5/6 November: This weekend we planted the remainder of the bulbs on the wildflower area - 50 wild garlic bulbs. We also removed the bedding from the four troughs at the roundabout and replaced some of the spring bulbs that had been taken out when we planted the summer bedding. Although they look a bit empty now with only ivy growing around the edges in the spring they'll be full of colour with daffodils etc. This is the last of the autumn planting, finished just in time before the weather turns and over the winter we will focus on fundraising and on planning the summer displays. If you would like to contribute to next year's displays then please contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   

29/30 October: The second stage of planting is now underway. With some of the grant money we got for best new project in the Northumberland Awards last year we bought spring bulbs. Over the course of the weekend we planted 500 english bluebells, 100 wild anemones, and 50 wild tulips. Thanks to those of you who braved the weather on Saturday to help with the planting. Then on Sunday, we transplanted 50+ wild primrose plantlets. We could have put them straight into the ground but they're so small it made sense to transplant them and bring them on in a cold frame over the winter. By next spring they'll be ready to go out into their permanent homes in the wildflower area. The only thing left for this second stage of planting is the wild garlic but they haven't arrived as yet so it'll be a job for next weekend. See you then.

23 October: The last of the spring daffodils were planted making around 400 new plants for next spring. Hopefully the winter will be kind and we'll be repaid with a massive display of spring colour. Next weekend, its the 2nd stage of planting for the wildflower area. We'll be out on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons so please come along and lend a hand. 

15/16th October: After having a weekend off, we spent this weekend getting the annual 'plant a bulb for spring' project underway. We received donations (thank you so much for that) that allowed us to buy 2 sacks of daffodil bulbs and we spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon getting these planted before the weather turned. We still have more planting to do but at least most of the daffodils are in now.  

1/2nd October: Work begins again for next year's displays. The tubs along the main street were planted up with winter bedding. We haven't spent money on the tubs yet this year because we lost a lot of flowers/tubs last year after the heavy snows from Nov to Jan. This year we have just re-used what we'd kept over the summer and will top them up in the spring once the weather has settled down.  

25th September, Great Whittington awarded SILVER GILT in the finals of the RHS Britain in Bloom Competition 2011.

It was the culmination of a year of hard work but the rewards were well worth the effort. At the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews, Scotland, the awards were presented by tv celebrity Rachel De Thame. Towns and villages from all over Britain took part and the standard was very high indeed. To achieve Silver Gilt on our first entry into the finals is a fantastic achievement so we would like to say very well done to everyone who joined in and we hope that you'll be spurred on by this result to do even better in the Northumbria in Bloom competition next year. Look out for flyers giving info on our next events, such as spring bulb planting, wildflower area work and replacement of the summer bedding. We need to keep up the momentum if we're going to keep up the standard. Any offers of help with the work or the funding are most welcome. You know who we are, please come over and talk to us about our plans for the future. We'll be out in the village most weekends until the weather gets too cold/wet for gardening.

Great Whittington gets a GOLD award in the Northumbria in Bloom Competition. At the prize presentation at Saltburn on Tues 13th Sep, Great Whittington won a gold award in the small village category. Unfortunately we didn't bring home the trophy this year as it was won once again by Stanghow but Stanghow won the overall trophy as well so at least we were beaten by the best! Our overall score was higher than last year as was our spring judging score but it was the summer judging that brought the best marks so thanks once again to everyone who joined in. Find more information about our scores in the judge's comments section. We appreciate the help you gave in all areas of the competition this year, those who helped with the hard work, those who donated plants or money, those who provided excellent hospitality to our visiting judges and to all of you who have taken the time to make your gardens beautiful. It all went towards our points total and our gold award.

We will be continuing with the campaign next year and if we can only get a little bit more help then who knows, next year we might even manage to beat Stanghow. Of course, its the taking part that counts really and I think we're all in agreement that our village is looking better now than it has done in years, not to mention the community spirit so winning isn't everything. In the meantime, the awards for Britain in Bloom will be held on Sunday 25th Sep and I will update these pages as soon as possible after the ceremony. Please watch the village hall notice board for further information about next year's campaign, including planting up the widflower area. We have now received the grant money so the hard work will soon be beginning. A flyer will be sent to everyone after the 25th. Thanks again for your support.

RHS Britain in Bloom Judging - Tues 2nd August 11am:

Well, the judging is now completed and all we can do is await the results in September. In the meantime we hope that you'll enjoy the beautiful gardens and the immaculate village green as much as we did on our judging tour. Despite the horrible weather, spirits were high as we showed the judges our accomplishments. The village hall garden was looking wonderful with the children's vegetable beds, and the wildlfower area and community allotment showed our latests projects in progress. Thank you to all of our volunteers, especially those who helped on the day by providing refreshments for the judges, and allowing them inside their gardens, this was much appreciated. Thanks also go to the Mayor of Hexham, Rad Hare, and Councellor Edward Heslop for turning up to support us and to everyone else who has helped this year. We should have photos and an article in the Hexham Courant shortly so please look out for those. We will be updating these pages soon with news of our ongoing and new projects for over the winter months so please try to join in and help as it really is fun to get together and improve our environment.  

23/24th July: Luckily the weather dried up for the weekend gardening. It had poured down all week so the flowers had a good drink but unfortunately the weeds did as well. It was hard to believe how perfect the village had looked just over a week ago and now unwanted things are sprouting up all over the place. Over the 2 days we managed to weed and edge the village green borders, clip the edges of the village green after the council mowers had cut the grass during the week, and some of us spent Sunday at the village hall weeding the flowerbeds and the border around the outside. Hopefully the rain won't be quite so bad for the coming week and we'll be able to finish things off next weekend in plenty of time. Don't forget the deadheading through the week, if we can get out for a short while each evening, things won't get out of control. There will also be a photo call on the wildflower area on Tues 26th at 4.30 for an article the Hexham Courant are doing about the LOVE Northumbria awards. All our helpers are welcome to come along for the group photo - let's try to get a big group together and don't forget to smile, even if you are ripped up by rose thorns and it happens to be raining on us yet again!

16/17th July: Our volunteers took a well deserved weekend off to celebrate the winning the wildflower award and, of course, the Northumbria in Bloom judging. Back to work next weekend though!

The summer judging  for Northumbria in Bloom took place on a beautiful summer's day. The sun was shining and the village looked absolutely perfect. The time of the judging was moved forward so unfortunately some of the people who had hoped to meet the judges were unable to be there - the children were especially disappointed. But it was unavoidable as the judges had a memorial service to attend and we didn't want them to miss it. Everything seemed to go well and in addition to the perfect green areas and the splended gardens the judges were impressed by the business premises (Scott's Yard), the award winning wildflower area and the new community vegetable garden created by our local farmer Tim Oliver.  

Wed 13th July - Great Whittington Wildflower Area wins best new project at the LOVE Northumberland awards. The Duchess of Northumberland presented us with a certificate and £250 at a presentation ceremony at Alnwick Gardens. Watch the local press for more news of our success and watch the wildflower area to see the improvements that we can make with the winnings. We have prepared an 'I-Spy in the wildlfower area' sheet for the local children to fill in over the holidays, let us know if you'd like a copy.

9/10 July: Masses of support for the gardening this weekend. Just about all of the village green is now neatly edged and cut and the borders along the wall are now weeded and deadheaded. Two of the four tubs by the island have been re-planted with bedding to match the original two and the hostas will be planted elsewhere in the village. Thanks to everyone who turned out to help, the village has never looked better.

2/3 July: Good weather again, can't believe our luck. The table at the BBQ went down very well, we made some welcome cash for the funds and got to talk to loads of people about the forthcoming judging and what our overall aims are for this year and next. The children loved the flower game and several of them volunteered to come along to the vegetable planting on the Sunday. On Sunday the children planted up the wheelbarrow and the raised vegetable beds and, not to be left out, the adults have now started a communal vegetable garden thanks to our local farmer Tim Oliver who has cleared some land for the purpose. More green edging was carried out as was regular maintenance such as weeding and dead heading. We are now compiling a wildflower and tree fact sheet for the wildlfower area and hope to extend the tree fact sheet to include other parts of the village green. We have been shortlisted for the LOVE Northumberland grant we applied for earlier in the year so may be getting funds to use on wildflower plants and seeds - fingers crossed!

25/26 June: Good weather at last! Finally got to planting out the Town Farm flower bed, its looking good. Some work done at the village hall garden and final preparations done for the fundraising table at the BBQ next weekend. The nettles that were over running the widlflower area have now been cut down and the grass edging has begun - but lots more to do before judging.

18/19 June: Rained off on Saturday yet again but more work done in greenhouse. Sunday was the day for the wildflower area, more nasty weeds dug out, more plants put in, more seeds sprinkled and the grass tidied up. General tidying on the village green, where did all the broken branches come from - it hasn't been windy for weeks!

11/12 June: Borders at the Butcher's Shop and the Town Hall village green weeded and tidied. Troughs at roundabout planted out, hedge tidied by village hall garden - this will make a massive improvement to photos taken at the entrance to the village.

4/5 June: Potting on of hundreds of vegetable plants. Wildflower meadow tidy up, grass cutting on the green - daffodils cut down so that grass will green up before summer judging.

28/29 May: Gardens tidied for portfolio photographs. Wildflower meadow planting. Summer display tubs finished off.

21/22 May: Summer display planting begun.

14/14 May: Potting on and working in greenhouse - bad weather jobs.

7/8 May: Working in wildflower area.

30 April/1 May: Massive amounts of deadheading carried out. Most of the daffodils have now gone over, a lot of the tulips needed deadheading also.

23/24 April: Work continued on wildflower area. Grant application begun.

16/17 April: Work begun on wildflower area.

9/10 April: Weekend meetings to discuss judging and strategy for summer judging. Will begin work on wildflower area next weekend, some clearing has already been done but masses of work still to do.

Spring Judging Update:

It was a brilliantly sunny spring day when the judges visited and the village looked splendid. Massive thanks to everyone who made the effort to tidy up the village in preparation for the big day. Not only did every garden look wonderful but the village green was neatly edged, the roads were swept and even the sign was painted. Several residents took the time to speak to the judges as they passed by the gardens and the sense of community was evident throughout the visit. The judges were highly impressed by the daffodils and other spring planting, by the cleanliness of the village and by the friendliness of the villagers. They are now looking forward to seeing our summer displays during their next visit in July. Our heritage theme is 'Welcome Home' and is based on the community welcoming home the villagers who went off to fight in the Second World War (see the 'village hall renovation appeal' section of this website for more information about the Welcome Home Committee). We will be planting vegetables in the village hall garden once more, gardening in the environmentally friendly way of the past, planting a small wildflower lawn under the trees in a dark area on the green and planting the tubs in our theme colours of yellow, white, blue and red. This weekend we will be planting seeds for the children to raise and then plant out in the new beds in the village hall garden. You know who to contact if you'd like to help, please join in if you can - its not only good exercise but its fun too.

The date for the spring judging for Northumbria in Bloom is to be Friday the 8th April. The judges will be visiting at 2pm, please come out and meet them if you're around at that time. In the meantime we have loads to do - borders to straighten, grass to cut, the village hall border to tidy and weeding and planting to finish. The daffodils are well on the way to making the splash of colourful impact that the judges are looking for so please join in and make sure that the rest of the village is looking splendid for the big day.  

March 2011

The spring displays are now replanted and we've replaced one of the tubs that was broken by the snow. Thanks very much for the donations that allowed us to buy some new bedding and one new half barrel to replace the broken one. We have also started edging the village green and the road sweeper made a good job of clearing the winter mud and rubbish from along the sides of the road. There's still a lot to do before judging but we're well on the way. We'll be holding a meeting in the Queen's Head soon, more details to follow.

February 2011:

Launch of Great Whittington in Bloom 2011 campaign. Notices have been chalked on the village hall notice board and the first leaflet drop of the year was made in late February. Now that the weather isn't quite so disgusting we need to get our campaign underway. Let's give it our best shot folks, no point in being in the final if we don't do our very best to show the rest of the country what a beautiful village we live in. The daffodils that were planted last year are now showing their heads above the mud that was once (and will be again hopefully) our beautiful village green so we need to get out there and start tidying up the winter mess. Please remember that we need loads of photos for our portfolio, presentation and slide show so if you are doing any major gardening works, please either keep a record or let the committee know so that we can come along and photograph it for you.  

January 2011:

More doom and disaster, the village hall has been condemned and the 3 grant proposals we put in for the wildlife garden were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, until we have been able to raise the money for the hall repairs, our fundraising will be badly hit as we cannot use the hall for events. We are also unable to put in any further grant applications for the garden until we know what is happening with the hall - therefore the wildflower meadow is on hold for the time being along with the bird hide and repairs to the wall. To make things worse, people have started dumping rubbish through the hole in the wall so all the good work we did last year on clearing up the plot, removing the weeds and putting in the compost bins is at risk of being wasted. We have to make repairing the wall a priority if people can't be trusted not to use the wildlife garden as a rubbish tip.

In the meantime, we have held our first meetings of the year in order to plan our campaign for the Britain in Bloom final. We need to come up with a heritage theme and have already had some good suggestions but more are welcome. We want to make sure that our theme is reflecting the wishes of the majority of the villagers - we need you all to be behind us on this. We also need to raise funds to replace the tubs and spring bedding - any ideas most welcome.  

Breaking News!!!! Great Whittington makes it into the final of Britain in Bloom 2011. We are one of only 4 of the best small villages in the whole of the country to make it through to the final. It'll mean a lot more hard work but we're so chuffed to have national recognition at last. Keep an eye on these pages for details of what we'll be doing once we launch our campaign in the spring.

December 2010:

Unfortunately the snows hit early this year and the village was under snow drifts for what felt like forever but was only from late November until almost the end of December. Unfortunately, disaster struck when the snow from the roads was thrown on top of our newly planted tubs full of spring bedding. When the thaw eventually happened, the little conifers that we've successfully over summered for the past 5 years were bent and at least 3 of our tubs have been damaged beyond repair. Luckily we have had one barrel donated to replace one of the plastic tubs that we'd been aiming to change before the spring judging anyway but whether or not we'll be able to salvage the larger barrels, or the conifers, it's too early to tell. It's a bit of a blow but it could have been worse, the floods last year destroyed all of the bulbs we'd planted but luckily this year we haven't had that much rain - as yet. Finger's crossed that the bulbs will be okay.  

November 2010:

The 'plant a bulb for spring' appeal was very successful and we planted over 600 daffodils as well as tulips, snowdrops and bluebells. Thanks to everyone who came along to help, thanks to those who donated money for bulbs and to those who donated bulbs. We planted the bulbs in the dark areas on the village green and on the roundabout, it should all look brilliant in spring. The bluebells were donated and have been planted in the village hall wildlife garden along with donated snowdrops and tulips. Two rows of daffodils were also planted along the inside of the wall around the wildlife garden. This was one of our major aims in order to raise our score in the spring judging so we're very pleased to say that it has been achieved and we planted more bulbs than we ever thought possible - a few sore backs after that weekend! 

October 2010:

Time to put away the summer bedding and sort out the winter displays. The committee planted out the spring bedding that had been kept over the summer months. The summer bedding was composted down all apart from the grasses in the centre of the barrels, which will be over wintered in the greenhouses. We should have plenty of new compost ready come time for the summer displays.

Northumbria in Bloom Results:

Breaking news - Great Whittington scoops a GOLD AWARD in the Northumberia in Bloom Competition. We were runners up in the best small village category, next year we plan to bring home the trophy. Watch this space, the Village Hall notice board and for flyers coming through the door if you want to help us reach our target. Many thanks to all of you who invested, time, effort and well earned cash to support the appeal this year, your efforts have been recognised and rewarded by the judges - and a big thank you goes to our judges too for all the help and support they've given us over the years. At the risk of making this sound like a speech from the Oscars, thanks to everyone who's helped us over the last few years as we've made our way to the top (almost), we couldn't have done it without you.

Summer Judging Update:

Our luck with the weather held yet again! Despite the disgusting weather we've had for the last few days, the rain stopped and the sun came out for the summer judging - someone up there wants us to win! I'm happy to report that the judging went very well indeed. A massive thank you to all of you who joined in this weekend, our efforts were well worth it. The village looked amazing, hardly a leaf out of place.  Several gardens have been brightened up with a splash of colour and the village green areas were absolutely perfect - thanks going mainly to Phil and Ross, well done! Shame about the two lawn mowers but you can't make a village green without breaking the odd one! And a big thank you to Simon for having the courage to lend Phil his after the first two had died, that's bravery for you!

The judges were particularly impressed by the planting that was in fitting with the countryside surroundings, the well kept lawns, the pots of bright flowers strategically placed and the wildlife garden at the village hall. They loved seeing Lewis' and Robbie's gardens and enjoyed talking to the few villagers who were around. Suggestions for improving our score next time include planting more daffodils in the spring (one village has a mile of them!) and putting wildflower seeds and small bulbs in the village hall grass. Apart from that, there was nothing the judges could think of that would improve things. Overall, I can say that we're definitely in the running for gold this year and even for best village, although we'll have to wait until September 13th to find out for certain. Fingers crossed!

Wednesday 21st July - Summer Judging:

The time has almost come for that last big push to make Great Whittington GOLD!!! The summer judging takes place on the afternoon of Wednesday 21st July. We've worked very hard throughout the year in order to make our village the best small village in Northumberland but these last few days before judging is the time to make sure that every little detail has been made perfect.

The village hall wildlife garden is coming along tremendously and we're in the process of trying to raise more funds in order to build a bird hide and education area as well as putting in water butts and nest boxes. But the village green area is where we need to concentrate our efforts over the few days left before judging. We need a team of volunteers to help tidy the grass verges and kerbs on the weekend before judging. The council road cleaner will be giving a last spruce up but the main work is for us to do. We need to make sure there are no weeds growing along the edges of the roads, the edges of the borders should be tidied up, the grass must be cut and all clippings must be composted. Not one stray weed or grass clipping should be left when the judges visit. Dead heading is also crucial all of the time but particularly just before judging. Finally, as the birds aren't part of the effort and don't take kindly to wearing nappies, the street furniture will need a last scrub on the morning of judging. So, if you'd like to help us in our efforts then any practical help you can offer will be much appreciated and might make all the difference. Every detail is important if we want to make it to gold standard so please join us.  

If anyone would like to meet the judges on judging day then we will be entertaining them after judging at the village hall garden if its a nice day and inside if it rains - you're very welcome to come along. But, even if you don't come along for tea and cakes then please say hello to the judges as they pass by your garden. Fingers crossed that this is our year!

Spring Judging Update:

The sun shone for the judging yet again - we seem to be incredibly lucky with the weather on judging days, or perhaps I shouldn't say that!

Our village always looks beautiful but today it was outstanding. Thanks so much to all of you who put in that extra bit of effort at the weekend, it was well worth it. The judges were impressed by the colourful display of spring bulbs, which looked even better under the sunshine that's been so seldom seen lately. Thanks also go to those villagers who were around today and came out to chat to the judges. Its a shame that so many of our residents are at work during judging and miss it after putting in such hard work throughout the year to keep things tidy and well planted. 

The highlights this year were the colourful but well chosen planting along the borders of the verges next to the stone walls, the little stone containers filled with spring colour and, of course, the newly started designated wildlife conservation area in the village hall garden. Our next task is to build on what we've already achieved. We intend to put compost bins in the village hall garden and a seat so that parents can sit comfortably whilst the children hunt for bugs and other wildlife to put in the bug hotel. We're also planning to start a small wildflower meadow under the trees around the bug hotel and Whittington Water. If you'd like to become involved, either by helping with the work or by donating plants, funds or any other useful material, then please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The next big date for the diary is Tuesday 20th July when the summer judging takes place. Please help us to work towards regaining Great Whittington's place as the best small village in the area.

Wed 14th April:

Clearing the verges

Its time for the spring judging! The village was out in force on the Saturday and Sunday before the spring judging for Northumbria in Bloom. Grass verges were tidied, clippings cleared up and weeds and rubbish removed from the road edges. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped get our village ready for the big day. The judges will be coming around the village on the afternoon of Wed 14th April so, if you're out in your garden when they come past, please say hello.

Spring 2010 - at last!

After the atrocious weather we had this winter, spring finally erupted with a splash of yellow and green to brighten up the darkness. Gardening has had to take a back seat for a couple of months whilst we focussed on digging ourselves out of the snow and wading through the floods but at last we've managed to get back to sorting out our village for the great push for gold in the Northumbria in Bloom competition.

March 2010:

Building the bug hotel

Almost finished!

Great Whittington now boasts a top of the range bug hotel! One rather chilly but not too wet Sunday morning in March we finally got started on our designated wildlife area at the village hall. A band of willing volunteers got together to make a bug hotel and log lodge with special areas for toads, hedgehogs, over wintering butterflies and bugs and even our very own 'Whittington Water' for the frogs and water beetles. There are now feeding stations for the birds that nest in the creepers on the stone wall and a walk way has been cut through the bushes so that the village children can explore. And this is only the start, there are many more things planned for later in the year.  Why not walk up and have a look at what's been achieved - we're always looking for more helpers and for good ideas on how we can improve our wildlife area.

Nov 2009:

Sunflower Competition Prize winners

Thursday 5th November was not only bonfire night but also the prize giving for the Sunflower Competition. The weather had been so awful this year that a lot of the sunflowers were either blown down in the gales or broken down by the rain. So that the children were not disheartened it was decided that they'd all get a prize this year. The prizes were again supplied by our sponsors The Queen's Head Inn. Hopefully next year the growing conditions will be better.  See the gallery for more photos.

Oct 2009: 

In october  we began changing the displays in the tubs and tyres. The conifers had grown during the summer so look splendid surrounded by our primulas, which also thrived at the bottom of the garden until they were needed again. The old plants were composted down, apart from those that will be saved for cuttings for next summer's displays.

July 2009:

Monday 20th July was the big day, the Northumbria in Bloom summer judging. We'd had our trials and tribulations coming up to the day what with the horrendous weather, sheep eating our display, the upturned tub, and the new massive planter having to be moved for the BBQ, but, in the end, it all worked out very well indeed. The sun came out for the judging and although rain threatened on and off, we got round without getting soaked.

It had been hard work getting everything done in time as it poured just about all the way through Saturday, soaking the grass clippings that had been left on the verges after the council mowers cut the grass earlier in the week. But thanks to a little army of helpers, the clippings were cleared, the grass re-mown neatly and the pavements swept. A big thank you has to go to all of you who helped this year, it was brilliant to see so many new volunteers working alongside our regular garden club members. Just about all of the gardens along the main street were colourful and tidy, the planting along the walls fitted in perfectly with our countryside surroundings and even the bedding in the tubs burst into bloom at the right time.  The Queen's Head baskets are beautiful this year, the yellow brightening up the village even when the sun isn't shining.

So, thanks to the community effort, we should do very well this year and if we don't get silver gilt I shall eat the display myself! The result will be out in the middle of September and will be posted on these pages and on the board at the village hall. Fingers crossed!

If you'd like to get more involved next year or if you have any suggestions for how we can improve our village, please contact:   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  we'd love to hear from you.

May 2009:

Sunday 31st May was the day of the second annual Great Whittington Plant Swap. The weather was beautiful, one of the hottest days of the year so far. Plants were swapped and bought and everyone enjoyed themselves in the summer sunshine. In addition, we made some much needed funds for the 'Make Great Whittington Silver Gilt' appeal. There will be some new planting appearing along the main street over the next few weeks. Definitely a date for the diary - looking forward to next year already!

April 2009:

Thursday 9th April was the day that the Spring judging for the Northumbria in Bloom Competition took place. Not so fortunate with the weather this year, the sun certainly didn't shine on Great Whittington as the judges made their way around the village. However, what we lacked in sunshine was more than compensated for by the brilliant displays of daffodils along the borders, around trees, on the verges and in the gardens. The planting this year far out shone that of past years. It was a lovely display and thanks go to everyone who managed to plant some extra bulbs this year.

Unfortunately we were unable to get the council mowers out this week but the volunteers who are looking after the verges did us proud. The grass looked so neat and tidy and not a stray clipping in sight. Thanks to everyone who was out mowing at the weekend, it makes such a difference.

Needless to say, the judges were highly impressed and I'm confident that all our hard work has been worthwhile. Tea and biscuits at Lisa's were the finishing touch, not to mention Lizzie's hens who put in an appearance too. So, lets keep up the effort for the summer, July will be the next date to aim for. If we can plant something colourful in our gardens, to provide a backdrop for the containers along the main street, then we'll be well on our way to increasing our points. We're also hoping to get the children together to begin work on a nature garden at the village hall, maybe create a wildflower meadow, put up some nest boxes for the birds and boxes for insects to live in over the winter. Watch these pages for more information. And, if you'd like to join in with the work then please contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

March 2009:

Sunday 29th March saw the planting for the second Great Whittington Sunflower Competition sponsored by the Queen's Head Inn. We had loads of entries and were pleased to see some new faces this year as well as children entering for the second time. Luckily it was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to fill up the pots and plant the seeds outside in the sunny village hall garden - which meant a lot less tidying up at the end of the day! Then the children went indoors to decorate their pots. There were some brilliant designs and everyone, young and old, seemed to enjoy themselves, despite getting incredably sticky. Watch the gallery for more photos.

So, now that the seeds are planted, what you need to do is to water the pot and put it on a sunny windowsill. Keep it watered while the seeds are growing then, when the weather warms up properly and all the frost has gone, your plants will be big enough to be planted outside. You can plant them in the garden or in a big pot or grow bag. Make sure you give them a stick or a wall to grow up, they'll need supporting when they get massive. And, when the flowers come out, either ring us or email on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   and we'll measure how tall they are. The prizes, donated by the Queen's Head Inn, will be presented in the autumn, last year the prize presentation was on bonfire night. Everyone will get something, and there will be special prizes for the tallest plants.

If you missed the planting, don't worry, you can still enter the competition. Just get in touch with This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  and we'll give you everything you need to get started.

Spring is at last upon us and the daffodils have burst into bloom all over the village. We can finally get out there and sort out the borders in time for the Northumbria in Bloom spring judging on April 9th. Thanks to everyone who has already started, especially the gardening club, some of whom were out weeding the village hall border this weekend. Its not quite finished but its beginning to look good, just needs the edges sharpened up so that the mower can get into it next week. There's one more weekend to go before judging and I hope we get good weather for the last tidy up. If we all get together over the weekend I'm sure we can scrape up those missing 3 points! Weeding, edging and generally tidying up is what we need to do - the bulbs will take care of themselves and are already looking splendid.  

February 2009:

Well, its been an awfully cold winter but the signs of spring are at last beginning to put in an appearance. And, with spring come two dates for your diaries.

Sunday 29th March - Children's Sunflower Competition, time to plant more seeds and win more prizes.

Sunday 31st May - The Second Great Whittington Plant Swap, time to plant more seeds and get ready to swap them for that plant you've wanted for ages but haven't quite managed to grow!

Watch these pages for more details of these two popular events. Also, we need to get out there an do some weeding, especially in the new flowerbed around the village hall. We may all have been hiding away from the cold and snow but the weeds have been extremely busy. Watch out for the date of the next gardening club event - especially if you're a weed, we're coming to get you!

November 2008:

On 5th November we all gathered at the Village Hall for the presentation of the sunflower competition prizes. All children taking part in the competition got a certificate and chocolates. Prizes for the biggest and second biggest sunflowers were awarded in both age groups, 8 years and under and 9 years and over. See more photos of the prize giving in the gallery. The prizes were donated by our sponsors The Queen's Head Inn and a big thank you goes to them. This is the first year that the competition has been run and we are very pleased with the way it went. The sunflowers were all very impressive, and every one should have been a winner. The competition will take place again next year and we're hoping to attract even more entries - so keep a look out for more information on these pages.

Winner 8 yrs and under

1st Prize 9 years and over

October 2008:

Time to change the summer flower displays.

Very full greenhouse

September 2008

Autumn is nearly upon us and its time to stop reflecting in our success from this year's competition and start working towards Northumbria in Bloom 2009. Some of the more dedicated gardeners amongst us have been out tidying borders and clearing up the dead plants and tubs and very soon we will need to make a major effort at an autumn tidy up. The village hall border is in need of some serius weeding and the tubs will need to be cleared out to make room for the spring planting. We're intending to keep quite a lot of our bedding plants this year and try to over winter then in order to make an even more spectacular display next summer. We will also be collecting seeds and, in the spring, will take cuttings from the geraniums and other summer plants. So, if you would like to become involved, whether you are a member of the gardening club or not, please keep an eye on these pages for news of activities or email us on: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   for the latest update.

July 2008: 

Monday 7th July was the big day - the summer judging for the Northumbria in Bloom competition. The weekend before it absolutely poured with rain and some of us got soaked through on several occasions whilst we put the finishing touches to the borders and verges. But, the soaking was well worthwhile as the village looked splendid when the judges made their way along the main street. It is obvious that many of you made a massive effort this year and we'd like to thank you all for joining in with us and making our village look so gorgeous. The tubs along the main street are beginning to flower and are looking good despite a couple of them being vandalised last weekend. The Queen's Head looks better than ever and the flower baskets along the walls are so impressive. The grassy areas look extremely tidy and well cared for, thanks in part to Tynedale Council who brought the mowers out in force the Friday before judging. Thanks to everyone who has agreed to take care of a part of the village green, the extra effort in these areas certainly adds to the impact.  If we could encourage people to plant thin borders along all of the walls on the main street it would look even better - please get in touch if you'd like help to do this. We get some plants donated by the local council and we have people who grow plants from seed for the displays so we may be able to help you with the planting up. You can contact us on: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   if you'd like to join in. Results will be out in September so watch these pages!

June 2008:

Sunday 7th June - the very first Great Whittington Gardening Club Annual Plant Swap. It was a beautiful sunny day for the first ever plant swap. We had many visitors, several bringing plants to swap, some that they had raised from seed and some dug up from the garden. There were all kinds of plants, garden plants, greenhouse vegetables, house plants, a brilliant selection - from the tiniest lupins to a massive confer (which has been donated to the village hall and will soon be planted up properly). We had a good chat and a laugh and hardly anyone went home empty handed - an enjoyable afternoon out was had by all. By the end of the afternoon we'd made the magnificent sum of £28. 67p for the Great Whittington in Bloom appeal. We're planning to use the money to buy some plants for the centres of the tubs along the main street. The judges last year suggested we have some permanent planting and perhaps some ivy around the edges of the tubs so that they would make more impact even if the judging is done in early summer before the flowers have reached their best. So, a big thank you to everyone who made the effort to come along and to all who donated to the appeal. We hope you enjoy your new plants and that they settle in and give many years of pleasure.

Pants donated for the swap

Choosing plants

May 2008:

Sunday 11th May saw the planting up of the new village hall flowerbed.

Planting up the flowerbed

April 2008:

Sunday 20th April saw the first step in creating a new flowerbed for the village hall. The Great Whittington Gardening Club took on their first real project when tackling the border along the outside of the wall round the village hall garden. Several volunteers turned up and we all had a good time. It was quite a cold day but once we got started on the hard work, we were all quite warm! The tea and biscuits helped too and were very welcome. There were jobs for everyone, even the children who helped by emptying the weeds onto the compost heap. The border was soon dug and edged and the bulbs re-planted so that they'd flower again next year. It was hard work but the good company made it a very enjoyable afternoon.

Digging the border

We intend to leave the bed to settle for 3 weeks then we will all meet up again on Sunday 11th May at 2pm to turn it over, add some compost and to begin the best job of all - the planting. We're putting out an appeal to all villagers who have any spare plants or cuttings that they can donate for the flowerbed. You could join us on the 11th May to help with the planting or, if you'd rather just donate some plants then please either drop them off on the day or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   and we will arrange to collect them.

Thursday 3rd April at 1.30pm saw the spring judging for the Northumbria in Bloom competition. We were very pleased with the gardens and borders this year, there has been so much effort and it has certainly paid off.  The sun was shining brightly as the judges made their way through the village, pausing to inspect the planting and to take photographs. They even took the time to visit little Lizzie's greenhouse to see her tomatoes and pansies growing and to see her raspberry canes sprouting. I think I can safely say that we all had a very enjoyable time.

The judges were extremely impressed by the magnificent display of spring colour, the daffodils looked tremendous this year. The gardens too were full of spring colour and very well presented, from the largest formal plots to the smallest gardens with their tubs of spring bulbs, it all looked brilliant. We had a lovely time walking around the village, even though the planting is fun, its good just to take the time to relax and enjoy it too. There were gardens that we'd never really noticed before, our village is full of nice surprises if you have the time to have peaceful stroll around.

So, a big thank you to everyone who made the effort and, if you enjoyed the work, why not consider joining the gardening club. We meet to tackle the village hall garden in April and I'm sure it'll be a fun day for all the family - see the events and activities page for full details or contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

March 2008:

March is the time for sowing seeds and this year its extra special as we are holding the very first Great Whittington sunflower competition for the youngsters of the village. Many of our youngsters turned up to plant sunflower seeds and to make decorated pot holders to put them in. There are two age groups, 8 years and under and 9 years and over, with stacks of prizes for each age group - although we'll have to wait for summer before we can do any judging! It was quite a cold day but we all had a great time and are looking forward to seeing the new shoots coming up in the next few weeks. See the gallery pages for more photos

Planting the sunflower seeds

Decorating the pots

February 2008:

At last we get some spring sunshine. The bulbs are beginning to show their heads above ground and there are green shoots all over the garden. Its time to start pruning back and cutting out the dead wood. This is a very good time for gathering material for the compost heap, even the Christmas tree can be mulched up and recycled.

Mulching for the compost heap

December 2007/January 2008:

This is a quiet time in the garden as the weather isn't good enough to allow us to do much. Its a time when we tend to plan the displays for next year, which seeds to grow and how to arrange our baskets and borders. Its also a time to think of the wildlife, feeding the birds to help them get through the cold winter days. Its best not to tidy the garden too much at this time of year as the dead twigs can provide shelter for insects during the winter months.

November 2007:

By November the summer bedding had to be taken out of the tubs in the main street. This old bedding went into the compost, whilst new compost was put into the tubs and they were planted up for the winter. The same was done for the borders along the walls and for the flower bed on the village green. The wallflowers should look good in the spring, and smell good too!

October 2007:

Once October arrived it was time to pull the summer bedding out of the tyres to make room for the winter bedding. It was a shame as they were still packed with flowers but it had to be done. The old bedding went into the compost heap so that nothing was wasted. It was good to have help this year! October was time for collecting seeds from plants such as marigolds, dahlias, nasturtiums etc so that we can grow new plants for next year's displays. Look out for the plant swap event early next summer when you'll be able to swap or buy new plants.

Taking out summer bedding

Alg and Bert hard at work

September 2007:

Time for Tom to harvest the vegetables from his vegetable plot, the carrots are looking good this year.

Look what I grew!