Hundreds of people came to our plant sale last Saturday! The weather was perfect, we sold lots of plants, & even more cakes & teas were consumed.  This is a great community event in a lovely setting & even the local constabulary came to check us out & collect cake samples! So many thanks to all of you who came & a huge thank you to all the Friends, Green Team members & other volunteers who helped make it such a success!

After an amazing display of primroses in April - as good as in Devon & maybe due to the wet weather -  lots of other plants & trees are now bursting forth!

There are swathes of forget-met-nots & the mid green, thick leaves are coming out on the maidenhair tree, also the translucent greeny- red ones on the copper beech. The large, fresh lime-green inflorescences of the tall Euphorbia characias subsp.Wulfenii are very spectacular under the old tulip tree. Lots of roses have big buds ready to burst & some roses of the  “Stanwell Perpetual” in the main fence bed facing the fountain are already out. This rose is a natural cross with the wild Scotch rose R. spinosisima ( also known as the Burnet rose R. pimpinellifolia), which was introduced by a nursery in Hammersmith in about 1838. It’s heritage is very obvious, as it’s stems are covered in stiff red bristles & straight prickles & multi-leaflet leaves & it has black hips just like the wild version! It’s natural habitat is sand dunes & the now rare gravel beaches – but you can find it at Browndown!

The fountain has been cleaned & fresh water added – and the “Green Team” gardeners are also springing about getting the garden ready for our famous Plant Sale on Saturday 11 May from 10 am – where you can buy unusual plants raised by the gardeners & Friends, plus lots of lovely cakes – so make sure you don’t miss it!