12th March 2026 • The HERALD • Page 55 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v DOWN THE GARDEN PATH RYAN FENCING Quality Fencing & Gates 07769 706516 • 023 8084 1203 www.ryan-fencing.co.uk • Find us on Facebook A J GLEESON BUILDING & GROUNDWORK DRIVEWAYS EXTENSIONS BRICKWORK GROUNDWORK BLOCK PAVING Colours & Designs to suit your requirements Local Work Available to View CALL FOR A FREE QUOTATION New Forest & Southampton 023 8084 4180 Mobile: 07770 771475 Bramdene, Main Road, Dibden, Southampton Locally owned landscape and maintenance company who offer excellent workmanship, value, and customer service. Contact Ralph on 07775 726135 www.apex-landscaping.co.uk • rperry16@sky.com • Decking • Fencing and Gates • Complete Landscaping • Paving • Brick Work • Block Paving and Driveways • Hedge and Tree Work •Turfing • Shed and Summerhouse Bases • Shingle Beds and Artificial Lawns • Paving and Block Paving Cleaning and Repair Smithwood Landscaping Professional Gardening & Landscaping • SeasonalTidy Ups • Garden Redesign • Fencing •Trees & Shrubs Carefully Pruned • AstroTurf • Rockeries Designed • Ground Cover No JobToo Small as I am a Local Gardener Any advice over the phone is freely given Contact Gary (Master Landscaper) 07707 433194 e evening of 5th February was experimental with two demonstrations from our Club committee members - Sheila and June – and a visiting demonstrator – the lovely Carole Norman. Carole, the rst musketeer, began and, whilst making a beautiful spiral of roses, entertained us with hilarious stories of her recent life events! Using sunshine yellow supermarket roses (as available to all), on purchasing she had picked ones with thick stems leading from their heads, she removed their leaves and placed them onto a annel preventing bruising. e roses were organised as straight stems to less straight stems. Carol used biodegradable oral foam. e straightest, longest stem was placed in the centre of the foam, the next rose placed so its head was level with the bottom of the rst rose’s head. is was repeated whilst turning the bowl slightly to establish a spiral. To nish the arrangement, gingko leaves and twigs covered the edge of the container; moss was tucked over the foam and into the bowl and midelino sticks placed to give enclosed space. Our second musketeer was June who used a galvanised churn to make a beautiful, tall, white and green arrangement using oral foam. Pussy willow stems were arranged in the centre to give height and other foliage layered down through the arrangement including palm and fatsia leaves, camellia leaves and buds, eucalyptus and lime green skimmia to give di erent textures, shades, leaf sizes etc. Purple verbena was arranged amongst the pussy willow and white avalanche roses were put at di erent heights from the centre. Lime green hypericum berries gave interest and zing and added space amongst the owers. Our third musketeer was Sheila who used a cream wrought iron log basket and oral foam. She used conifer, pittosporum, rosemary and ivy foliage and arranged burgundy lilies, white edged, mauve spray chrysanthemums and white and pink roses, all looking beautiful and stylish among the log basket. For her 2nd arrangement, Carole did a vertical arrangement in a galvanised tray senecio, rosemary, ivy and pittosporum were arranged covering the base. Some willow twigs were interspersed vertically amongst these. Deep red roses were arranged in vertical groups. Pink and vintage pink roses were grouped together and pale pink lilies grouped at either end of the tray. e arrangement was peaceful and pretty and we were all excited for the ra e to see which of the beautiful arrangements we had won! We all enjoyed a relaxing, sociable and inspirational evening with excellent attendance despite wind and The Three Musketeers! by Debbie Thorne, Foresters Flower Club e 66th Annual General Meeting of Black eld Flower Club took place on 10th February and was followed by a ernoon tea. Looking ahead Alison Finch will be demonstrating on 14th April and her title is ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’. Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of the month, 2pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Exbury Road, Black eld, SO45 1XD – visitors welcome, please contact Jan Gordon on: 023 8084 4835 for more details. rain! Refreshments were served with time to catch up with friends and then there was the ra e and lots of beaming faces! 31st March is our SWISH - clothes exchange, tea and cake a ernoon in aid of “Step by Step” charity. 14th May: Practical evening. All meetings start at 7.30pm at Copythorne Parish Hall SO40 2NZ. Everyone is welcome. For more information please contact Debbie orne: 07769 830752. Blackfield Flower Club
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTIyNzI=