Showing posts with label NGS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NGS. Show all posts

Saturday, 27 August 2016

The Village Show.

Village Show (2016)

64th Hanley Swan and Hanley Castle Village Show
& Car Boot
August Bank Holiday weekend – Saturday 27th August 2016
Hanley Swan Village Hall
Doors open at 1.30 pm

This Year’s Show 2016

We hope you are looking forward to one of the major social events in the village calendar, as we start the preparations for the show once again. This year we have a number of categories to celebrate our village, both in the photography, and literature, we do hope you find this interesting to challenge your talents.
The Plant Stall will be here again this year, where we sell donated plants and produce. So if you have any surplus produce from your garden, or spare plants you don’t want to overwinter, your donations would be very welcome. These can be left at the Village Hall on either the Friday afternoon or the Saturday morning of the show.
We will have the local group of musician’s back, 4Tunes, to provide us with some music to entertain; they gave such a lovely atmosphere to last year’s show. After the success of the limerick last year, we are keeping with the poetry theme, but asking for a simple poem about The Hanleys. Anything that inspires you about our beautiful village, be it social, humorous, or the countryside. Whatever represents our village life.

The Car Boot is on!

The annual clear out of your garage and loft is as popular as ever. The costs is £7 a boot. Access to the field on Saturday for Car Boots is from 12.00 onwards – but please remember the show itself opens at 1.30 pm.

Teas and Cakes

Wonderful refreshments and home made cakes will be available from 1.00 pm onwards courtesy of the kind volunteers from the Hanley Castle WI. The added bonus of Bacon Baps is also on the cards.     

            
From the Village Website

We endeavour to enter some classes in the show, although we do not grow anything specifically for the show bench, I usually also enter the photography sections.
We also encourage our two granddaughters to enter in the children's sections.

The stage is set with a table laden with cups donated by villagers over the 64 years of the show.
Staging of exhibits has to be completed by 10.30am when judging begins.





Some impressive onions...


...and leeks...


...the children's and photo classes.


One of the many floral art sections, this one with an Olympics theme 'Road to Rio'...


...this was the winning arrangement in the 'Your Majesty' section.


My David Howard dahlias didn't win a prize...


...happily Thomas A Edison won first in its class...


...and the Pelargonium 'Frank Hedley' won third.


My photo won first prize in the photography class 'The Hanleys', it is a view looking across the village pond towards the Swan Inn.


The real stars of the show for us were the grandchildren, below are some of their prize winning exhibits.
Louise's vegetable animal...


...art work...


...handicraft...


...miniature garden...


...and pizza.


Rebecca's vegetable owl...


... a heart birthday card in the children's art class...


...her miniature garden...


...and her necklace in handicraft, please read the note describing how she made it...


...and finally her cup cakes in terracotta pots promoting the NGS open gardens charity.


Rebecca won five firsts and one second with six entries.
Here receiving one of her many cups and rosettes.



This event is well supported both with village and outside competitors including some specialist growers. The majority are, like us, just doing it to support the show, it is a bonus if you win anything.
Congratulations should also go to the committee that organises the show, it is a huge amount of work.

Please click on any picture to create a slide show.



Sunday, 28 February 2016

The first NGS Garden Visit 2016

Looking through the new NGS Gardens to Visit book, for 2016, the only one open near us today was Court House in Warwickshire.
Despite as our neighbour said "it is a thin wind " we set off to visit with the promise of a winter garden and a cup of tea.

The description in the NGS book is:  "A 4 acre garden with yr-round interest and colour. Extensive and varied spring bulbs, and garden of winter interest. Herbaceous borders, spring beds, fernery, recently redesigned and restored walled kitchen garden. Rose garden, pond area and paddocks established with wild flowers."

The house is in a typical rural cotswold setting with the village church next door...


...the walled kitchen garden was very impressive with its box hedging and two rows of standard wisteria and pear trees, which must look wonderful when in flower...


...the topiary provided elements of classic structure along with some amusing features, such as this fox and hounds. 







These hedges, I thought, were a design triumph, copper beech with yew pillars...




Coppiced willows and dogwoods make a striking feature this time of year...


...especially here around the pool...


...I do like these dark leaved Bergenia...


...the ideal snail!


The winter garden colour came from a selection of trees with beautiful bark...


... coppiced Dogwoods, Willow and Pittosporum, I think Tom Thumb  ...



...all under planted with spring bulbs and different coloured Hellebores.


The orchard with a collection of chickens and fancy fowl...


...and some Herons?




In one corner a bench overlooking some colourful beds...




A raised bed leading down to the terrace. 


Seeking some warmth we entered the greenhouse to find this impressive Cestrum in full flower...


The owners had wisely decided not to provide teas, it was too cold to sit outside!
An impressive well thought out and maintained garden,
 setting a high standard for future NGS garden visits.
Well worth visiting again for their summer openings and tea.

Please click on any picture to create a slide show.