Wealden Times | WT182 | April 2017 | Gardens supplement inside

WT Garden Supplement
Course Work
The newest member of the WT team,
Rebecca Cuffe, tracks down a handful of
the best gardening tutorials around
For all you readers out there oohing
and ahhing over the gorgeous images
in our gardening supplement this
month before quickly sinking into a sigh
over the daunting prospect of how to recreate
something like that for yourself, you are
not alone. Like gardens themselves, often a
gardener needs a little nourishment before
their real talent blooms into life. Whether
you’re an experienced gardener interested in
learning something new or a complete novice
who just wants to know where to begin,
there are options out there for everyone.
Wisley Gardens in Surrey (rhs.org.uk/
gardens/wisley) have myriad options for all
skill sets, interests and levels of expertise with
courses and tutorials covering everything
from photosynthesis to botanical cocktails.
These courses are often run by the RHS team
but others feature guests and experts such
as the gardens’ curator, Matthew Pottage,
and renowned plantsman Noel Kingsbury.
Claire Brown will also be tutoring on The
Perpetual Herb Garden in October, and
runs talks and workshops herself through her
business, Plant Passion (plantpassion.co.uk),
which focuses on locally grown flowers. This
is a great option for those who love local
and are interested in arranging bouquets
for their homes or as gifts to others.
Meanwhile, Kew Gardens (kew.org) and
Painshill in Surrey (painshill.co.uk) both
have a number of courses and lectures
which you may find helpful if you’re
interested in capturing the beauty of the
garden in photography or illustration, as
well as their courses on gardening itself.
Jo Arnell’s comprehensive year long
course at Hornbook Manor in Woodchurch,
Kent (pictured) (hornbrookmanor.co.uk), is
run in small, informal groups, so there’s
plenty of chances to ask Jo any questions
you may have over some homemade cake.
The course lasts a full year but you can
also book an individual course if there’s
a particular field you’re interested in.
Godinton House is also well worth a visit,
as they run gardening events throughout the
year (gardeningworkshops.co.uk/godintonhouse.
co.uk). You may have noticed in our own
April Notebook that they are holding a
topiary workshop this month, but there
is more to learn with head gardener Viv
Hunt, who has combined forces
with professional gardener Fiona Abrahams
in monthly workshops since November.
For the foodies of the Weald there are some
invaluable learning opportunities at Brogdale
Collections (brogdalecollections.org). As the
home of the national fruit collection, there
are few better places than Brogdale to learn
about fruit, food and foraging in the British
countryside, with courses on grafting, pruning,
orchard design or cider making, to name a few.
One last tutor worth a try is Steve Edney,
who is head gardener at The Salutation
in Sandwich (the-salutation.com) and runs
classes limited to only eight people. These
courses include light lunch and refreshments
in their £80 price as well as demonstrations,
practical work, tours and invaluable advice.
Make a Scarecrow Competition
Take part in Harpers & Hurlingham’s charity competition at
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair for the chance to win £250 for your child’s school
Harpers & Hurlingham in Cranbrook
are inviting schools and children’s
organizations to take part in ‘Making a
Scarecrow’ competition. All entrants will be
displayed in the Harpers & Hurlingham stand
at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair at Hole
Park, Rolvenden on 8, 9 & 10 June 2017.
The general public will be invited to judge the
winner, whilst at the same time raising money
for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The winning
school/organization will also receive £250. To
participate please call Jane at Harpers and
Hurlingham on 01580 715400 and join in
the fun! The competition is open to children
aged 10 and below, who must enter as part
of a school or children’s organisation, rather
than as individuals.
HOW TO MAKE A SCARECROW
• Build the frame. Begin by centring a 5 foot
(1.5 m) stick near the top of a 6 to 8 foot (1.8
to 2.4 m) stick, rake handle or garden pole.
This creates the shoulders of the scarecrow.
Fasten the shorter stick in place using a
screwdriver and screw, some twine, or hot glue.
• Put the shirt on. Button up the front,
then tie the arm ends and bottom
of the shirt using twine or wire.
• Stuff the shirt with straw, hay, leaves,
grass clippings, wood chips and rags.
• Put the overalls on. Make a hole in
the seat of the overalls for the vertical
stick to pass through. Stuff the legs.
• Give him hands.
• Give him feet.
• Make the head using burlap or a pillowcase
• Give your scarecrow facial features. Ideas
include using a pen to draw them on, cutting
out felt shapes, using buttons for eyes, nose
and mouth,
and bits of
black plastic or
pipe cleaner to
make eyebrows.
• Give your scarecrow
some hair.
• Accessorise. You can personalise your scarecrow
by accessorising it any way you like. His most
important accessory, however, is a straw hat.
Use any old hat you have lying around and
secure to his head with hot glue. Here are
some other (optional) accessorising ideas:
- Tie a red bandana around his collar, or
leave a bright handkerchief peeking out of his
pocket.
- Jazz up his hat using some brightly coloured
plastic flowers.
- Stick an old pipe in his mouth.
- Tie reflective or shiny ribbon to your
scarecrow to add movement and reflect light.
33 wealdentimes.co.uk