28th May

Village Fete – June 7^th 2pm

We will have a stall at the village fete again this year. I am growing, amongst other plants, some Italian tomatoes, various interesting cucumbers and a few herbs that we use at home. If you think you could pot on a few surplus veggies or plants, please bring them along just before 2pm, and we’ll put them on the stall. We split the proceeds equally between the Church, the School and the Village Hall.

Coffee & Cake is next at the Village Hall on Saturday 13^th June from 1000 to 1130. The seed and book swap will be available, and I will bring along a few seedlings (should there be any leftover from the Village Fete!)

Plane Tree makeover

Alex has had the old bench sandblasted and re-painted. He has also been able to use some of the walnut from the tree that was cut down to replace the seat and the back rest. We’ll try to get it re-installed soon.

Herb of the month – Coriander

The June warmth encourages quick growth. Sow it successionally every few weeks for a continuous summer harvest. The fresh, clean flavour really enhances dishes, and it especially pairs well with spicy food.

Jobs for June

After a real blast of heat very recently, the garden is really into top gear. It’s no so much the high daytime temperartures, it is the ‘warm’ nights, that have really got things going. You can now plant out all your seedlings.

Beetroot, radish, lettuce and other salad crops can be planted, but try to avoid all-day sun, as this tends to make leaves taste bitter.

Also, beans (French and runner), peas and sweetcorn can now be planted directly into beds.

Make sure you have plenty of bamboo sticks, as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas and other climbers need support.

It’s also ‘after dark with a head torch’ time – try to catch the slugs at your veg early as they do breed when well fed and watered! They can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime, and they can hatch within a fortnight, so it’s important to get ahead of them. Nemasys from Amazon are nematodes that provide natural biological protection against slugs. It’s best applied in spring and autumn, but does work in the summer if you apply it shortly after some heavy rain.

Water tomatoes and peppers regularly. This prevents the brown end rot you can get on the fruit if the tomatoes sense flood then drought then flood again.

The Generous Gardener

Lectures continue at Rodmarton Manor and Gardens near Cirencester in Gloucestershire on Thursday 4^th June, featuring Rosy Hardy “Attracting beneficial insects through seasonal perennials” and Rahel Golding Barrett of the Tetbury Flower Compnay, talking about Dahlias.

National Garden Scheme (NGS)

Rooksnest, at Ermin Street is open on the 24^th of June, from 11 – 3,30pm. It is near Lambourn, and entrance is £6.

Also open on the 24^th June is the Old Rectory at Farnborough (Oxfordshire) from 2-5pm. Entrance is £7.

Finally, the 24^th June is a busy day, because Preston Farm (1 mile before Aldbourne) is open from 12-4pm. Entrance is £8. This is Bear Grylls’ place, and the entrance is just by the Toll Cottage on the B4192. The Hungerford and District Gardening group are visiting this garden from 12pm

Check the ngs.org.uk website for more, where you’ll find gardens all over the country!

24th March

Plane Tree maintenance
I’ll be doing a tidy up of the plane tree on Saturday 28th March at 10am, weather permitting. For brightening shady spots, I’m planning on some shade-loving begonias, impatiens for non-stop colour, and some lobelia. These plants thrive in low-light, offering vibrant colours for beds. Can you think of anything else that might go well?

Herb of the month – Parsley
Not the easiest to grow from seed, but frankly, it enhances just about any dish you care to put it into. Nutrient dense, packed with vitamins A, C & K, good for bone-health, immune function and eyesight. I’ve just returned from Italy where they have a saying about someone who seems to be everywhere and always involved in everything – “sei come il prezzemolo”, meaning “you are like parsley”. It’s used in countless dishes, such as seafood, soups, vegetable and pasta sauces and salads. They use the flat leaf variety (which we refer to as Italian parsley) as a staple, far more than just a garnish. It is frequently paired with garlic, as it balances the intensity of the garlic. From a gardeners’ viewpoint, it is slow to germinate (4 weeks plus), and the success rate greatly reduces if the seed is more than one year old. The seeds have a thick husk, so benefit from being soaked in warm water for 24 hours before planting and then kept within a temperature range of about 15-20C – too cold or too hot will slow/stop the germination. The soil should have plenty of organic matter, be moist, not wet, and the seeds sown very shallowly (about 5mm beneath the surface), into a very fine tilth. Sowing indoors definitely improves your chances of success. Plenty of sunshine once the seedlings emerge will prevent legginess. I’ll have some spare seeds at the next coffee morning, so let’s swap!

Garden tidy up at the Churchyard
Susi & I have been talking about roses for the churchyard. We hope to get some areas cleared which will allow for some fresh plantings, to try and give the churchyard a little bit more colour in the summer. There are a few hurdles to jump before we can start, but I’ll keep you posted.

Kiftsgate Garden
The beautiful Kiftsgate Gardens re-open at the start of April, initially on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. It’s about 90 minutes from down-town Chilton Foliat, to just northeast of Broadway in the Cotswolds. A nice day out would be to potter around the countryside, end up at the Swan Inn on the green in Broadway (other pubs available!) for lunch, and then hit Kiftsgate after 2pm. Coincidentally, the Generous Gardener has a lecture day at Rodmarton on the 16th April at which the two senior gardeners of Kiftsgate will give a talk on the garden. Link to the Generous Garden via Garden Lecture Days in Cirencester – The Generous Gardener and to Kiftsgate via Garden Map.

Garden Lecture Days in Cirencester – The Generous Gardener
Our garden lecture days in Cirencester are held in the historic Arts and Crafts Manor House at Rodmarton.

Jobs for March
-If you haven’t chitted your potatoes, it’s not too late. Just remember the ideal conditions – light and cool, but warmer than an unheated greenhouse (i.e. above 7 Celsius). Plant first earlies from now on, about 5 inches (12cm) deep. Dig the hole deeper, add a handful of well-rotted manure, or chicken manure pellets, then a layer of soil, then the tuber, with the chits up. The roots will grow down into the nutrients, without the nitrogen-rich manure burning the potato.

-Prune buddleia to a relatively low framework as this will encourage new growth.

-If you haven’t pruned your roses yet, it might be too late!

-Group 3 clematis (late-flowering), should be pruned back hard now. Group 2 needs a light pruning, and Group 1 I very lightly prune, but if I do, I do it after it has flowered in early summer.

-It’s not too early to plant summer-flowering bulbs, corms and tubers, such as lilies (big fan, plant them deep), gladioli, dahlias (must protect from frost), crocosmia (sun or light shade), freesias (full sun) and nerines.

Hungerford and District U3A have a visit to West Green House Garden, Thackham’s Lane, Hartley Wintney, Hook, RG27 8JB on Wednesday 29th April. The idea is that you make your own way there, to arrive at 11amand meet at the tearoom. This described as “A magical Garden”, voted the best walled garden by the Daily Telegraph. West Green House Garden has been famed for its spectacular display of colourful tulips, with April being the perfect time for a visit. Entrance costs £12.00, RHS & NT members free.

National Garden Scheme (NGS)
A local garden is open on the 22nd of April from 1100 – 1530. It is Rooksnest, at Ermin Street, Lambourn, and entrance is £6. It also opens on the 24th of June.
Also well worth a visit, is the Old Rectory at Farnborough (the one in Oxfordshire, not the one with the air show!) on 12th April, 10th May, 24th June and 29th July. Entrance is £7.
Check the ngs.org.uk website for more.

If you know of any upcoming events / shows / gardens / nurseries etc. that may be of interest to other Forkers, please send me an email, and I’ll add them to the diary.
Happy forking!
Nick

26th February

Gardeners’ Question Time

A solid review of the Fire Regulations has allowed us to increase the hall’s capacity to over 100 (the threshold for a GQT application), and I have submitted the forms – watch this space!

Plane Tree maintenance

I’m hoping that the owner of the Rectory is happy for us to tidy up the area at the foot of the plane tree, and I’d like to propose a working party on Saturday 28^th March at 10am, weather permitting. If you could please let me know if you would be happy to give an hour or two to help tidy up, I’d be grateful. I’ll get some annuals to plant around the base – what would you like to see there, bearing in mind that there will be quite a lot of shade? I’m also working on a plan to put down some hard standing from the pavement to in front of the information board, so that the board can be read without getting muddy feet.

Garden tidy up at the Churchyard

Ronna & I met with Rev Beth Hutton and Churchwarden Peter Camfield on 8^th February to discuss various options for adding a bit more colour and a having a re-think in the Churchyard. It has been well maintained by volunteers on a monthly basis, but would benefit from a strategic makeover, and some serious tree pruning. We hope to get some areas cleared which will allow for some fresh plantings, to try and give the churchyard a little bit more colour in the summer.

Home – Plant fairs
Charity Plant Fairs in the South West, an opportunity for the public to buy direct from professional growers of…
Kennaway House, Coburg Road, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 8NG, 7th March 2026 10am – 3pm
Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA, 21st March, no timings, free admission
Mapperton House, Nr Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3NR, 19th April: 10 – 4, £5
East Lambrook Manor Garden, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5HH, 26th April, £?

There are others later in the year, check the website above for more details and dates.

And what’s better than a plant fair….?
Rare Plant Fairs (Home – Rare Plant Fair )
There are several this year around the south of England, and I list the earlier ones below. Some are easily doable in a day, and some are a decent drive away, but if you turn it into a cheeky weekend, it could make for a nice diversion!
The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset 15 March 2026: 10am – 4pm £9
Evenley Wood Garden, Northamptonshire, 21 March 2026: 10am – 4pm £9.50
The Old Rectory at Quenington, Nr Cirencester, 12 April 2026: 11am – 4pm Cash only, £8
Salthrop House, Wroughton, Nr. Swindon, 10 May 2026: 11am – 4pm £8
American Museum and Gardens, Bath, 17 May 2026: 10am – 5pm £10-12
Kingston Bagpuize House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, 24 May 2026: 11am – 4pm £8
High Glanau Manor, Lydart, Monmouthshire, 31 May 2026: 11am – 4pm £7
Waterperry Gardens, Nr. Oxford, 07 June 2026: 10am – 4pm £12.95
Again, there are others later in the year, check the website above for more details and dates.

Hungerford and District U3A have a visit to The Courts Garden at Holt, Trowbridge on the 25th of March. The idea is that you make your own way there, to arrive at 11am for a coffee. Courts is described as a delightful English garden which has a lovely arboretum with wonderful species trees and spring bulbs. It is a National Trust property, so if you’re not a member, entrance costs £15.40.

Jobs for February
Buy seed potatoes before choice becomes limited. Chit them in a cool, brightly lit spot, e.g. a garage windowsill. Prop them up in an egg box with the ‘eye’ (end with most buds) uppermost to encourage earlier sprouting. I got mine from ‘the potato house’ this year.
Check all netting over winter veg, before pigeon activity increases as weather warms.
Sow hardy, cut-and-come-again leafy veg in the greenhouse. Wait for tender crops like tomatoes, as they’ll get too big too quickly.
I’ve had an infestation of greenfly on my roses already, so keep your eyes open for the bugs!
February is your last chance to clear and clean your greenhouse, ready for spring. Warm water, a sponge and a stiff brush for the staging is generally all you need. Come summer, you’ll also thank yourself for spending a wet February day on a good tidy up of your shed, garage or tool store too!

RHS Badminton Flower Show
Final reminder about the Hungerford U3A trip to the Badminton Show on 9th July. The coach will pick us up right here in downtown Chilton Foliat. Check the January newsletter for the details, but if you want to go, you’ll have to act right away, as the closing date is upon us! U3A members only.

29th June

Thanks to all the members who generously contributed to the plant stall at the Village Fete, and particularly to Derek & Emma for manning the stand. Almost £100 was raised towards an excellent cause. 

Those plants that didn’t sell then went to the School Fete, so we were able to help two pillars of the village!

A couple of members have recommended Buscot Park, a late 18th century house, set in enchanting landscaped grounds at Faringdon, Oxford, SN7 8BU.  

It is a National Trust property, open in the afternoons (2pm – 6pm), and is a 45 minute drive from Chilton Foliat.

Just because the main planting season is behind us, there’s plenty that can still be started off.  Time to plant (from seed) gherkins, fennel and sprouting turnip, for example.  

Try some mixed microgreens, and some other salad crops as part of successional planting (radish, lettuce, spinach, basil, coriander, rocket).

1st May

Visits

We had a lovely morning out at a very well supported to Yew Tree Garden centre. They had a huge selection of seedlings and plants, and we came away with full boots!

The Shalbourne Plant sale was very good, and I got some nice plants and veggies at excellent prices.

Liz and Peter Camfield have been to Cerney House near Cirencester, and report that it was lovely, and will be even prettier when their roses are out and the Laburnum arch is in flower. They have a huge kitchen garden and an ‘honesty’ tearoom’.

Diary Events

The Village Fête will be held in the churchyard on Sunday 8^th June, between 2pm and 5pm. The Forkers will have a stand where we will sell our surplus plants and veggie, with all the proceeds going to the Church Fund. ‘Unfortunately’ Nick will be away doing some garden research in, er, the South of France, but Derek has very kindly agreed to man (or is that ‘person’?) the stall in my absence. If you have any spare plants or veggies that you could donate, please bring them along, as close to opening time as you can, so that Derek can sell them.  Please make sure that your your items are labelled, so that people know what they are getting!

The diary is attached, but as a reminder, June’s Coffee & Cake has been postponed until June 18th due to a funeral.

I know this will interest a few members; there are several rare plant s sales coming up:2025 Rare Plant Fair Dates – Rare Plant Fair

If you know of any upcoming events / shows / gardens / nurseries etc. that may be of interest to other Forkers, please send Nick an email, and they will be added to the diary.

Chilton Foliat Open Gardens

If you haven’t let Vicky know about your garden availability for the Open Gardens Day in July, please do so, as she is finalising the list.

30th March

Plant Sale

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 2nd April at 1000 – 1100 at the Village Hall Coffee & Cake morning. There will be a plant / seed swap (as well as book swap) at this meeting. It might be a bit early for swapping seedlings or plants, but if you have used half a packet of seeds that might expire before next year, why not bring them along a make a swap?

We had a good outing to Penwood earlier in March, and came back with a boot full of good value, good quality plants, shrubs and a tree! Next outing 16th April (see below).

Trip to Kew Gardens

Barnes Coaches have arranged a visit to Kew Gardens on 29th May, £52, entry is included. Pick up is at 09.55 am from the Bear Hotel in Hungerford, and there will be plenty of time there to explore, return at about 7 pm. Book through Barnes Coaches if you fancy the day out.

New trees planted

The Parish Council have planted some new trees in Popham Close, which I will photograph 2 or 3 times a year to mark and record their growth.

17th March

Plant Sale

We are hoping to have a table for selling plants in the churchyard during the Open Gardens day.

This will go alongside a welcome glass of Pimms!

So any offers nearer the time will be great.

Ronna

Book Swap

The Book Swap got off to a excellent start. It will be available again at the next Village Hall Coffee & Cake meeting on Wednesday 2nd April, so you can bring any surplus gardening books you have, and swap them for something else. Our ‘bookcase’ is the one in the middle.

Plant Swap

Ali has kindly agreed for us to try some plant swapping (as well as book swapping), for the next two coffee mornings on 2nd April and 3rd May. We’ll have a separate table (no tablecloth!) so we can bring in any spare or surplus seedlings or plants. Please make sure that every pot or tray is labelled so that members know what they’re getting!!

Wisley

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough support for our trip to RHS Wisley on 7^th April, so it has been cancelled.

RHS Malvern Show & BBC Gardeners’ World Live

The Ramsbury Horticultural Society have also cancelled their two trips out, which were to be operated by Barnes coaches. However, these trips are still operating, but not with a Ramsbury pickup. Book directly through the Barnes website:

Malvern Show – 11^th May, £56, pickup in Swindon

Kew Gardens – 29^th May, £49, pickup from the Bear Hotel in Hungerford at 0955

BBC Gardeners World, NEC – 15^th June, £55, pick up in Swindon

Hampton Court Palace Show – 3^rd, 4^th & 5^th July, £69, pickup at Chieveley at 0830