Discover nature in Newham (!) at FOAG's FREE event for all ages ...

Explore Abbey Gardens on a garden tour 
Join the bug hunt – kids win a treat for spotting the species 
Take part in Wild about Wildflowers: Join the seed sowing to mark the start of the Royal Horticultural Society’s first National Gardening Week 
Grow food on your windowsill in a variety of household objects 
Forage for garden goodies at our honesty stall 
Visit our Q&A table where our expert gardener will be happy to answer your gardening questions 
And if all that is thirsty work, there’s our ever-popular tea and cake stall.

All activities are free. Tea, cake and honesty stall produce for donations to the garden. 

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As well as the NGS open day mentioned below we have a full calendar for activities at Abbey Gardens throughout the seasons. This year the events team are ahead of the game with this nice downloadable pdf calendar! 

AND as if all this isn't enough FOAG are also now on facebook and twitter - love us up here, listen to little tweets from an urban oasis here.

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Photo: Lydia Thornley

The 2012 garden season has begun and we are off to a FANTASTIC start ... we heard last week that the Friends Group have been successful in securing on-going funding from the Tudor Trust for the next three years. It's wonderful news to know the garden club sessions will continue and Hamish will be able to stay as our Garden Club Leader. Here are the times for this years sessions: 

Tuesdays 1pm-4pm 
Thursdays 4pm-7pm 
Saturdays 10am-3pm

The other big news this year is of course our entry for the first time into the almighty NGS yellow book - you can see our page on the NGS site here, I think we brush up nicely for the honour.

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You can see more of these 'vintage' garden beauties here, the 'rhubarb shot' is a real winner. I just realised I'm posting a picture of roses on Valentines day!

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It often seems that I have little in common with the rest of my family in the way of hobbies/profession, certainly none of my immediate family could be regarded as being mad about gardening. A recent trawl through our loft though has thrown up boxes of old slides taken by my Great Great Uncle including images of my Great Grandparents in their garden - which I can vaguely remember.

I really love some of the images - the layout of the garden is SO old fashioned and the staked delphiniums would put most contemporary allotment holders to shame. Yet some of the images of individual plants and particularly cut flowers and vegetables could have been taken by me, at Abbey Gardens or on my allotment. The vases I often use for cut flowers are in fact from my grandmother and she may well have inherited them from my Great Grand Parents ... there's something nice about fresh, fragile cut flowers forging such an immediate and powerful link to people from your past.

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This will be followed by the Friends of Abbey Gardens AGM from 2-4pm. at Stratford Salvation Army, 1 Paul Street, London E15 4QB, which is near Abbey Gardens. Anyone is welcome to attend so if you're thinking of joining the group this is a good event to come to. Aside from the regular business we will be talking about where we have got to with becoming a charity AND electing all the main roles in the group ... 

We have spent a lot of time trying to find someone local interested in taking up the role of secretary for the group so if you're reading this and think it might be for you do get in touch.

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Winter Chill at Abbey Gardens Saturday 26 November
- FREE  4.30pm - 6pm Abbey Gardens, Bakers Row, London
E15 3NF 

* Homemade soup and a glass of mulled wine *Local choir by
candlelight * Mince pies, tea and cakes for small donations
for the garden * Honesty Stall and produce * Festive
craft activities for all ages  


Activities are free of charge. Food, drink and honesty stall
produce are available for donations.

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This year ... Next Year

Hamish and I spent a happy couple of hours yesterday afternoon working on the planting plan for next year - at season 4 there's even some crops which have done a 'full rotation'. I love doing the planting plan - it's such a challenge to balance your 'wish list' of plants with 'what will work where' and 'what has grown where before'! 

New things we want to try next year include sweet potatoes, purple and yellow beans, dark mangetout and of course some new flower and vegetable combinations.

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It's been super busy at Abbey Gardens - we've had our Green East networking night (you can see some nice pictures of this here) including the very popular 'Get Rid of your Glut' table of (largely pickled) products!

This years Harvest Festival went with a swing, a mid event downpour rather adding to the good natured chaos.

Then the very next weekend the Friends group made a cameo appearance on Radio 4's Broadcasting House - Charlie (of course) stole the show ...  

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It's that time of year again and the Harvest Festival is looming!

This FREE EVENT is on Saturday 17 September 1pm - 4pm
Abbey Gardens, Bakers Row, London E15 3NF

• Take part in the 2011 Vegetable Games
• Enter our sport-themed cake or vegetable sculpture competitions
• Chef Beatrice Millner will be cooking produce from the garden for everyone to enjoy
• Enjoy live jazz music all afternoon from G & G Jazz Trio
• Garden tours and gardening tips from Hamish, our garden club leader
• Tea and cakes for small donations for the garden
• Kids’ activities related to the garden Activities are free of charge.

Food, drink and honesty stall produce are available for donations. Cake competition entries to be prepared in advance. Vegetable sculptures can also be created on the day.

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