A programme of talks and events:
Friday evening events start at 7.30pm (arrive from 7.15pm) at the ‘Garden Hall, The Lodge, Honeywood Walk, Carshalton SM5 3NX.
Plant Swap Evening: – Free entry
You’re invited to our very first Plant Swap on Friday 29th May in the Garden Hall and Victorian Walled Garden, Carshalton.
Bring along your spare garden or houseplants and swap them for something new! Please make sure all plants are clearly labelled with their names. Don’t have many plants to swap? There will be some plants available to buy while stocks last.
Arrive between 7:15pm and 8:00pm, after which the swapping will begin!
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available in the Garden Hall, and it’s a great chance to meet fellow gardeners and explore the beautiful Victorian Walled Garden. See how volunteers have been restoring the space and discover what’s growing there — from fan-trained peach trees and rows of vegetables to colourful flowers.
Plant Swap Rules:
1. You can bring plants to the swap between 7.15pm and 8pm
2. Plants must be healthy and disease/pest free. Cuttings must be well rooted.
3. Label all your plants with their common plant name
4. All types of plants are welcome: garden plants, house plants, perennials, annuals, veg seedlings, shrubs, herbs, succulents
5. Bring your own bags/trays to take plants home in
6. You will be given tokens in exchange for your plants by the event volunteers (1 token for small common cuttings, annuals or seedlings. 2 tokens for medium plants/perennials. 3+ tokens for larger or rare species).
7. After 8pm a gong will ring and the swapping will commence. At this point you can exchange your tokens for other plants (we may introduce ‘rounds’ if very busy)
8. If you don’t have enough tokens for all the plants you would like, you can buy plants (cash preferred – card readers available) – funds raised go to the Ecolocal charity
9. Any plants left at the end of the evening become the property of EcoLocal charity and will be used either in the walled garden or sold to raise funds for our Community Food Growing Project
Coach Outing:
We are organising a gardeners coach outing. For details please see here.
Talks:
Autumn talks and events to be announced. Entrance fees for talks – only £4 on the door including tea, coffee and biscuits (cash or card). Please do invite your friends – open to all – just turn up.
27th February – ‘Wandle: River at Risk’
Bobby Dean MP will introduce and show a documentary film he made on the history, perils, conservation and community engagement that the river Wandle brings to our local area. There will be time for discussion and questions about the threats to the Wandle from polluters – what measures should, could and are being taken. This is an opportunity to find out more about the river which is important part of our local natural environment.
27th March – Creating Hampton Court’s Kitchen Garden
Vicki Cooke is a community gardener who is enthusiastic about garden heritage and growing edible plants. Vicki will talk to us about how she re-created an historic walled kitchen garden at Hampton Court Palace. Join us for a royal evening!
24th April – Shakespeare and England’s Trees
Here’s a talk with a difference! What trees grew in Shakespeare’s England, and what was happening to them? How do the worlds of Shakespeare’s stage and the English countryside relate? From oak to willow and the magical forests imagined on stage, this talk explores early agroforestry, deforestation and use of trees through Shakespeare’s many references to trees. Our speaker, Hannah Leigh is a researcher working at Shakespeare’s Globe with an MA in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College London.
All talks £4 on the door (plant swap free) – start at 7.30pm (arrive from 7.15pm) at the ‘Garden Hall, The Lodge, Honeywood Walk, Carshalton SM5 3NX.
Donations
Some people have asked how they can make a donation even if they cannot attend talks. Of course we welcome this and will put any funds donated into the SOGG account at EcoLocal to support the SOGG activities and EcoLocal organic gardening. Please email info@ecolocal.org.uk if you would like to make a donation and we will reply with details of how to do.
