How did we do it? Who knows, as it was Fathers’ Day and blazing hot, but still people came to see the nine gardens and force down the tea and cakes.
Here’s a sample of what they saw…
It’s that time again – Alhampton Open Gardens is coming up fast – come and look around this year’s selection on Sunday 12th June, see how Haddon Wood is progressing, check out the photographic display in the Chapel and then recover with a cup of tea and piece of cake.
Parking this year will be in the Orchard field behind the Chapel in No Through Road and tickets (including map), available this year from the Chapel itself. BA4 6PZ.
Well, you have to, don’t you! …You don’t?… Well, we’re there all the same. Look for Haddon Wood, Alhampton, Somerset
Weary, but oh, so worth it, at the end of a long day of Open Gardens, didn’t our gardeners, cake bakers, signmakers, ticket sellers – all brought together by Hil – do us proud! It’s too late to write anything sensible and considered but here’s a taster…
…and here’s a selection of Rose Hubbard’s pictures from the day. It’s good to have an official photographer on the committee!
…and finally, the good news, from Hil…
Once again we used this as a fund-raising opportunity for Haddon Wood, and on 7 June we were blessed with three things: weather, the results of advertising on a free website, and Monty Don’s reference to Somerset having great gardens to visit. All that meant more visitors than we’ve ever seen, and a total profit of over £1660! A lot of people put in a great deal of effort and it was well worth it. If you’ve never come along to this, we’ll be doing it all again next year; we do have some different gardens each time (and some everyone always wants to see). If you’re not keen on gardens, come for the tea and cake – delicious! We’re building an excellent fund for taking us into leasing, and allowing us to do some things as we go along.
It doesn’t seem all that long since the last Open Gardens day in Alhampton – particularly, no doubt, to the hard working people allowing us to invade their privacy – but here we are again! Gert Schley and Charles Dowding are opening again, but to ring the changes and spread the load, the others are all different from last year.
With parking and tickets at The Alhampton Innn, by kind permission of the landlords (sat nav – BA4 6PY), we have 10 gardens to see for only £5, plus our ever popular teas. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?
Haddon Wood is a magical place at any time of the year, but more so when covered in frost. Here are a few recent pictures from my visit and hoping we have more frosts soon!
So it’s finally arrived – the very last planting of the native broadleaves, delayed until now because of construction of the pond. There are around 200 left, all heeled in at the end of the March planting by Gert in his garden (did you spot them on open gardens day? Bet you didn’t!) They’re alders and willows, so they’re appropriate for round the pond which is where we’ll be planting – on the eastern and southern perimeter at the bottom of the bank up to the pond (if you use our site maps, the pond is in field 4 and the plan showing the pond needs updating as the pond is further north and east than shown).
If you’d like to come along and help, please bring a spade as we don’t have many spares! If you haven’t done this before, no previous experience required as there’ll be someone to show you exactly what to do. In fact, please find either Gert or Nick for a planting demo. Join us and you can tell your children and grandchildren that you were part of the creation of our fantastic wood.
If you need to drive, please park in the Castle Cary Rugby Club car park (BA7 7PF). Turn right as you walk out and use the pedestrian gate into the wood across the road on your left as you walk away from Castle Cary. Follow the hedgerow which runs alongside the road and you’ll find us.
Hope to see you there!
