Friends Annual General Meeting 9th May

Our AGM takes place on Tuesday 9 May at 7.30pm. We invite all members and their friends to attend. This is always a social occasion with an opportunity to discuss many aspects of Petersfield Heath with your committee.

Our speaker this year is Andy Lewis, Head Gardener at The National Trusts’ Uppark House.

Back in 1989 Uppark suffered a catastrophic fire, and has been fully restored. Humphrey Repton’s original garden design was also restored – Andy is returning more of the garden to its original plan in which semi circles are a feature. His search for plants of the Repton era is fascinating. The garden has lawns, scented and shady borders, cedars, a gothic summer-house, a dairy, Andy’s favourite copper beech and marvellous views across the Solent.

Andy’s work includes habitat creation, such as glades for butterflies, and to reconnect the gardens to the larger countryside. The grounds at Uppark provide a perfect habitat for native brown hares, which can be spotted on quiet mornings in March and April, when they are at their most active. Andy is keen to manage the grassland and woodland at Uppark to encourage and conserve wildlife.  Investing in this now should lead to healthy brown hare numbers at Uppark for years to come.

We look forward to hearing more about maintaining a garden for the public to enjoy, but with regard to wildlife too.

As well as Committee business, which covers an eventful year, there will be plenty of refreshments to enjoy, so we hope to see very many of you in the Rose Room at The Festival Hall. AGM Agenda 09.05.17