October 2008 Newsletter
Living ‘The Good Life' in 2009!
As the 2008 gardening season draws to a close we are very busy making plans for 2009 while taking time to relax and enjoy the subtle waning of the growth in the gardens. Although plants such as Hydrangea paniculatas ‘Chantilly Lace' and ‘Limelight', Rudbeckia, and Dahlias continue to carry on in full flower even after the recent frosts and the leaves of Acers, Cotinus and Vaccinum, seedheads of Hedychium and hips of the roses have coloured to exhuberant red, the colours are slowly draining to yellow and fawn and russet in much of the remainder of the garden. Gradually the smaller herbaceous plants are returning to the ground which has been recently manured for winter as tender lushness slowly gives way to the woody and evergreen structure of winter. Lending delicacy to this structure are the swathes of Molinia and Cortaderia, Stipa and Miscanthus which will remain until they are cut back in early spring and the addition of tall tree ferns to the woodland garden in the ring fort.
Allotments
Next year marks some exciting changes and additions at Hunting Brook. Inspired by the successes of this year's veg garden (despite the inclement weather!) and the interest expressed by visitors, we are opening part of the grounds of Hunting Brook as allotments for the 2009 gardening season. The allotments will be located near the overflow parking area down the hill from the house, so there will be loads of parking available. The allotments will measure 45 square yards, are deer fenced and have a communal water tap. The soil in the allotments is currently being prepared for cultivation and will be ploughed and harrowed in late winter. The allotments will be marked out and available for use by the beginning of March 2009. The cost for an allotment is €280 for 2009 with a non-refundable €100 deposit due at the time of booking. All allotment holders will receive a 20% discount on any of the 2009 vegetable growing courses.
New Courses for 2009!!!
Limited spaces are still available on the Christmas Flower Arranging Course. This festive flower arranging demonstration day will teach you the skills to create contemporary and stylish arrangements for your home. Carol Bone, our usual instructor for this course, is unable to attend but has kindly recommended Yvonne O'Neill who will be conducting the course in place of Carol. This course will be held on Sunday, 22nd November from 10:15 am - 4:00 pm and costs €120.
We are currently organising next year's course schedule and, although it is yet to be finalised, we can let you know that we will be running the popular Six Week Gardening Course for Beginners again in two sessions, one starting on the 10th of March and one starting on the 22nd of April.
Klaus Laitenberger will be returning to teach his series of vegetable gardening courses in 2009. Vegetable Growing for Complete Beginners will be held on Saturday the 29th of March and repeated again on the next day.
For those with a little more experience, Klaus will be running an Intermediate Level Vegetable Growing Course on the 25th of April and a course on Growing Vegetables in the Polytunnel/ Greenhouse on the 26th of April.
Klaus will also be teaching a veg growing course in the summer in conjunction with the renowned author Joy Larkom.
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Details of this and all other courses will be included on our website (http://www.huntingbrook.com/) as they are confirmed.
The One Year Plantsperson's Course for 2008/2009 has booked out and is well underway. Due to popular demand, the course will be run again next year starting on the 18th of September. We are now taking bookings for this and other courses, so call us now if you don't want to be disappointed!
Details for all of next year's courses should be finalised within the next month and available on our website. They will also be emailed to all of you on our email list and posted to everyone on our mailing list as soon as we get delivery from the printer.
Vouchers
Hunting Brook gift vouchers make great presents for all of your gardening friends (or drop a few hints if you want one for yourself!) and are now more versatile than ever as they can be used toward a course booking, a garden consultation with Jimi, the cost of allotment hire or a season pass. To paraphrase the old proverb: give a person flowers and make them happy for a day, teach them to garden and give them joy for a lifetime! J
Consultations - Discount for November!
Jimi is available for garden consultations during which he will advise on the design of your garden, the supply of plants and planting of the garden. Jimi specialises in prairie planting, modern herbaceous borders and woodland gardens. The cost of a consultation is €300 for two to three hours within 15 miles of Hunting Brook. However, any consultation booked for the month of November will be undertaken at a reduced rate of €280. To book a consultation or for a quote for a longer consultation or one more than 15 miles from Hunting Brook, please ring Jimi.
Lectures
Jimi has developed a new series of lectures on gardening topics and is putting together his speaking schedule for 2009. If you would like to book Jimi to speak at your garden club event, ring him to discuss topics and dates. Speaking engagements can be held at your venue or in The Garden Room at Hunting Brook.
New! Hunting Brook Season Pass for 2009
We would like to thank everyone who visited the gardens this year and helped to make it such an enjoyable summer, and we look forward to seeing you again next year. Opening times for next year at Hunting Brook are posted on our web site. In addition to our open weekends, holders of our new Hunting Brook Season Pass will be welcome to visit the gardens at any time from April to October, inclusive, and will receive a 10% discount on courses, consultations, allotment hire and garden open evenings. A members' appreciation day will also be held during the summer with a free guided tour of the gardens by Jimi Blake and afternoon tea. The cost of a season pass is €40 for an adult, €60 for a couple or family or €25 for a senior citizen or student. Full details will be posted on our website shortly.