Monday, 13 May 2013
Blackshawhead Plant Sale and Spring Fair
It has been cold and it has been wet, and there was a covering of snow on the tops over Easter, but the Blackshawhead Plant Sale and Spring Fair goes ahead this Saturday.
Judith Willson, Eileen Stewart, and Pat Munday
For a time there were thoughts of cancelling, and it has been put back a week, because, as organiser Pat Munday explained, “everything in the garden is much later than usual. It takes weeks of preparation to get the all the plants potted up and ready for the sale, and the weather has been against us at every step”.
Snow devastates plants
They began their preparations, as usual, in March, then over 100 pots of plants were devastated after being covered with a foot of frozen snow for a fortnight and they had to start again. But, just like the herbaceous perennials that make up the bulk of the sale, the folk of Blackshawead are a hardy lot, who are used to ‘extreme gardening’, and they didn’t let a bit of weather dampen their determination to go ahead.
It’s been tough waiting for spring, and they’ve been playing ‘catch-up’ ever since, but despite the unseasonably heavy snow, biting winds, driving rain and freezing temperatures they’ve still managed to get hundreds of very hardy perennial plants ready for Saturday. As Pat says ”If they’ll survive and thrive in Blackshaw you know they’ll romp away in your garden”.
Flowering plants, vegetable plants, herbs and seedlings
As well as flowering plants there will also be herb and vegetable and tomato plants and seedlings from local growers. And if gardening is not your ‘thing’, there’s an exhibition of children’s art, craft stalls and games, a home produce stall with yummy cakes, jams and chutneys, and delicious lunches and teas, all at Blackshawhead Chapel from 1pm to 4pm this Saturday, 18th May.
Proceeds to Chapel Building Fund
The event is in aid of the chapel building fund. “The chapel is used regularly by community groups in the village as well as community events throughout the year” Pat explained, “but it costs over £200 a week to keep it open. Fund-raising events like this are a way for the local community to help the congregation to make sure that the building is maintained and improved, so it’s important that they go ahead. Still, on a positive note, at least with the wet weather we haven’t needed to worry about watering all those flowerpots!”