v THE HERALD - Your Community Magazine v 8th December 2022 • The HERALD • Page 59 Fred Hurst 023 8084 2191 or 07761 467217 • Grass Cutting • Garden Clearance • Hedge Cutting • Fallen Trees Cleared • Mini Digger Hire with Operator • Property Clearance • Small Demolition • Tractor Flail Cutting FULLY INSURED v FREE QUOTATIONS Innovators in Metal Quality Iron Works Guaranteed. Small and large jobs undertaken, from gates and railings to weathervanes & curtain poles. Call Nathan on 07500 016546 customerservices@phoenixironworks.co.uk www.phoenixironworks.co.uk Unit B, Brokenford Business Centre, Brokenford Lane, Totton, Southampton, SO40 9LZ ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ by Debbie Thorne, Foresters Flower Club Foresters Flower Club would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy Christmas and a wonderful 2023! As this goes to print, our November and Christmas meetings have passed. We had an array of seasonal refreshments, a Christmas ra e and, of course, the all-important Christmas oral designs including owers, plenty of seasonal foliage with its amazing aromas, Christmas traditions and reaching out to each other. is is the time of year that as a club we like to keep an eye on our neighbours who live alone, or may require help. Don’t forget there are many simple Christmas is Coming and You Can Have Fun! home e.g. jars/bottles with evergreen foliage, rosemary, berries, r cones on sticks, snowberries (white berries seen in hedgerows), and plenty of glittery bits - don’t forget a few little battery operated lights. ese brighten up any windowsill, dark corner, or co ee table. Or get stuck into a design in a pot or special container e.g. a star shape and go wild with foliage – di erent textures, shades, scents etc, some white accessories and small green glittery items e.g. baubles. Have fun! We are also involved in other fundraising activities around the village supporting other community groups too. Copythorne Parish Hall is hosting its Christmas Tree Festival on 10th and 11th of December. Some of our lovely members will be decorating a tree to represent Foresters Flower Club everyone is welcome to this festive occasion. Despite the atrocious weather, many members came to hear Rosemary Legrande’s fascinating presentation called “Spring in Japan“. Rosemary took us through her journey the end of April 2017 from Tokyo to Nagata and then a cruise to the Japanese islands and onto Nagasaki. She shared gorgeous slides of an array of cherry blossom trees and other beautiful spring owering plants and trees at various famous gardens along her route. She enlightened us with details of sacred ceremonies. e area was immaculate as preparations had started in readiness for the 2020 Olympics, which sadly didn’t occur due to the pandemic. She nished her presentation with the beautiful “Madame Butterfly” accompanying the most delightful photographs. Notes for diaries (2023): No meeting in January, 1st February – demonstration “Surprise” M&M and social evening, 2nd March - AGM and Show Night – bring a friend for free. For more information please call Debbie orne: 07769 830752. Christmas star arrangement Christmas designs that can be made at Around the World in Music & Pictures Bartley Horticultural Society next meeting is on Thursday 15th December for a talk by Christopher Legrand titled ‘Around the World in Music & Pictures’. Meetings take place on the third ursday of the month at Copythorne Parish Hall, Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne SO40 2NT at 7.30pm. New members and visitors are always welcome. Visitors fee applies. For more information you can write to them at: Mavis Cottage, Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne, SO40 2NZ, call: 07789 352505 or visit their website: www. bartleyhs.org.uk Black eld Gardening Club next meeting will be on Tuesday 13th December for a talk by Viv Carter titled ‘ e Honeypot Charity’. All meetings take place on the second Tuesday in the month and start at 7.30pm at St Francis Church Hall, St Francis Road (off West Common) Langley, SO45 1XP. ey are really looking forward to seeing members and visitors again (visitors £2). Enquiries please call: 023 8024 3795. The Honeypot Charity Gardening in December - Winter Frost Advice from RHS parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops. 7. Trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted. 8. Take hardwood cuttings. 9. Keep mice away from stored produce. 10. Reduce watering of houseplants. As we approach the shortest day of the year in December you will need work to keep you warm outside, such as digging and tree pruning. Check your winter protection and if you have a greenhouse make sure the heater is working. Hopefully there are not too many jobs le to do this year so you will have time for some reside garden planning. Top gardening jobs this month 1. Check your winter protection structures are still securely in place. Cold, wet, windy winter weather can damage trees, shrubs and garden structures such as trellis. Improving shelter, staking plants, mulching, wrapping pots and careful matching of plants to places will help to prevent this kind of damage. 2. Check that greenhouse heaters are working. e high cost of fuel and the desire to garden sustainably are concentrating gardeners’ attention on operating greenhouses with the minimum energy usage. 3. Insulate outdoor taps and prevent ponds from freezing. If your pond is stocked with sh and it does freeze over, melt the ice by placing a hot pan on the surface, or install a pond heater or water feature to prevent freezing occurring. 4. Prune open-grown apples and pears (but not those trained against walls). 5. Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding. 6. Harvest leeks,
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