News
Veg talk at Poundbury!
Budding vegetable growers are invited to come along to Poundbury Gardens to learn more about the tricks of the trade when growing veg!
A free talk on Tuesday 22nd April at 2.30pm will cover everything from growing perfect peas to building raised beds and when to harvest.
“The veg growing season is getting into full swing and more and more people are turning over a corner of their gardens to grow a few rows of potatoes, carrots or salad crops. I’ll be giving some really sensible advice on how to get the most out of a small space, but experienced gardeners are also welcome to come along as there is always something new to learn,” said James Foster-Pegg.
Poundbury Gardens, Peverell Avenue, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3RT
Contact: James Foster-Pegg at Poundbury Gardens, Tel 01305 257250.
Each little bird that sings
The birds in the churchyard at St Catherine’s Church, Montacute are being well tended by 11 year old Grace Furney from Montacute who attends All Saints Primary School in the village. Grace appealed in the Montacute village magazine for help in feeding the birds and Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil was happy to help with bird feeding equipment and food.
Julie Furney, Grace’s mum explained “Grace seems to have a way with all creatures great and small, but recently when a robin landed on her arm as she was tidying the garden, she decided to do all she could to encourage the birds to visit the churchyard opposite our home in Montacute. She wrote an appeal for the magazine and was thrilled when Brimsmore Gardens offered to help; in fact she hardly slept the night before the bird equipment was delivered.”
Brimsmore Gardens donated bird feeding equipment to Grace including a feeding post which is in keeping with the historic surroundings, different feeders for nuts and seeds with big bags of food to top them up, a special woven cone feeder filled with fat and seeds, and a bird box with a natural slate roof to match the local buildings!
Adam Wallis, Manager at Brimsmore Gardens said: “We are always pleased to help children when they show an interest in their natural surroundings and in particular we encourage children to get involved with the outdoors. Grace is already a keen gardener and she understands that birds are an important part of a garden so we are really delighted to help.”
Grace has so far seen her regular robin visitor, finches, blue tits and long tailed tits, thrushes and an acrobatic squirrel on her feeders. “I have included lots of different seeds and nuts in the feeders and watch the birds as they choose which type of food they are going to eat. The chaffinches really love the Nyger Seeds and the Blue Tits hang upside down eating the peanuts and other seeds. It’s lovely to watch them early in the morning when they must be really hungry and thirsty. The churchyard has lots of trees and shrubs so they can catch insects too and find worms, which is really important.”
For further information please contact Adam Wallis at Brimsmore Gardens, Tel 01935 411000. For further press information please contact Joanne Myram at Positive PR on Tel 01935 389497. (099) April 2008
A little packet bursting with thanks – free of charge
Since the fire at Castle Gardens on 13th March, the Centre has been a hive of activity. Within 36 hours the doors were open and it was business as usual. One of the first things Mike Burks realised was that the seed ranges had not been completely damaged but the packaging was a little smoky!
“We have had complete fresh ranges of seeds delivered but there are hundreds of packets of seeds which are perfectly ‘growable’ and we’d very much like children to come in and have some free of charge,” explained Mike. “We’d especially welcome schools or playgroups as we are always happy to support new gardeners. As well as flowers, we have packets of carrot seed, beans, peas and all other types of vegetable seeds and hopefully lots of people will grow them and enjoy the resulting fresh produce.”
Each day since the fire, thousands of new plants, boxes of equipment and tools, and all manner of gardening necessities have been arriving. The Centre had a very busy Easter with hundreds of familiar customers coming and offering support.
After the fire, which has caused considerable damage to both the shop and the greenhouse, Mike and the team have been overwhelmed with kindness from the local community. “As well as hundreds of cards, letters and telephone calls, we have been contacted by loyal customers who have even offered to help rebuild the Centre!
A pile of letters arrived from Sherborne Primary School and a generous letter of support from Sherborne Abbey was also very kind. The best thing of all is that our team has been amazing. We have restocked and re-arranged and it’s amazing what you can achieve when everyone pulls together. The clear-up begins in the next few days we’ll all feel like a big corner has been turned,” said Mike.
Castle Gardens’ team opens the doors within 48 hours of fire
On the evening of Thursday 13th March, a fire broke out at Castle Gardens, Sherborne and as a result extensive damage was caused to the main greenhouse at the Garden Centre. The enormous efforts of the team at Castle Gardens will enable business to continue on the run up to Easter – one of the busiest times of the year for the Centre.
“Of course we are all devastated and shocked by the fire but we are extremely thankful that no one was physically injured. The team of fire fighters, who arrived from several stations, worked through the night, as did the police force, and they were all magnificent. By morning we could all see the damage and I must admit it looked a very sad sight, but we all laughed when the resident cats came to have a look too. Although the damage to the building is severe, we are now looking forwards as gardeners always do. Our aim is to open the doors on Saturday 15th March so that our customers are not inconvenienced at one of the most important growing times of the year for gardeners,” explained Mike Burks, MD of The Gardens Group.
“Our suppliers have been really supportive and we’ve had dozens of calls from our customers offering help. We are all grateful for this kindness and can only say please do come and see for yourself how much we have been able to sort out in a very short space of time,” said Mike Burks.
Empty your shed of ‘Tired Tools’ and help Tools with a Mission Charity
Gardeners are invited to brush off their old spades, forks and hoes and bring them in to Poundbury Gardens (Dorchester), Castle Gardens (Sherborne) and Brimsmore Gardens (Yeovil) where they will be given a new lease of life by the charity Tools with a Mission.
“Over the weekend of 15th and 16th of March, we are inviting gardeners to bring in any tools which may be suitable for refurbishing and in return we’ll give 25% discount off any new gardening tools purchased. The old tools will be given to Tools with a Mission, who will then clean them up and replace any worn parts before giving them to projects overseas,” said James Foster-Pegg, of Poundbury Gardens.
Poundbury Gardens has a full list of events throughout the year including;
A willow weaving course on 1st March, buffet lunch is included (£25 per person – limited spaces)
A children’s potting bench on Mothering Sunday 2nd March
The Love of Birds - talks by the RSPB at 2.30pm on 8th and 9th March
A talk on Pests and Diseases at 2.30pm on Tuesday 18th March
An Easter Egg Hunt and quizzes with prizes on Easter Weekend (closed Easter Sunday)
An Art Exhibition by local artist Caroline Niarin on 29th and 30th March
A full list of events and talks is available from Poundbury Gardens and bookings can be made by calling 01305 257250.
Generous support of local people raises over £2,000
Big hearted people in Dorset and Somerset have helped to raise over £2,000 by buying small bags of reindeer food on the run up to Christmas. The money, which will help to support the vital work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, was presented to Audrey Williams, regional fundraising manager for the Trust in the South West region.
“This is a fabulous amount and we are so grateful to Anne Hall of Castle Gardens, and her team who have worked so hard to make and sell the reindeer food bags. Every week five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis and three young lives are lost to the illness which affects over 8,000 people in the UK. The money raised will go towards the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, in particular it will help the research we are carrying out into gene therapy. This is crucial research which is at an important stage,” said Audrey Williams.
Anne Hall, who is well known at Castle Gardens, has a young son who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. Together with two other mums, also with children who have the illness, Anne made tiny bags of wheat and glitter to sell on the run up to Christmas as reindeer food. In fact £2,220.25 was raised at the three garden centres in The Gardens Group (Castle Gardens, Brimsmore Gardens and Poundbury Gardens).
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK’s only national charity dealing with all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis and if you would like to help please contact Audrey on 0845 8591036.
Merry mulching with The Gardens Group
This January, Castle Gardens has collected at least 200 Christmas trees free of charge from residents in and around Sherborne, plus another 200 have been brought back to the garden centre to be recycled. Each tree has been chipped and turned into mulch which will be used throughout the garden centre to retain moisture or to add to composting bins.
Robin Burks, logistics manager at Castle Gardens explains; “Customers who bought real trees from us in December were offered the option of having their trees collected free of charge for recycling and we are thrilled to bits that so many of them took us up on the offer. In total we have chipped over 400 trees and that’s an awful lot of mulch. We are grateful to Landpower Machinery of Templecombe who kindly loaned us the powerful chipper for the purpose.”
The Gardens Group is constantly looking at ‘greener’ ways to do business within the three garden centres. In addition to chipping Christmas trees for mulching, the garden centres collect and reuse rain water, compost as much material as possible, recycle cardboard, plastic and glass, and at Poundbury Gardens, use wooden pallets as fuel to heat greenhouses.
February Events at Poundbury Gardens
Poundbury Gardens – Talks and Events
February 2008
Tuesday 5th February 2.30pm
FREE TALK on Seed sowing and propagation
Top tips on easy seed sowing and getting the garden started!
Saturday 9th February 10.30 – 3.30
Hands on pruning of overgrown shrubs
The session will start indoors with some theory on pruning overgrown shrubs with the main focus of the day being hands on pruning around the grounds of the garden centre. Participants to bring own secateurs, garden gloves and warm outdoor clothing including wet weather gear if needed.
Cost £25.00 per person, buffet lunch included.
Tuesday 12th February 2.30pm
FREE TALK on Houseplant selection and care
Top tips on choosing and keeping your houseplants looking good!
Sat/Sun 16th/17th February
Houseplant Weekend
For this weekend we are opening our potting bench so you can come and re-pot your plants and also having a TRADE-IN on houseplants where you can bring in a tired plant and buy a new one with 25% OFF. Experts will be on hand to help and advise.
Tuesday 19th February 2.30pm
FREE TALK on Young plants and pricking out/potting on
Top tips on selection and handling and growing these baby plants!
Sat/Sun 23rd/24th February
Furniture Preview Weekend
Come and see the new ranges of outdoor leisure and benefit from discounts and special offers for
this weekend only – FREE delivery within 25 miles
Tuesday 26th February 2.30pm
FREE TALK on Top tips for great results later on
Top tips on all the things you need to do in the garden for fantastic results throughout the year!
Poundbury Garden recognised in national environmental award scheme
Poundbury Garden Centre recognised in national environmental award scheme
Poundbury Gardens, based in the heart of Poundbury, Dorchester, has been recognised for its outstanding environmental credentials in a national award scheme. The National Garden Retail Awards, which are a focus for the garden centre industry, short-listed Poundbury Gardens for an award in the category ‘Best Environmental Practise’.
“Since the very beginning, when we first saw the old Poundbury Farm, which is now the garden centre and restaurant, we were totally committed to using sustainable building methods to sympathetically convert the buildings. We worked closely with the Duchy of Cornwall and with the contractors to make sure that every aspect of the development was handled sensitively. Our environmental commitment started from day one when old walls, tiles, windows and doors were all kept as part of the new garden centre. Wherever possible we kept the original structures and fittings – but at the same time we researched the very best new technology to kit out the centre with energy saving devices. So Poundbury Gardens is really a combination of new and old – an example of how existing buildings can go a long way towards being as environmentally sound as newly built,” explained James Foster-Pegg, Director of The Gardens Group which owns Poundbury Gardens.
“We also installed as many environmentally friendly systems as possible so that, once the garden centre was up and running we would be as energy efficient as possible. Our heating system uses technology which allows us to re-cycle old pallets and waste, we collect water and in a huge tank which is buried beneath the garden centre and use this grey water to irrigate plants in dry weather and we compost as much as possible. We buy locally produced food for our restaurant to cut down on food miles, and have bat boxes and nesting boxes under the eaves of the building to encourage wildlife which in turn helps to keep down unwelcome insects. We also source organic fertilizers and composts and promote environmentally friendly forms of pest control so that our customers can access the very best products to match their own environmental efforts.
“We also encourage people to cycle to the centre by having bike racks outside. We are constantly working on ways to minimise our impact on the environment and encourage our customers to do the same. Gardeners are keen to keep the land green and pleasant for generations to come and we listen to their practical suggestions and pass these on to other gardeners,” finished James.
Sherborne Cycle Team leaves for 1,000 mile challenge
Six brave men from Sherborne will be leaving the town to travel to Land’s End for the start of a mammoth cycle ride – from Land’s End to John O’ Groats – a total of 1,000 miles over 9 days. The marathon ride will depart Land’s End on Wednesday 4th July and after 11 legs, of distances up to 115 miles in a day, the team will reach John O’ Groats on Saturday 14th July.
The intrepid team is raising funds for Sherborne RFC (Rugby Football Club), to help build a new Clubhouse which will provide better facilities for the Club which now has over 400 registered members. In addition, each member of the team will raise funds for their chosen charity including The British Heart Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the National Kidney Federation.
Sponsors have come forward from many businesses including three local food companies who have provided enough cereal, nuts and flapjacks to feed the team throughout their journey!
“We are thrilled with the level of response we have had from individuals and businesses alike. All six of us will be able to feed our tired legs with energy rich foods including Dorset Cereals, Honeybuns Cakes and nuts from Olives Et Al as well as drinking plenty of sustaining beverages! We’ve also had support from Porter Dodson, Epic Print, Vincents, Booklore, Pearce Seeds, Positive PR, PS Mailing, The Gardens Group, Sanders Garden World and Chepstow Garden Centre. We are not exactly a young team, but we are all still sportsmen and can hold our own with the youngsters – what we lack in speed we make up for in experience!” said Mike Trew representing the team.
The team is made up of –
Dale O’Loughlin - Chairman of the Youth Section of the club and former Dorset and Wilts prop
Mike Burks - a former Chairman still playing rugby at an undisclosed age
Neil Devoto - former Bermudan international and coach to the under 11 team who play some of the most exciting rugby ever seen in the town
Tim Andrews - long time supporter and more importantly, husband of Brenda who provides fantastic buffets for the vice presidents before 1st team matches
Geoff Churchill - a legendary 2nd row who some have said is the most able bar manager the club has ever had
Mike Trew - the current Club Chairman and only member of the team to have purchased a new bicycle for the trip!
Plus Clive Andrews, a lifelong supporter of the club, who will drive the support vehicle.
Anyone wishing to sponsor the team can contact:
Mike Burks on 01935 814633
Mike Trew on 07808 096810
Dale O’Loughlin 07816 877801
People will be able to follow the ups and downs of the journey on www.sherbornerugby.co.uk
West Dorset schools get digging to turn playgrounds green!
A new project, being launched in June, aims to encourage young children to grow and nurture edible plants in their playgrounds. Named The Edible Playground the project currently involves four schools in Dorset; Beaucroft in Wimborne, Thornford Primary, Charmouth Primary and Witchampton Primary. Children from each school will be digging, planting, watering and nurturing edible plants in their playgrounds throughout the next few months and then some will get the chance to work with local chefs to prepare and eat the results.
Mike Burks of The Gardens Group, which is sponsoring The Edible Playground project, explained; “This project is a really practical way to get children to connect with the food they are eating – they’re not simply being presented with a pile of food and then cooking it. They are improving the soil in plots in their playgrounds, choosing seed varieties, planting, feeding and watering and really learning how food grows before they finally cook and eat it. It is a pleasure to be involved with a project which is practical and hands-on and we look forward to seeing the results.”
Each school had a wish list of equipment including compost, gardening tools, seeds, herb plants, watering cans and troughs which were supplied to project co-ordinator Nichola Motley. “The children will be growing lots of different varieties of herbs, lettuces, tomatoes and other quick growing crops. I’m especially pleased that very young children are involved, as the sooner we teach children where their food comes from, the better their understanding and willingness to try new foods. Some of the children will be visiting walled vegetable gardens to learn about crop rotation and even the youngest pupils will be involved in planting and watering.”
The simple aim of the project is to help young children to connect with food and to get real enjoyment out of turning their playgrounds into green areas, where food and growth go hand in hand. Local chefs will also visit schools to show the children how to prepare and cook plants they have grown.
Nichola Motley finished; “Growing our own food and having a relationship with those who grow it, is an essential aspect of a sustainable lifestyle. For children to engage with the food that lands up on their plates is healthy for body, mind and spirit.”
The Edible Playground project is a new venture for Screen Bites; Dorset’s Food Film Festival and is also supported by Chalk & Cheese.
More details are available from Mike Burks on 01935 814633 or project co-ordinator Nichola Motley on 01308 422305.
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