Cropwell Bishop Village Parish Plan

A perfect Summer Evening (25-6-10)

We'd seen the pictures and heard the talk and now time to walk the walk at Hebb's Farm. This English of English gardens down by the river at Stoke Bardolph didn't disappoint.

What must have been the biggest turnout of Gardening Club members to a local garden, 27 people enjoyed the evening sunshine and beautiful gardens created by Stuart Dixon.

We saw the promised enormous rambling rose covering the barn, the summer house made from the re-cycled cricket pavilion, so many varieties of roses and the overflowing herbaceous borders, the unbelievably tall delphiniums and so much more...... this garden certainly lived up to expectations with Stuart always on hand to share his plant knowledge.

And is that Richard Branson hoping to drop in for tea and home made scones??

Judy Thomas

Gardening Club Seeks Enlightenment (14-6-10)

On Thursday 27th May, 15 members of the Gardening Club spent a morning at the Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre at North Clifton, near Newark.

This beautiful and relaxing garden created by Buddha Maitreya, represents the Japanese countryside in miniature. Traditional garden elements such as water, carp, bridges and mountains together with moss, bamboo, evergreens, maple, cherry and stone lanterns are blended with a dash of English plants cut and shaped to blend East and West in radiant harmony.

Maitreya has reflected in the garden the meditation experience that he teaches—that of self-awareness, peace and harmony with Nature.

"The Garden Sits and radiates Oneness and beauty from it's heart, and we Sit in meditation and from our centering. We are One with all life - returning to the Nothingness from which all things grow"
Buddha Maitreya

I'm not sure how many found Enlightenment, but it was certainly a lovely morning in tranquil surroundings and the bowls of Japanese floral tea served with English scones, cream jam and honey was definitely East and West in perfect harmony!

Judy Thomas

Dream Cottage Garden (17-5-10)

It is probably something many of us imagine doing. You find an empty, boarded-up farmhouse that is overgrown with weeds and brambles, buy it, and then spend 20 years turning it into an amazing cottage garden packed with hundreds of varieties of roses, delphiniums and other plants.

Well while we were dreaming, Stuart Dixon was doing all these things at Hebbs Farm over in Stoke Bardolph.

At tonight's meeting of the Gardening Club in the Old School, he used slides to give over 40 members a glimpse of what he has acheived so far. Fortunately, they will not have to wait long to see far more of Stuart's garden. The club has organised a visit to Hebbs Farm on Wednesday 23rd June.

The £3 entrance fee (which goes to charity) will be a small price to pay to see his garden for real: the prospect of having a cream tea amongst the roses, a dream.

Tony Jarrow