Strictly Gardening will be held in The Orchards on Saturday 16th May from 10.00 am
Strictly Gardening, Haywards Heath’s community fun event, is set for Saturday 16th May this year and promises to be the very best ever, as well as being an official part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival for the first time. The theme of the day is the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and gardening expert and TV personality Charlie Dimmock will be opening the proceedings as well as being part of the celebrity Gardener’s Panel, chaired by Jean Griffin of BBC Radio Sussex & Surrey, for a public Question Time on all things green.
Strictly Gardening this year will also be hosting a book signing by best-selling children’s educational author Martyn Barr. With grants from our councils, Strictly has been able to provide Martyn’s books for all our local schools and libraries. These books are a young person’s guide to the work of all the creatures who live and work together to make our gardens and green spaces thrive. We’re delighted Martyn will be with us to sign copies and also give an insight into bees, the hardest working creatures on the planet.
But the Event begins right now! Through the generous support of West Sussex County Council, all our local primary schools, nursing and care homes are about to take delivery of huge teapot, cup and saucer planters, to be decorated and then displayed and judged by Charlie on the day. Meanwhile, Oathall Community College are joining with Strictly to organise a Great Gardening Bake-Off amongst our senior schools. In keeping with our theme, every cake must of course have at least one vegetable ingredient and, on the day, the best eight will be tasted and judged by Café Elvira’s chef. Our nursery schools won’t be left out either, as they’re all planting up mini wheelbarrows which will be judged by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff on the day.
Strictly wouldn’t be Strictly without involving absolutely everyone so as well as all the prize givings, there’ll be local school choirs to serenade us, Act Too Youth Theatre and RokSkool to amaze us, the Perrymount Players Youth Group to amuse us and, of course, the Mad Hatter himself (aka Greg Cox) to ensure the whole day goes well!
And, to round off a truly perfect day, there’ll be a huge Tea Party at the end for everyone, courtesy of all our local Girl Guides!
If you’d like to get involved in this great community gardening event, contact Ruth de Mierre on 01444 453 399 (ruth@i-dmc.co.uk) and join the fun!
