The start of a new year, time to plan what you want to do in your garden over the coming year. Look at seed catalogues and order which seeds you would like to sow. Wash pots and seed trays and clean the glass on your greenhouse. Plant bare-rooted trees and shrubs now. Cut back foliage of hellebores to show off their beautiful flowers.
‘Opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts…’ (Matthew 2:11)
I wonder what sort of gift-giver you are? Do you have creative ideas, effortlessly putting together fun, interesting and unique Christmas presents for your loved ones? Maybe you reflect on each person on your list and come up with perfectly personalised gifts? Perhaps you’re on the other end of the spectrum and pick up random items, in blind panic, on Christmas Eve? Most people are probably somewhere in the middle, working their way through a list of names and doing their best to find a meaningful gift.
As I have been re-reading the Christmas story this year the above words from the bible have stuck in my mind. They come from the story of the wise men who found the baby Jesus at the end of their journey. Filled with joy they bowed down, paid homage and opened their treasure-chests, and offered him gifts… The wise men lived in turbulent times and were overwhelmed with joy in finding the new king who would rule with God’s justice and bring peace.
[Read more…] about Christmas Message by Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford – 2023
Thank you for the crafters who are getting in the Christmas spirit in a creative way – with knitted or crocheted postbox toppers across Chandler’s Ford.
Many locals have shared their joy on spotting these on social media.
One of them features the words Chnadlers Ford u3a.
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Christmas Postbox Toppers on Display
Keep raking up those leaves from the lawn and borders. From now until the end of March is the time to plant any bare rooted trees, shrubs and roses. For fresh herbs, pot up mint and chives to ‘force’ on the kitchen windowsill.
Sharing with the community several local events and support groups.
The Fusion Choir 29.11.2023 at Dovetail Centre
Scratch (charity) Christmas Toys Collection
Chandler’s Ford Community Market on Saturday 09.12.2023 at Brownhill Centre
Show Off at Christmas 25.11.2023 at Dovetail Centre
Otterbourne Choir Club Love Actuallly 10.12.2023
Eastleigh Operatic and Musical Society (EOMS) Musical Winter Wonderland
The Sleeping Beauty Chameleon Theatre Company at Ritchie Memorial Hall 20-27 Jan 2024
Wessex Cancer Trust
Chandler’s Ford Cancer Support
Chandler’s Ford u3a
For more events, see the events page.
Jobs to do as winter approaches and the garden quietens. Rake up leaves on the lawn. Tie-in long whippy shoots of climbers and wall shrubs. Bare rooted roses can be planted now. Prune bush roses to prevent wind-rock and clear up any fallen rose leaves, especially if they suffered from black spot and rust, to reduce the chance of infection next year.
Plant tulip bulbs now, once other spring bulbs are in, thereby lessening their chance of being infected by the fungal disease Tulip blight. Fix grease bands on fruit trees to protect against winter moth. Spray peach and nectarine trees against peach leaf curl. [Read more…] about November Gardening Tips by Wellie
Chandler’s Ford Community Produce & Craft Market is back.
This Saturday – 4th November 2023 10am to 1 pm
At the Brownhill Community Centre (Age Concern Hall) behind the Co-op, Fryern Arcade
Free entry.
Local handmade crafts
Preserves, local honey, chutneys, jams and marmalades
Dog accessories
Cards
Jewellery
Flowers
Knitted goods
Local Authors…
Come and buy early Christmas presents made by fantastic people.
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Community Produce & Craft Market – Saturday 4th November 2023
Chandler’s Ford Community Produce & Craft Market is back.
Saturday 7th October 2023 10am to 1 pm
At the Brownhill Community Centre (Age Concern Hall) behind the Co-op, Fryern Arcade
Free entry.
Come and drop in and see your local crafters and producers.
Cut herbaceous perennials down to ground level when they have gone over, but leave any decent seed heads over winter for wildlife. Split and divide any overgrown clumps. Replace summer bedding with some bedding plants and bulbs that will give pockets of colour over the winter (primroses, violas, spring bulbs).
Bring in houseplants that were moved outside for the summer, before temperatures start to drop. Lift and divide congested clumps of perennials, once they have finished flowering. Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths and snake’s-head fritillaries. Take cuttings of fuchsias, pelargoniums and salvias.
Raise the cutting height on your mower so that lawns can cope better in the hot dry weather. Feed your lawn with a high phosphate feed which will strengthen the roots for the winter. Mow meadows now to help scatter established wildflower seeds. Water containers, new plants, rhododendrons and camellias. Continue deadheading faded blooms but consider leaving some seedheads for the birds to eat.
Cut back herbs now to encourage new growth which you can then harvest before any frosts. Trim lavender plants now. Keep harvesting vegetables as the are ready which will then encourage the plants to put energy into new vegetables. Pinch out the tips of climbing runner and French beans when they have reached the top of the frame they are growing on. [Read more…] about August Gardening Tips by Wellie
July is the month to really enjoy your garden, and to make a note of what might need splitting or moving in the Autumn. It can be very dry this month so prioritising this job should be top of your agenda followed by dead heading to keep your display of flowering plants looking great for longer.
If tall perennials are flopping a bit, put some stakes around them to help them and tie in and train any new growth on climbing plants. Give your beds, pots and baskets a feed which will help them to stay looking lush and healthy for longer. Prune early-summer flowering shrubs, such as Philadelphus, once they have finished flowering. Cut back flowered growth to a strong lower shoot and thin out up to a fifth of old, woody stems. [Read more…] about July Gardening Tips by Wellie
The Chameleon Theatre Company is an amateur dramatic group based in Chandlers’ Ford. It was established in 1965, and they stage four productions each year – three plays and a pantomime.
The next production is Lilies on the Land. Box Office is open.
Harvest early peas, and prepare for a late sowing to get an autumn crop. Thin fruit, especially apples and plums for bigger fruit,less biennial bearing and fewer broken branches. Sow lettuces and radishes to fill in any gaps between slower maturing vegetables such as brassicas. Net soft fruit bushes to stop the birds taking the fruit. Sow overwintering carrots, such as Autumn King’. Plant out leeks when they are pencil thick. Make a deep hole with a dibber and drop the leek into the hole, if the roots are very long they can be trimmed to roughly 2cm, do not push the soil around the plant, just pour water into the hole and let the earth fall around the plant.
After the extremely dry summer last year and the very cold temperatures we experienced back in December many plants are looking a little (perhaps an understatement for some plants!) dead. Plants I have noticed that have suffered are Pittosporum, hebes, Penstamon,Salvias, Rosemary, Bay and Choisya.
Have you been to Fryern Funtasia today? I hope you have enjoyed this event. This morning I went to Fryern Recreation Ground for a quick visit and this place has brought back some very fond memories. I used to go there with some of my friends and our children, but now our children have left home and my friends were elsewhere, so it did feel quite different and I even felt a tiny bit meloncholic. However it was wonderful to see some friendly faces, beutiful owls, really fluffy dogs, and lots of happy children. It was very lovely to see many local groups such as Scouts, Girlguiding, Boys’ Brigade, Lions Club, Stroke support group, Churches Together….. local businesses such as Peter Green and Gair Gas and many others.
The weather can be very changeable, it can be warm and sunny during the day, but the temperatures can still really drop over night.
Plant out second early potatoes in the first two weeks and main crops in last two weeks of April. Carry on sowing vegetables directly into prepared soil including carrots, turnip, peas, broadbeans, spinach and lettuce. Sow tender courgettes, cucumbers and pumpkins indoors. [Read more…] about April Gardening Tips by Wellie
Knitted postbox toppers are appearing around Chandler’s Ford. Have you seen them? These have brought a lot of smiles.
Chandler’s Ford u3a is celebrating its 25th Anniversary by erecting 25 toppers in Chandler’s Ford. Thank you Jill Mayes for sharing these photos.
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford u3a Celebrating 25th Anniversary
Chandler’s Ford Community Produce & Craft Market is back.
Saturday 11 th March 2023 10am to 1 pm
At the Brownhill Community Centre (Age Concern Hall) behind the Co-op, Fryern Arcade
Free entry. Lots of local crafters and producers. There will also be two Ukrainian crafters selling their exquisite products.
Woodwork
Soap
Wax melts
Honey
Marmalades
Chutneys
Jams
Books (local Authors)
Doggy bits
Flowers (orders for Mother’s Day)
Cards
Gifts for every occasion
Come and drop in and see us
Your local crafters and producers
[Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Community Produce & Craft Market – Saturday 11th March 2023
March can be a busy time in the garden, as Spring begins you will notice the busy activity of bird in your garden building their nests. To help them out tie up bunches of tiny twigs, moss and stringy plant material around your garden.
Hedgehogs and frogs begin to come out of hibernation this month, make sure there is availability of water and food for them.
Lift and divide overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials that were not split in the Autumn. [Read more…] about March Gardening Tips by Wellie
