Monthly Update
Battle was hit by snow storms and temperatures down to -4C in December. This hampered planting out polyanthus and bulbs for Spring 2023. Luckily, the temperature eventually warmed up and allowed the gardeners to complete most of the planting before Christmas.Just before Christmas, BB held a reduced AGM in the Almonry followed by its Christmas party for the volunteer gardeners.
Beautiful Battle has started to clear the Lower Almonry Garden of builders' debris, weed and clear dead plants. This month the containers and tubs in the town have been cleared and planted up with bulbs for the Spring and polyanthus for the winter months.
The judge for South & South East in Bloom 2022 awarded Battle Town gold. He wrote 'The overall standard of horticulture is very good with excellent attention to detail. The high street colour scheme, with plants chosen to reflect the Queen’s jubilees, and grown on from plug plants in a rented green house, is attractive and ensures a unified look to the street. The maintenance of other planted areas is consistent and undertaken to a high standard. The gardens in the Almonry Courtyard and Wellington Court are good examples of this. There is also a strong awareness of the need for planting pollinator friendly plants and to support a variety of insects and wildlife. The wild flower meadow at Caldbec Hill and the churchyard at St. Mary’s are good examples of this.'
BB took delivery of polyanthus plug plants from Ball Colegrave this month. Unfortunately, they were stored upside down at the Almonry for 5 days before BB was advised. BB lost over 600 of the 1000 plugs and had to reorder more plugs from Ball Colegrave and Brookside to ensure that there would be enough plants for the town. The polyanthus plug plants have all been potted on at Uckham Lane Nurseries and will be planted out in November. BB also took delivery of bulbs from Parkers.
This month Her Majesty the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. Beautiful Battle planted out the hanging baskets, containers and flower beds for the Jubilee Weekend of street parties, parades and the Medieval Fayre. Planting will continue throughout the month. New containers have been located on the station concourse. As the Almonry front entrance has been completed, BB hopes to gain entrance to the front garden which is in need of attention. No date has been set for gaining entrance to the rear garden. Battle Town Council has entered the town into the South & South East in Bloom Competition. Judging will take place on 7th July 2022.
Plug plants in the BB greenhouse have been grown on and this month being planted in window boxes, hanging baskets, barrier baskets and containers in the town ready for the Jubilee weekend. The colour scheme was chosen by Battle Town Council to reflect the Queen's Jubilees - Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum. The plant list is shown in the April update below.
Beautiful Battle has taken delivery of plug plants this month to meet Battle Town Council's Jubilee colour scheme for Summer 2022. These have been potted on at Uckham Lane Nurseries by BB volunteer gardeners. The plants chosen were ordered from Ball Colegrave, Brookside and Flowers Green as follows:
PLATINUM (SILVER) JUBILEE PLANTS:
Dichondra Silver Falls
Cineraria Silver Dust
Heliochryssum Silvio Spreading
GOLDEN JUBILEE PLANTS:
Marigold Durango
Rudbeckia Toto Gold
Calibrachoa Can-Can Sunrise
DIAMOND JUBILEE PLANTS:
Euphorbia Glamour
Petunia Fanfare
Lobelia Infinity
Antirrhinum Sonnet White
Alyssum Clear Crystal
ROYAL PURPLE:
Salvia Victoria
Verbena Endurascape
Fuchsia Delta Sarah