Herald - Issue 412

16th September 2021 • The HERALD • Page 43 v THE HERALD - ENCOURAGING LOCAL ENTERPRISE v | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | For All Your Gardening Needs General Garden Maintenance Overgrown Gardens Cleared Existing Garden Makeovers Areas Re-designed and Re-planted Hard Features Created Garden Coaching Lawn Care and Turfing Fencing Erected and Repaired Contact Paul on 07794 122065 023 8084 0092 / 07557 792785 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 All aspects of Gardening carried out by reliable gardener a Grass Cutting a Hedge Cutting a Border Maintenance, Pruning, Weeding a Treating of Fencing/Trellis/Outbuildings a Pressure Washing of Patios/Decking The Potty Gardener Contact Kev on 07585 115569 or 023 8084 8638 SEASONAL ARRANGEMENTS by Debbie Thorne, Foresters Flower Club e variety of owers available have been severely a ected by the pandemic and Brexit. British nurseries have blossomed and are lling the gaps, but are more seasonal and so we must learn to adapt with nature. Flowers and foliage appear in shorter cycles than the seasons and can be in abundance during these times. Planning and designing oral displays during periods of plenty can be exciting, economical and more environmentally sustainable. Look in the garden for inspiration and materials (keep to seasonal, British produce from supermarkets/ orists/garden centres). For example: 1. Seasonal wreath: Look for exible branches on trees e.g. weeping willow, eucalyptus, black berry stems, honeysuckle. Cut lengths, bind into a circle with cable ties/Florist wire etc. and add foliage and owers. 2. Traditional arrangement: use a pin holder/ scrunched chicken wire/foliage in a weighted vase as mechanics. Hunt for complementary (to the vase) foliage/ owers of di erent heights, textures, shapes etc. Examples being bamboo/olive branches/trees like oak/grasses/hedgerow items. Short stems e.g. alpines, succulents, herbs (bay, rosemary). Collect stones or items to cover the pinhole, and then add seasonal owers, dried owers, sprayed seed heads, or fruit. 3. Posy/hand-tied bouquet: collect di erent shapes, textures, colours, lengths, sizes, fragrance in an even selection of owers and foliage. All can be from the roadside, the garden, shop etc. Types of owers/foliage required: a. Line ower - tall, slim giving height and width. b. Form ower - feature. For a focal point and bursts of colour. c. Mass owers - give volume and design, don’t forget seed heads. d. Filler owers - smaller owers/foliage providing support for “form” (focal) owers, emphasising scale and depth. Start with a “line ower”, hold halfway up the stem and slowly add stems next to each other until a spiral pattern emerges. When adding, choose from “line, form, mass and ller” owers/foliage. Tie twine around the place where your hand was gripping; trim stems to give an even base and place in the vase/container of your choice. A spiral gives volume and protects stems from pressure on each other. Next meeting: 7th October - Show Night (bring your own oral displays-not compulsory! is is a charity event). Meetings held at Copythorne Parish Hall, SO40 2NZ, 7:30 pm, on the rst ursday of every month except January. For information contact Debbie orne on: 07836 749549. Bringing the outside in, with seasonal wreaths and floral arrangements Pollinator Packs Lepe Country Park and Copthorne Nursery have joined teams in wanting to help butter ies, bees and beetles in the Waterside Area. Copthorne Nursery have put together four di erent “pollinating packs” for £10 each. Each pack includes ve plants which will in some way help pollinators in your garden, balcony or patio. e plants are mostly hardy perennials to encourage the least green ngered of us! Copthorne Nursery supports adults with learning disabilities in the local area by providing a day service for them. ose who attend develop horticultural skills; increase their independence and learn new skills. ey are encouraged to explore new activities which help to build con dence and a sense of achievement. All pro ts from Pollinator Pack sales go towards improving the experience at Copthorne Nursery.