Members of the Hampshire Gardens Trust (HGT) came to us in the summer for a ‘behind the scenes tour' and, of course, tea and biscuits. We were not sure what the organisation did, so we asked Gillian Taylor, their Events Chairman, to bring us up to speed……….

So Gillian, tell us a bit about the Trust and what it does

The HGT is a voluntary organisation and charity concerned with protecting and conserving Hampshire’s rich heritage of parks, gardens and designed green spaces.

This work will keep these key areas available for future generations to enjoy.

Another major area of their work is encouraging young people to explore the outdoor world and become more connected with plants, soil, food production and wildlife, through School Garden Projects.

How can members become more involved with its work?

This will depend on the interests that a member has - some join the Research team and survey gardens and parks to identify how important they are historically.

This information can be useful in conservation discussions with planners and local authorities, an area covered by the Conservation team.

If that is not your cup of tea, then joining to attend some of the lectures or garden visits still provides valuable funds for us to use in our work, and they are enjoyable social occasions.

Then we have the School Garden Projects who are always looking for keen volunteers.

Yes, tell us something about this work

Currently we have two gardens in schools – one in Oliver’s Battery, near Winchester and the other in Millbrook, Southampton. I volunteer at the 'Olly B' one, as we call it, where the session is on Thursday mornings.

The garden has a polytunnel, so we can still meet the children in inclement weather. There are some chickens and lots of raised beds for growing vegetables and flowers. A Team Leader gives the volunteers lesson plans, although sometimes with four or five children in my group things do not always go according to plan and improvisation is the key! We may be looking at and identifying produce they have grown or discussing a healthy plate of food. Sometimes we do craft sessions making collages from plant material. The photo shows me after a hectic morning being the ‘magic bean lady’ which involved the children guessing what colour the beans in the pods would be, more difficult than it sounds.

Excitement is provided by competitions between year groups such as ‘Potato in a Bucket’. Recently some of the produce was entered into a local flower show and won a number of first prizes – lots of cheering when that was announced.

It is extremely rewarding work and great fun, certainly keeps us on our toes.

For more details check out the website www.hgt.org.uk