Purple and white cyclamen flowers surrounded by green leaves and grass, with a few white snowdrops in the background.

Kilsby Garden & Produce Association February Update

If we are to believe the calendar, then Spring Equinox is only a couple of weeks away.  It is easy at this end of the winter to become so fed up with the grey skies that it almost feels as though they are a permanent fixture.  But if we look at the spring flowers already blooming, and myriad bulbs already thrusting their way through the soil, then maybe, just maybe, we can believe the calendar and look forward to the wonderful colours of the new flowers.

Already, as we walk around the village there is so much to delight the eye, as our pictures show.   And just to remind ourselves that sometimes winter itself can be just as beautiful, we also have a couple of photos of those heavy frost days we had in January.

We already have lots to look forward to this year in the KGPA.   Our Gardeners’ Party is fast approaching on 28th March.   Kindly being hosted again by John and Annie Madigan – there will be the usual brain teaser of the quiz and the delicious buffet provided by the KGPA committee (many of the dishes being repeated year after year by popular demand!).

The annual seedling sale will be held on the Village Green at 10.30am on 10th May 2025. and there will be another Strawberry Tea in the summer – a different venue this year.  Details will be available soon.

Several visits are already in the planning stages – again we will send out emails (and update this page) when full details are available.

Garden and container judging will take place on Saturday 28th June and the NGS Open Garden scheme will be on Sunday 29th June.

The ever popular KGPA Produce Show will be on Sunday 7th September, and this year we have added more craft classes.  These are now:

40        Any Knitted article

41        Any Crochet article

42        Any Sewn article

43        Hard Craft – any article

44        Patchwork and/or applique

45        Cross stitch

46        Any Upcycled article

47        A blue colour-themed article in any medium

48        A Picture in any medium

49        Papercraft

50        You’ve made it – let’s see it!

51        A Photograph – A Gate

52        A Photograph – Water

 

So, plenty of advance warning to get those fingers working over the summer creating both in and out of the garden!

Unfortunately, at last year’s show we had no entries from children in the village at all.  So this year we had planned to try and hold something different in conjunction with the school.   This has not materialised as we had hoped and so for this year’s show there will be no children’s classes at all.   BUT …… do remember that children can enter ANY of the classes in the show (except for the gin class!).   They are not age restricted in any way.

Lots of things to look forward to in 2025 and you can become a member for only £5 per household per year.   And that entitles you to 10% discount at both Barby (plants only) and Whilton Locks nurseries.

Contact: Carol Chamberlain (carol@profitlinkgroup.co.uk) or Robin Nicholls (arjayen@hotmail.co.uk)

 

Cluster of white snowdrop flowers with green stems growing in a garden bed next to a cobblestone path. The small, delicate flowers have drooping petals and are surrounded by dark soil and a few bare stems. Two large metal sculptures resembling pine cones are set against a brick wall and surrounded by green vines. The sculptures are dusted with frost, highlighting their detailed shapes. A bronze rabbit sculpture with a dusting of frost on its ears and back is situated in a garden bed with frosty plants and soil, creating a wintry scene. A tortoise covered in frost walks on a rocky surface. The frost gives its shell and legs a fluffy, white appearance. Surrounding the tortoise are ivy leaves also dusted with frost.