CLATFORD VALLEY
gardening club
August 2021
Well after such a long break it was lovely to welcome back some of our members to club via Zoom in June.
Lesley Chamberlain gave us a fascinating insight into Highdown Garden, which is situated in West Sussex, just north of Worthing.
THE HISTORY OF HIGHDOWN
First Lesley told us a bit about the history of the place followed by the house and of course the gardens and some of the plants grown there.
Highdown was bought in 1909 by a wealthy man called Sir Frederick Stern. He was quite indulged as a child, so when he was told that he would never get anything to grow on the chalk at Highdown, he rose to the challenge.
He had plenty of money to sponsor plant hunters who were going out to the Orient at that time. Two worthy of mention were Reg Farrell and Ernest Wilson.
Stern became a bit of an expert at propagation and named several of his plants with ‘Highdown’ in their name.
The garden was developed in an old chalk pit and the layout hasn’t really changed much over the years although improvements to paths and reception areas have been possible due to a lottery grant.
Stern’s wife, Lady Sybil, took an interest in the garden, but more importantly, she ensured that no development was allowed around the property which might spoil the views.
The Oxford and Saint George Society, which was set up by some of Sybil’s friends, was allowed to take children to Highdown for outdoor activities and sport such as playing cricket and visiting the beach.
THE HOUSE
There have been many prestigious visitors to Highdown in the past including Queen Mary and Lloyd George along with many Jewish families.
After the death of Lady Sybil, the house was bequeathed to Worthing Borough Council. The house and gardens were split and the house was let out to businesses. Sadly the garden wasn’t cared for in quite the same way. It was then bought by Tim Chapman who said he wanted to turn it into a Country Club. However, he had no intention of this and turned it into a notorious nightclub.
The council eventually removed its licence and it was then bought by a luxury hotel chain.
THE GARDENS
The house and gardens have been restored. Amongst the sights to see there are the beautiful spring daffodils and hellebores. A whole bank side has been given over to the hellebores which have cross pollinated and make a beautiful show.
An acer griseum which nearly blew over in the gales of 1988 has been propped up and is still surviving today. There is a dedicated rose garden and a beautiful climber called Rosa Grimonii, which was introduced by Stern himself. There is a magnificent handkerchief tree and a very rare buddleia bush which very few can identify.
Very few plants have labels as you might see in a National Trust property, but there are plenty of knowledgeable gardeners and volunteers to answer questions.There are hosts of avenues and cross walk ways, all very open. Deep herbaceous borders are quite a feature and look stunning in the summer so you can visit this lovely place at any time of year. It has been open through the NGS since 1927. There is no specific fee but there is a lovely blue post box for any kind donations as it is run purely on donation and some input by the council. Booking is necessary. Details are on their website. There is plenty of parking and seating and the grounds are wheelchair friendly.
We are still uncertain at this stage when we will have our next speaker buthopefully it won’t be too long before we can meet again in the village hall.
Well after such a long break it was lovely to welcome back some of our members to club via Zoom in June.
Lesley Chamberlain gave us a fascinating insight into Highdown Garden, which is situated in West Sussex, just north of Worthing.
THE HISTORY OF HIGHDOWN
First Lesley told us a bit about the history of the place followed by the house and of course the gardens and some of the plants grown there.
Highdown was bought in 1909 by a wealthy man called Sir Frederick Stern. He was quite indulged as a child, so when he was told that he would never get anything to grow on the chalk at Highdown, he rose to the challenge.
He had plenty of money to sponsor plant hunters who were going out to the Orient at that time. Two worthy of mention were Reg Farrell and Ernest Wilson.
Stern became a bit of an expert at propagation and named several of his plants with ‘Highdown’ in their name.
The garden was developed in an old chalk pit and the layout hasn’t really changed much over the years although improvements to paths and reception areas have been possible due to a lottery grant.
Stern’s wife, Lady Sybil, took an interest in the garden, but more importantly, she ensured that no development was allowed around the property which might spoil the views.
The Oxford and Saint George Society, which was set up by some of Sybil’s friends, was allowed to take children to Highdown for outdoor activities and sport such as playing cricket and visiting the beach.
THE HOUSE
There have been many prestigious visitors to Highdown in the past including Queen Mary and Lloyd George along with many Jewish families.
After the death of Lady Sybil, the house was bequeathed to Worthing Borough Council. The house and gardens were split and the house was let out to businesses. Sadly the garden wasn’t cared for in quite the same way. It was then bought by Tim Chapman who said he wanted to turn it into a Country Club. However, he had no intention of this and turned it into a notorious nightclub.
The council eventually removed its licence and it was then bought by a luxury hotel chain.
THE GARDENS
The house and gardens have been restored. Amongst the sights to see there are the beautiful spring daffodils and hellebores. A whole bank side has been given over to the hellebores which have cross pollinated and make a beautiful show.
An acer griseum which nearly blew over in the gales of 1988 has been propped up and is still surviving today. There is a dedicated rose garden and a beautiful climber called Rosa Grimonii, which was introduced by Stern himself. There is a magnificent handkerchief tree and a very rare buddleia bush which very few can identify.
Very few plants have labels as you might see in a National Trust property, but there are plenty of knowledgeable gardeners and volunteers to answer questions.There are hosts of avenues and cross walk ways, all very open. Deep herbaceous borders are quite a feature and look stunning in the summer so you can visit this lovely place at any time of year. It has been open through the NGS since 1927. There is no specific fee but there is a lovely blue post box for any kind donations as it is run purely on donation and some input by the council. Booking is necessary. Details are on their website. There is plenty of parking and seating and the grounds are wheelchair friendly.
We are still uncertain at this stage when we will have our next speaker buthopefully it won’t be too long before we can meet again in the village hall.
The club welcomed Wilf Simcox in February with his talk on ‘Gardening in a Small Greenhouse’.
Wilf talked us through all aspects of what, where, when and how to make the best use of the greenhouse. He defined a small greenhouse as being anything from 6’x8’ to 10’x12’. He reminded us that a greenhouse is a good place to “potter”. Aluminium is perhaps the best material and it should be sited in an open area for optimum light. However, if you plan on growing all through the winter then orientate from east to west.
Improvements
The biggest improvement you can make to a greenhouse is ventilation. An 8’x10’ greenhouse should have one sixth of the area, or 14 square feet of ventilation. Opening the greenhouse door is not enough. Try to install slatted panels and roof vents.
A flexible bench is also handy so that you can move it around if you want to grow anything in the ground. It is not recommended to grow underneath benches. If you do decide to grow in a bed in the greenhouse the soil should be changed every three years.
Watering
Ideally you need a couple of water butts which should give you most of what you need. Rain water is the best for acid loving plants and always have a watering can full of water so the temperature is the same as the greenhouse. Plants don’t like icy water. Wilf also said that using a hose pipe is not ideal except for damping down surfaces.
Maintenance
Cleaning the greenhouse is extremely important. You should aim to clean it inside and out twice a year. This reduces invasions from pests and diseases and allows in maximum light. He suggested that it is not used for storage and chemicals and fertilisers are kept in sheds as they deteriorate quickly in sunshine.
What will I grow?
Wilf suggested that you plan what you want to grow. Some people like colour all year round. Or you may prefer to grow a range of plants even through the winter. However, overcrowding isn’t good for plant development and growth so only grow what you require. If you don’t need many plants, buy from plugs.
Pests and diseases
Inspecting your plants on a regular basis is crucial and is time well spent. Fewer chemicals are on the market now which makes control more difficult.
We all learned a lot from Wilf’s talk and will now rush home to take out the garden furniture that shouldn’t be stored in there!
Wilf talked us through all aspects of what, where, when and how to make the best use of the greenhouse. He defined a small greenhouse as being anything from 6’x8’ to 10’x12’. He reminded us that a greenhouse is a good place to “potter”. Aluminium is perhaps the best material and it should be sited in an open area for optimum light. However, if you plan on growing all through the winter then orientate from east to west.
Improvements
The biggest improvement you can make to a greenhouse is ventilation. An 8’x10’ greenhouse should have one sixth of the area, or 14 square feet of ventilation. Opening the greenhouse door is not enough. Try to install slatted panels and roof vents.
A flexible bench is also handy so that you can move it around if you want to grow anything in the ground. It is not recommended to grow underneath benches. If you do decide to grow in a bed in the greenhouse the soil should be changed every three years.
Watering
Ideally you need a couple of water butts which should give you most of what you need. Rain water is the best for acid loving plants and always have a watering can full of water so the temperature is the same as the greenhouse. Plants don’t like icy water. Wilf also said that using a hose pipe is not ideal except for damping down surfaces.
Maintenance
Cleaning the greenhouse is extremely important. You should aim to clean it inside and out twice a year. This reduces invasions from pests and diseases and allows in maximum light. He suggested that it is not used for storage and chemicals and fertilisers are kept in sheds as they deteriorate quickly in sunshine.
What will I grow?
Wilf suggested that you plan what you want to grow. Some people like colour all year round. Or you may prefer to grow a range of plants even through the winter. However, overcrowding isn’t good for plant development and growth so only grow what you require. If you don’t need many plants, buy from plugs.
Pests and diseases
Inspecting your plants on a regular basis is crucial and is time well spent. Fewer chemicals are on the market now which makes control more difficult.
We all learned a lot from Wilf’s talk and will now rush home to take out the garden furniture that shouldn’t be stored in there!
January saw the start of a new season of speakers and what a lot of knowledge and experience our speaker had.
Chris Bird is from Sparsholt Agricultural College where he has worked for many years. He has been working as a lecturer and has also been involved in working on projects for Chelsea amongst other things.
His style was quite animated and his passion for growing both fruit and vegetables came through. He encouraged audience participation by playing off one side of the room against the other so we all enjoyed taking part.
Chris covered many issues including the basics, crop selection, propagation, watering, raised beds and control.
The Basics
Most of you know already about the importance of planting depths and needing good light levels but older gardens need nutrients and minerals added, such as liquid seaweed which is good for boron deficiency. Always test water levels in pots by using your finger. Over watering is as bad as under watering.
Crop Selection
Chris suggested you should only grow what you like (unless you’re trying something new of course). Decide whether you want continuity or seasonal highlights. For a quick return grow lettuce, radish and beetroot. For a medium return, try carrots, courgettes, and peas and for a longer return how about main crop potatoes, parsnips or squash? This is dependent on how much space you have in your garden or allotment.
Propagation
Successional sowing, three weeks apart is most successful and sow thinly in containers and drills. No need to sow every seed in the packet! Cut and come again lettuce is very popular now. I sow mine in a drain pipe which works well.
Containers
Chris recommended planting in pots at a depth of 12” with good drainage. Use your own soil and garden compost if you have it or use John Innes No 3. If you use hanging baskets for vegetables, fruit or herbs, keep them well watered and feed regularly.
Raised Beds
Chris recommended beds being 4’ apart to make weeding and access easier. Test the PH of the soil. Potatoes, strawberries and raspberries prefer acidic soil although they are also happy in shade. Keep beds weeded and fed. He also suggested a 3 year rotation plan and have one permanent crop.
Control
Chemical methods should always be the last resort. Preferably encourage insects into the garden to do the job and if plants are well fed and watered this should keep them strong and healthy to resist attack from pests and diseases.
Chris talked about fruit as well, although the importance of good drainage, appropriate pruning and feeding also apply here.
Chris Bird is from Sparsholt Agricultural College where he has worked for many years. He has been working as a lecturer and has also been involved in working on projects for Chelsea amongst other things.
His style was quite animated and his passion for growing both fruit and vegetables came through. He encouraged audience participation by playing off one side of the room against the other so we all enjoyed taking part.
Chris covered many issues including the basics, crop selection, propagation, watering, raised beds and control.
The Basics
Most of you know already about the importance of planting depths and needing good light levels but older gardens need nutrients and minerals added, such as liquid seaweed which is good for boron deficiency. Always test water levels in pots by using your finger. Over watering is as bad as under watering.
Crop Selection
Chris suggested you should only grow what you like (unless you’re trying something new of course). Decide whether you want continuity or seasonal highlights. For a quick return grow lettuce, radish and beetroot. For a medium return, try carrots, courgettes, and peas and for a longer return how about main crop potatoes, parsnips or squash? This is dependent on how much space you have in your garden or allotment.
Propagation
Successional sowing, three weeks apart is most successful and sow thinly in containers and drills. No need to sow every seed in the packet! Cut and come again lettuce is very popular now. I sow mine in a drain pipe which works well.
Containers
Chris recommended planting in pots at a depth of 12” with good drainage. Use your own soil and garden compost if you have it or use John Innes No 3. If you use hanging baskets for vegetables, fruit or herbs, keep them well watered and feed regularly.
Raised Beds
Chris recommended beds being 4’ apart to make weeding and access easier. Test the PH of the soil. Potatoes, strawberries and raspberries prefer acidic soil although they are also happy in shade. Keep beds weeded and fed. He also suggested a 3 year rotation plan and have one permanent crop.
Control
Chemical methods should always be the last resort. Preferably encourage insects into the garden to do the job and if plants are well fed and watered this should keep them strong and healthy to resist attack from pests and diseases.
Chris talked about fruit as well, although the importance of good drainage, appropriate pruning and feeding also apply here.
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