15th February 2024 • The HERALD • Page 55 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ All Aspects of Garden Work Undertaken • Driveways • Paving • Artificial Grass • Turfing • Decking • Fencing • Hedge Cutting • Landscaping Hythe Garden Contractors Family company established 1977 For a free quotation please call 023 8084 3556 or 023 8084 0378 SPADEWORK Family Landscaping & Fencing Team ] Decking & Natural Sandstone Paving ] Patios ] Driveways ] Block Paving ] Turfing ] All Types of Domestic & Commercial Fencing ] Security Fencing Supplied & Fitted Tel: (023) 8089 4909 Mobile: 07703 566814 u Free Estimates u Fully Insured Telephone Richard 023 8084 9637 | Grass Cutting | Edges Trimmed | Hedge Trimming | PRESSURE WASHING OF DECKS, PATIOS & DRIVES | FENCE & SHEDS PAINTED QuickSmart Garden Services Professional & Reliable Composting Master-Class and Potting Shed Club at Patrick’s Patch seeds to crafting garden treasures. Some sessions may feature group activities or special speakers. Pre-booking is essential, Sessions are priced at £5 each and can be conveniently booked online at www.fairweathers. co.uk As spring graces our community, the heart of Beaulieu blossoms with the vibrant spirit of Patrick’s Patch, a hidden gem located opposite Fairweather’s Garden Centre. This flourishing garden, under the attentive care of Head Gardener Rachel Foster and dedicated volunteers, beckons both seasoned gardeners and aspiring green fingers. Save the date for Saturday 16th March, as Patrick’s Patch invites you to a hands-dirty Composting Masterclass. This free event, led by Head Gardener Rachel Foster at either 10.30am or 2pm, unveils the secrets of successful composting. With limited spaces (only 10 per time slot), these intimate sessions promise invaluable insights into composting, crafting your own garden compost, and the art of leaf mould. To secure your spot, email: lisa@fairweathers. co.uk. But the green adventures don’t end there. Patrick’s Patch continues to sow seeds of knowledge throughout 2024 with the Potting Shed Club. Tailored for primary school-aged children (4-11 years old), this club, led by Head Gardener Rachel Foster, offers a delightful blend of education and Head Gardener Rachel Foster with a Giant Iceburg Saladin take around 30-40 minutes, these sessions cover everything from planting enjoyment. Every Saturday, from 10am to 11.30am, the Potting Shed Club opens its doors for self-guided activities. Designed to WHAT TO COMPOST Composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. It’s easy to make and use, and is not only good for the environment, it means that you are also doing your bit to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Even for households that are already composting, research shows that almost half of the food waste in their rubbish bins could have been composted. Composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your kettle produces annually or your washing machine produces in three months. People often wonder why they should compost when food waste is taken away by the local council. When waste is sent to landfill, air cannot get to the organic waste, so as it breaks down a harmful greenhouse gas, methane is produced which is not good for the Earth’s atmosphere. However, composting this same waste above ground at home, oxygen helps the waste to decompose aerobically which means hardly any methane is produced, which is good for the environment and what’s more, after nine to twelve months, you get a free fertiliser for your garden and plant pots. Your compost is a nutrient-rich food product for your garden and will help improve soil structure, maintain moisture levels, and keep your soil’s pH balance in check while helping to suppress plant disease. It will have everything your plants need including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and it will help buffer soils that are very acidic or alkaline. Compost improves your soil’s condition and your plants and flowers will love it! There are plenty of materials around the kitchen and garden that can go into your compost bin, and some you should keep out: Put it in Fruit and vegetable peelings • Dead flowers and plants • Grass cuttings and nettles • Small branches and twigs • Tea bags, coffee grounds and filter paper • Shredded and scrunched paper and cardboard • Egg shells • Saw dust Keep it out • Meat and fish • Dairy products • Processed foods such as pasta and bread • Pet faeces or litter • Large branches • Nappies • Invasive plants (e.g. Japanese Knotweed) • Cooked vegetables
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