Gardening Group

Friday 12th June, 2026

It’s always a delight to walk through the woodlands at this time of year and discover both gardens at their absolute best. Bursting with colour, fragrance and healthy growth, they are a wonderful attraction for visitors and a testament to the dedication and hard work of our volunteers.

But this month (June) we had an extra incentive to give them a tidy, as the London In Bloom judge would be visiting on the 18th to consider us the Neighbourhood and Community categories, and we want to do well!

Scabious and foxglove, and a giant weed that we missed last session.

At this session, our eleven volunteers divided their efforts between the two gardens. The grass had already been cut and the beds neatly edged in preparation, allowing the team to focus entirely on managing the plants. Following a spell of mixed weather, with hot sunshine interspersed with welcome (if occasionally over energetic) rain, growth throughout both gardens has been exceptionally vigorous.

In Castle Wood Rose Garden, the volunteers dead-headed the roses, trimmed the underplanting, weeded the beds and carried out much-needed path clearance on the access slope from the woodland. This has improved both the appearance and accessibility of the garden, making it even easier for visitors to enjoy the stunning displays.

Meanwhile, in Jackwood, flowers and herbs were thinned and slightly trimmed back in places - we want to keep our thick jungle, but some of our plants are inclined to squash their neighbours. Hazel binder supports were installed to provide extra stability for taller plants as they continue to flourish throughout the summer. The recent wind and rain has been hard on plants like the tansy and the tarragon - several had got quite horizontal.

Tansy, fennel, meadow rue and tarragon are all getting as tall as our volunteers

The gardens’ impressive display certainly did not go unnoticed. Many passers-by stopped to admire the planting, explore the gardens and chat with the volunteers about their work. It is always rewarding to hear such enthusiastic praise from the community and to see so many people enjoying these beautiful woodland gardens.

Visitors stopped to chat and ask the names of several plants.