Summer is finally here and everyone at Nature's Haven has been very busy. We have lots of wonderful news to share with you in our June Newsletter.
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Nature’s Haven Tea Garden
RHS Hampton Court Palace – Allotment Section, Plot 671 - 2nd-7th July
This is our first attempt at creating a show garden and the excitement and a few nerves are building as we transition from planning to build phase. The RHS event is an absolute highlight in our calendar and our volunteers, including the BCA students, have been busy sowing seeds and potting on numerous plants; maintaining and watering plants; preparing wood for the raised beds; collecting jam jars and preparing labels for the dried herbs; collecting frames to display recipes etc.
All the plants in the garden, both fresh and dried, can be used to create healing and therapeutic herbal tea infusions to soothe mind body and soul. Not only can the leaves of Manuka bushes be brewed as a medicinal tea but the flowers attract the bees to produce Manuka Honey which can be used as a natural sweetener and potent antibacterial agent.
On the allotment we will be celebrating the nation's love of the humble 'cuppa,' two land girls will brew a cup of tea in a nod to the 80th anniversary of D-Day, along with star of Red Dwarf, The Brittas Empire and Nature’s Haven’s celebrity ambassador, Chris Barrie.
If you can visit the show we would love to see you there. We’ll share photos of the garden with you in our next newsletter and in the meantime, below is a representation of what we’ll be building.
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What else have we been up to?
· ‘Sow, Grow, Eat . . . Repeat’
We delivered our first series of educational workshops for children and adults alike, helping individuals develop their knowledge of growing their own food regardless of whether they have a windowsill, balcony or garden. They can gain an understanding of the nutritional benefits of growing your own and eating seasonally; acquire knowledge about the healing power of fruit and vegetables; prepare and cook some of the produce grown.
Look out for future dates on the website.
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Corporate Volunteering Days
So far this year, we have delivered corporate volunteer days for British Gas, Centrica, Travelport and MCS (rental software). Our aim is to provide our corporate volunteers with a fun and rewarding day in the fresh air, with the opportunity to work hands-on in our beautiful gardens. During corporate volunteering days, participants experience a great team-building opportunity, whilst supporting the community and making a positive difference to the lives of people living with disabilities, wellness and health issues.
Most recently, the team from Travelport helped us clear the next section of the garden so that we can prepare to build more veg beds.
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Future workshops
People have expressed an interest in attending a hanging basket workshop and we’ll put out dates for that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, are there any specific workshops you would like us to put on? Please feel free to share your ideas and we’ll do our best to accommodate everyone. Please email us on - info@natureshaven.net
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Maidenhead Town Show – 13th October 2024 (all proceeds go to the Thames Valley Adventure Playground)
We are excited to have been asked to judge a couple of the fun horticulture competitions, including a pumpkin competition. If you haven’t already got growing it’s not too late! We are inviting kids to join us on Saturday 13th July between 10 am -12 pm to pot up a pumpkin to grow on ready for the show.
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