alec Grant (Chairman) writes : I trust that you and families are well and staying safe in these difficult times. During lock-down I would hazard a guess that you have been gardening and in need of items from our trading shed. We are delighted to announce that the trading shed will re-open on revised hours […]
Charity Plants 23 May 2020
Helen Baker of Crondall Produce Show and Crondall Open Gardens fame, has been collecting plants for her plant stall. Since the open gardens event has been cancelled this year, she has a list of plants for sale in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. Click on the link for more details. Charity Plants Stock List 20 […]
May gardening tips 1 May 2020
27th April – 3rd May is National Gardening Week There is nothing more rewarding to most gardeners than to see healthy, vigorous plants in their garden. BUT there are some plants that thrive too well and start to ‘take over’. In my garden, primroses have been a joy, but when they are seeding into the […]

Mystery Bulb Competition 30 March 2020
The winning entry for this year’s competition was grown by Pat Nield.
April hints and tips 30 March 2020
Products available from the trading shed when it opens are in green font. Here I am in the middle of March, writing this advice, and wondering if we shall ever have any warm dry weather. However, I can see buds fattening on azaleas and magnolias and the earliest Prunus trees and Camellias are in flower. […]
Temporary Closure of Trading Shed 18 March 2020
In order to safeguard members and shed teams in case of contact with the covid-19 virus, the shed will be closed until restrictions on social contact are lifted. We shall let you know by e-mail and on this site as soon as it can be re-opened. Meanwhile, we are holding a photograph competition for Spring […]
Spring Show 28th March is cancelled 15 March 2020
It is with regret that the committee of the garden Society has decided to cancel the Spring Show. This is to reduce the likelihood of spreading Coronavirus among exhibitors and visitors. As an alternative to the show, we are suggesting a photo competition, entered via e-mail. Would members please let the secretary know if they […]

Gardening Tips for March 24 February 2020
Items obtainable from our trading shed are highlighted. We have reached March and spring flowers are at their stunning best to cheer us through, perhaps, the busiest part of the gardening year. Jobs to do All beds need a mulch both to retain moisture and to suppress those annoying annual weeds that need light to […]

Gardening Hints and Tips February 2020 16 January 2020
by Liz Kirton. Welcome to the start of the growing year, when seeds can be sown, potatoes prepared by chitting and the first flowers: daffodils, snowdrops, primroses, winter aconites and pulmonarias show some colour. February involves pruning many late flowering shrubs to encourage new flowering shoots, for example: A useful tip for Wisteria – 7 […]

December and January Gardening 1 December 2019
“In the bleak midwinter….ground as hard as iron, water like a stone”. This is a difficult time for plants: when water freezes in the ground they cannot replace water lost from the leaves. They have adapted by losing their leaves and becoming dormant, or by having waxy, waterproof leaves. In December Prune birches, Japanese […]

September gardening 9 September 2019
It has been a very changeable Summer weather-wise, but crops, on the whole, have been early to ripen and reasonably heavy in my patch. Summer flowers have put on a wonderful show and if you keep dead-heading, will go on for a few weeks more. Day lilies in my garden have flowered very well despite […]
Hints and tips for July and August 9 September 2019
All that planning and preparation is worth it in July and August. Now you can harvest raspberries, currants, gooseberries and freeze any surplus to cheer up winter menus. By the end of August, the apple and pear harvest can begin; these fruits can be stored on trays in newspaper. The lack of rain and heat […]

June Hints and Tips 3 June 2019
Talk about blowing hot and cold! This Spring has been so changeable, that it has made planning crops or splitting clumps of perennials very difficult to do successfully. In spite of last Summer’s drought, rhododendrons and azaleas are performing well in my garden, apart from the victims of salty spray from the road during the […]

Gardening in May 1 May 2019
29th April – 5th May is National Gardening Week There is nothing more rewarding to most gardeners than to see healthy, vigorous plants in their garden. BUT there are some plants that thrive too well and start to ‘take over’. In my garden, primroses have been a joy, but when they are seeding into the […]

Appletree Grafting and Free Lunch 24 April 2019
An apple-tree grafting workshop, available for Garden Society members and guests, is being held on Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th April 2019. Spaces are available at these events being held at the Church Crookham Memorial Orchard, FLEET, Hampshire. 10:00 – 15:30. This community initiative is free of charge and a light lunch will be provided […]
Spring Show 2019 18 April 2019
Awards Ian Watson Cup Gillian Rose Richard Constantine Cup Gillian Rose Daffodil Rosette Roger Greenhalgh Narcissus Rosette Sue Meek Floral Exhibit Rosette Liz Kirton Novice Rosette Gillian Rose Junior Cup (miniature garden) Jake Howard Photography and art Carolyn Greenhalgh
April Hints and Tips 1 April 2019
April is the month that inspires optimism in gardeners, I think. Plants that have been dormant for months start to show new growth, seeds are germinating and the risk of frost is minimal. Some of the most spectacular shrubs put on their show in April, including magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons and Forsythia – they will all […]

March Hints and Tips 17 March 2019
March is a month full of hope for gardeners; spring bulbs are out and you can get onto the soil on good days. The days reach equinox and the extended daylight stimulates growth of buds and seeds. The temperature is unreliable, so it is a good thing to have fleece or cloches ready for when […]

February Hints and Tips 2019 31 January 2019
In January, my garden is in a muddle. At least 17 different plant types are flowering: leftovers from last year, like Fuchsia, Abutilon and Hederantha, genuine winter flowerers like Helleborus, Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’, Iris unguiculata, winter jasmine and witchhazel, and Pulmonaria and primroses that think it is spring! It is difficult to predict how things […]
Chairman’s Message 2019 6 January 2019
CHURCH CROOKHAM GARDEN SOCIETY I am constantly amazed at just how quickly the months fly past albeit that is probably a symptom of getting older. Last year we had a record-matching heatwave that sucked much of the life out of the ground through to October bringing low yields in the vegetable garden but did wonders […]
Events 2019 6 January 2019
Trading Hut Open Saturdays 10:00 – 11:30h 9th February to 21st September 2019 Memorial Hall Car Park, Sandy Lane, Church Crookham GU52 8LD AGM, SOCIAL EVENING & QUIZ – free to members / £3 non-members FRIDAY 22nd February 2019 at 19:30h at The Willis Hall SPRING SHOW SATURDAY 6th APRIL 2019 Set Up 09:00 – […]

December Gardening 1 December 2018
December Gardening 2018 by Ewshot Gardener Most leaves of deciduous trees have fallen by now and you tidy gardeners will have swept them up and started the leaf mould process – you cannot buy leaf mould. Beech hedges will retain their dead leaves until Spring. Oak trees will continue to lose leaves and you can […]

Dates for 2019 24 November 2018
Trading Hut Open Saturdays 10 -11.30 am 9th February to 21st September – Memorial Hall Car Park, Sandy Lane GU52 8LD AGM, SOCIAL EVENING & QUIZ – free to members / £3 non-members FRIDAY 22nd February 2019 at 7.30pm at The Willis Hall SPRING SHOW – Saturday 6th APRIL 2019 Set Up 9.00 – 10.30am, Trophies at 12pm […]
November Gardening Tips 1 November 2018
The colour of trees in the garden and wider countryside turns to gold, red and bronze, quite lovely on a sunny day. The ground beneath looks gold plated. I am not fastidious about raking leaves up immediately – they will do no harm for several weeks and will provide food for worms. Left too long, […]

October Hints and Tips 30 September 2018
2018 has produced an extraordinary crop of top fruits and they have been ready to harvest from late August. o you have probably already stored the sound fruit in newspaper in a cool shed or garage. However, it has been too dry for autumn raspberries to thrive. I am so disappointed. Other jobs you […]
September Gardening Tips 14 September 2018
Here are your tips for September gardening. After a cold Spring, we have had a hot dry June and July 2018 and now a cool damp week. By the time you read this, we might be under water or in a desert! The hot weather hastened the ripening of apples and brought forward the harvesting […]
Harvest Supper 28th September 14 September 2018
Church Crookham Garden Society 7:30 Friday 28th September 2018 Crookham Memorial Hall Sandy Lane Church Crookham Bring a Plate of Food to Share Free to Members Non Members Adult £3 or Family £5

August Gardening Tips 31 July 2018
August Gardening By Ewshot Gardener In the vegetable garden, carrots, lettuce, spinach can still be sown and harvesting soft fruit, early potatoes, peas, broad beans and courgettes gives me great pleasure. However, the prolonged hot, dry spell has prevented soft fruit from swelling, so I shall have to wait for the autumn-fruiting raspberries. The other […]

July Gardening Tips 30 June 2018
In July, I mourn the end of the glorious riot of rambling roses on the pergola and get on with pruning out shoots that have flowered and tying in the vigorous new growth. The climbing roses will keep flowering if you keep dead-heading them. All is not lost, though. July is the month when herbaceous […]

June Gardening Tips 27 May 2018
June Gardening by Ewshot Gardener It has been a relief to have some exceptional warmth in early May, but the cold wet Spring has made germination patchy. Azaleas and rhododendrons are having a good year and primroses and Pulmonaria have been spectacular for weeks. These are jobs you could be doing in June, among others: […]

May Gardening Tips 27 April 2018
The advantage of the cold spring has been a much longer display of daffodils and primroses. The brief spell of warmth in mid April has finally brought tulips into flower. There were very few ready for the show on 7th April. BUT May is the month for bluebells, azaleas, apple blossom and all sorts of floral […]
Seed Offer 24 April 2018
Dobies catalogue is available to members at the trading shed. On production of your membership card, you will receive a catalogue containing an order form with a code you can use to get a discount on your order. The more people use the code, the larger the discount can be. – up to 50%!

April Gardening 28 March 2018
April Gardening by Ewshot Gardener After such a cold spell in February and the snow in March, it is reassuring to find that Spring flowers were not held back much and the slugs and snails were comatose for a bit longer! April sees the best of tulips, wallflowers and polyanthus; elegant magnolias, lush camellias and […]
March Gardening Tips 1 March 2018
We have reached March and spring flowers are at their stunning best to cheer us through, perhaps, the busiest part of the gardening year. Jobs to do • All beds need a mulch both to retain moisture and to suppress those annoying annual weeds that need light to germinate. • Remove the top 1 to […]

Dates for 2018 1 February 2018
Dates for 2018 Trading shed open on Saturday mornings from 10am to 11.30am from 10th February – 15th September. Annual General Meeting and quiz 9th March 7.30pm Spring Show 7th April Summer Show 8th September Harvest Supper 28th September, 7.30pm
February Gardening Tips 1 February 2018
Now the days are noticeably longer and in my garden, I can see bulbs and autumn-sown broad beans putting on a growth spurt in response to the day-length change. Shrubs and climbers are starting to grow new shoots, so now is the time to…. Thin out bamboo clumps by removing thin and overcrowded canes – […]

October Gardening 2 January 2018
by Ewshot Gardener in association with Church Crookham Garden Society Here we are, at the beginning of Autumn, the roar of leaf blowers and the scratch of rakes filling the air. I do hope those leaves will be composted to make leaf mould! Most of the harvesting is done: potatoes lifted and stored cool and […]
September Gardening 1 January 2018
by Ewshot Gardener in association with Church Crookham Garden Society September is a good time to look around your garden, taking photographs to remind you of both the triumphs and the disasters; for example, the Crocosmias and Erigerons in my herbaceous border fell over in July and crushed all beneath, so I need to move […]
January Gardening Tips 1 January 2018
Reasons to be Cheerful The shortest day has been and gone and the daily period of light has, almost imperceptibly, increased. The infra-red wavelengths penetrate the soil and activate enzymes, via chemicals called phytochromes, that start seeds and dormant plants growing. Witch hazel, Sarcococca, Daphne odora and mahonia are just some of the scented lowers […]

November Gardening 16 October 2017
November Gardening by Ewshot Gardener The colour of trees in the garden and wider countryside turns to gold, red and bronze, quite lovely on a sunny day. The ground beneath looks gold plated. I like to rustle through the colourful fallen leaves, so I am not fastidious about raking them up immediately – they will […]

Free RHS Wisley Visit 17th August 2017 6 July 2017
This year’s trip to the RHS Wisley is booked for Thursday 17th August. We plan to meet there, outside the cafe at the main entrance at 10.30am. This trip is free for Church Crookham Garden Society members. Cost of entry for non-members is £14 for adults and £7 for children (so it would be worth […]

Andy McIndoe’s Garden Visit 15 May 2017
Fleet Flower Club are running a coach to Andy McIndoe’s garden at Sherfield English about 4 miles from Romsey. He is the director of Hillier Garden Centres and has designed the Hillier Chelsea exhibit since 1989 with an unbroken record of Gold medals. Andrew writes and broadcasts regularly as well as lecturing throughout the UK […]

2017 Spring Show 7 April 2017
A good start to the year in weather terms saw an increase in entries for this year’s spring show and in particular, a greater number of entries in the Tulip Class was well represented due to the mild winter; writes Alec Grant. There was also a very good standard of entry across all classes and in particular […]
Summer Show Junior Sunflower Competition 4 April 2017
Calling all YOUNG GARDENERS. Church Crookham Garden Society is encouraging children to compete in their summer show for the Ryelaw Junior Cup (U17) and the Ryelaw Children’s Rosette (U7). This is an open class and can be entered free of charge by anyone. FREE Sunflower Seeds now available at our trading shed at the memorial […]

Day Visit to Hellebore Specialist March 2017 31 March 2017
Day Visit to Kapunda Plants, Hellebore Specialist Bath Church Crookham Garden Society organised a very interesting visit for members to Kapunda Plants, just south of Bath. The visit took place on Friday 31st March, 2017 with the group arriving just before 11:00h. The visit lasted about 1 and a half hours, and refreshments were provided […]
Spring Show 2017 29 March 2017
Church Crookham Garden Society Spring Show Saturday April 1st at The Memorial Hall, Sandy Lane Set up 9 -10.30 am Free entry for all from 11.15 am Trophies 12 noon Please see the handbook detailing which classes you can enter – members only. Click here to to view or download the members’ handbook detailing all […]
Events 2017 8 March 2017
Day Visit to Kapunda Plants, Hellebore Specialist Bath – 31st March 2017. There are two spare places for this visit, due to a cancellation. Church Crookham Garden Society is organising a visit to Kapunda Plants, just south of Bath. The visit is planned for Friday 31st March, 2017 arriving before 11:00h. The visit lasts about […]
Trading Hut Open 4 March 2017
There was a feeling in the air that Spring 2017 can’t be far away. The trading hut was back in business on a cool Saturday morning in March. But there was an occasional ray of sunshine and a queue of people lining up to purchase supplies for the new season. We were greeted by a […]

2017 Member’s Handbook 8 February 2017
The Church Crookham Garden Society is pleased to announce the publication of its 2017 Member’s Handbook. It includes all the information you need to know about the society and its many activities for 2017. To view or download the handbook, please visit the “About” section. CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 2017 It only seems like yesterday since I […]

BBC Gardener’s Question Time 16 July 2016
As part of Aldershot and District Allotment Association’s 2017 Centenary celebrations they announce the BBC Gardener’s Question Time team will be recording a session at the Princes Hall in Aldershot on January 16th. Starting at 17:30h. the event is, of course, open to all. Committee member Helen Williams has extended a special welcome to Church […]