Category Archives: News

Visit to Anglesey Abbey – 31st January 2025

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On the last day of January, members and friends of the AHS, went on our Winter Garden Trip to visit Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire. The Winter outing has a special place to cheer us at this dark and inclement time and every seat on the coach was taken.
The weather was kind, overcast, not too cold, with no rain. 


The attractions included the Jacobean House, a Watermill, Lode Mill and of course the garden. 
A small group of us managed to take the guided snowdrop tour where we saw the specialist collection of snowdrops some directly linked to Anglesey Abbey. An artist has painted over 300 different snowdrops collected in a beautiful book on sale in the bookshop. We learnt that the snowdrops hybridise and subtle new varieties emerge. They propagate in a Fibonacci pattern so once they establish they spread. The flowers also lean over and reach the ground once they are past their best. Those with seed heads drop their seeds and germination can begin again.There are lots of names for the snowdrops including Robin Hood and Anglesey Grumpy. 

The winter garden has a wow factor with the beautiful silver birches planted in a group, their white trunks stark against the deep colour of the soil. The dogwoods gave contrasting rich colours of reds and yellows. Block planting, with repeating patterns, was a notable theme in the expanse of the garden..
The woodland walk and the path to the Lode Mill were explored and those that managed a tour of the house enjoyed it. One of our party was spotted in the woodland play area.

The restaurant provided satisfying hot food at reasonable prices. The shop and plant centre were busy and many came away with purchases. The shop is the busiest National Trust shop and we proved the point.
A much enjoyed outing for the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society.

A Kickstart to the Gardening Year

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Winners of First Prize!

Two members of the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society/Aldersbrook Medical Centre Patient Participation Group (AHS/AMC PPG) gardeners, were delighted to be invited to attend the Redbridge in Bloom Awards on September 26th at Valentine Mansion, Ilford.

Whilst the group were aware that they were finalist, it wasn’t until the dramatic announcements of, third, second and then, finally first that the two attendees realised that they were overall winners.

Jane and Alison of the AHS and AMC PPG groups were delighted to receive their Trowel Trophy, presented by Mayor of Redbridge, Cllr Sheila Bain, as winners of the Best Community Display in Redbridge.

The origins of the group date back to 2018 when local residents, inspired by the Open Gardens event, formed the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society. Part of the AHS brief is community gardening. About the same time Richmond Road Gp Practice took on the contract for the Aldersbrook Medical Centre and our Gp services started to improve. Richmond Road also had a brief to engage with the local community and community groups to enhance health and well-being and a successful partnership was born.

The Aldersbrook Medical Centre garden has been transformed and is a welcoming front door to the Gp practice. After the lockdown of 2020/2021, trees were planted and a plaque installed in memory of those who had not survived COVID19.

We maintain the garden with monthly workshops run by our volunteer members.