Hello Gardeners
Another month slipped away and looks like the dry weather is set to continue. That is challenge enough but on the plus side, the gardens are looking blooming marvellous. Seems to be a good year for roses, clematis and hydrangeas…. Mine are gorgeous. I’m not sure about veg. My garden is very small so I don’t have room – apart from runner beans in tubs.
Tuesday 8th July – 7.30 to 9.30pm Bream Sports Club. GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME. informal question and answer session. Bring along your ailing plants and trickiest gardening questions to put to our panel of knowledgable local experts. We will cover flowers, shrubs, vegetables, and wild area management. Organic, no dig or any other gardening method that you may have a question about. We will take questions from the floor but if you wish to submit a question in advance please do. If relevant, please include a photograph to illustrate your problem to the panellists and audience. breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
Our panellists are giving their time and expertise, so please come up with some questions gardening related.
We will also have the list for you lovely kind people to volunteer to help with the Summer Show. That is creeping up on us and preparations are well under way. I hope you can find plenty of items to exhibit to make this a very special show. Amazing that this is the 160th annual show. Very few organisations can claim that.
Saturday 12th July ANNUAL COACH TRIP
Llanarthne, Carmarthen. SA32 8HN National Botanic Gardens of Wales Voted the number one garden to visit by BBC Gardeners World. With over 500 acres to explore, there is plenty to see and do: Great Glasshouse, Hay Meadow, Arboretum, Bog Garden, Growing the Future Garden, to name but a few. Dedicated to the advancement of science and conservation. Recognised as the most influential landscape scheme in Wales.
The closing date for bookings may have passed but we still have a few places remaining. Please book online via this link: National Botanic Gardens of Wales – BGS booking form
If you have already booked but haven’t received a confirmation email, please get in touch. breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
Saturday 16th August 2.00pm – 5.00pm Bream Sports Club 160TH BREAM SUMMER SHOW.
Please support our traditional village show as a volunteer, exhibitor or visitor. Competitions for vegetables, flowers, flower arranging, art, crafts, photography, baking, preserving, and beekeeping. Separate children’s competitions. Tea tent with home-made cakes, raffle, games, craft and local produce stalls, live music, and barbecue. Special 160th anniversary celebrations.
Sunday 17th August 11.00am – 3.00pm Bream Sports Club BREAM BOOK FAIR
After the Show, our marquees become home to the Bream Book Fair. This event raises funds for Packed with Love who support children in emergency care. Thousands of second-hand books of all genres for sale. Local authors and independent sellers. Tea, cakes, and barbecue. BGS will be running a gardening book and plant stall at this event.
OTHER NEWS
Successful Grant Application
We are delighted to hear that BGS has been awarded a community grant from FoDDC. Two of us went to the celebration event yesterday and was so encouraging to see how our district council is
working to support volunteer groups to reach a wider audience and to make volunteering better/safer/more fun.
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The funding we have been allocated is for several items of equipment and resources for shows and for running additional groups such as Young Gardeners. Thank you once again to the Community Delivery Team at Forest of Dean District Council.
Young Gardeners Workshops
We have two events planned for the school summer holidays, both linked to children’s show classes. YG is aimed at primary aged children but typically we have a wider age spread with older children keen to attend too. Booking is essential as places are limited and we need to know ages to tailor activities to make them appropriate. To book a place email breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
Friday July 25th 2.00 – 4.00pm Eco printing and plant craft
Friday August 8th 2.00 – 4.00pm Sprouting microgreens
Further information is available on the website
HOT OFF THE PRESS : Also there will be a joint visit to Clarke’s Pool Meadow (SSSI) near Blakeney near the end of July with Dean Meadows and Rosie Kelsall to identify species in this rich wild meadow.
Details being worked out now so watch this space.
I think that is about all I have for you but below is a message from Kathryn.
Enjoy your gardening
Best wishes
Margaret
Message from Kathryn
Ellwood Fete: Saturday 5th July at Ellwood Football & Social Club
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help on our stall at the Ellwood Fete. If you have
any spare produce or plants which you are able to donate to the stall, please get in touch via email.
Thank you. breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
Jekka’s Herb Garden - NGS Open Garden: Saturday 2nd August
An excellent opportunity to visit Jekka’s Herb Garden and Herbetum, the first collection of culinary
herbs in the UK. Tickets include a garden tour or talk, maybe by Jekka herself.
Visit findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/31741/31741 for more information.
Ticket sales open on Saturday 5th July and they are sure to sell out fast. Unfortunately, group
bookings of more than four tickets are not possible, and so please book your own tickets
directly - sales@jekkas.com or 01454 418878.
If you are interested in joining a car share with other BGS members,
please email breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com before booking your tickets.
Coach trip - Hampton Court Gardens: Monday 11th August
Lydney and Severnside Flower Club also have spaces remaining on their coach trip to
Hampton Court Castle Gardens and have kindly invited BGS members to join them.
Award-Winning Days Out at Hampton Gardens in Herefordshire
For more information, or to book a place on the trip, please email Kathryn
at breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
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Summer Show - Volunteers: Saturday 16th August
Preparations for the Summer Show are well underway. Volunteer sign-up sheets will be available
at our July meeting - please volunteer to help where you can, even if it is only for an hour.
Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you. If you volunteer, you will be invited to the
Thank You Tea Party on Saturday 30th August.
To mark the 160th anniversary of our Summer Show some of the committee members will be
wearing Victorian-style outfits on show day and we would love some other volunteers to get dressed
up too. However, don’t worry, fancy dress certainly isn’t compulsory!
Summer Show - Schedules, flyers and posters
For full details of the show rules and classes, please consult the Show Schedule but don’t forget
that the simplest way to enter is via the Online entry form .
Hardcopies of the Show Schedule have been distributed to local village halls, clubs, shops and
cafes. Please let us know if we need to replenish stocks or if we have missed any suitable locations.
Copies of the show poster will be available to collect at the July meeting.
Summer Show - Raffle tickets and prizes
The Summer Show Raffle is an important source of funding for the Show. Books of raffle tickets will
be available at the July meeting to sell to your friends and family. If you are unable to make it to the
meeting but would like some tickets to sell, please contact Suzanne at
breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
Julia Brindley is running the raffle and would like donations to add to the luxury food and gardening
hampers. We would also like donations of prizes for the Lucky Wheel. Sorry, no home-made food.
Packaged food must be in date as of 16th August 2025 and include a full list of ingredients.
Please bring your prize donations to the July or August meetings, or get in touch to make
arrangements for delivery/collection.
Many thanks.
Kathryn