Gardens by Jo

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April 5, 2012

Whitchurch students’ floral project blossoms as Chelsea Fringe approaches

Posted by newshugofox under Charity Events, Chelsea Fringe, Dyslexia Research Trust, Gardens by Jo, HugoFox.com, Testbourne Community School | Tags: , |
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Jo and her team prepare for their Chelsea exhibits

Students from Testbourne Community School in Whitchurch prove that they really are budding gardeners as they work hard on their fabulous floral designs in time for May’s Chelsea Fringe.

As reported by HugoFox News last month, these green-fingered youngsters are involved in a fantastic project coordinated by award-winning garden designer Joanna Kent (www.gardensbyjo.co.uk) and sponsored by local listings website HugoFox.com. Having composed designs based around themes such as the recession, the 2012 Olympics, and the Diamond Jubilee, the students will be planting their creations in decorated wheelbarrows to create a vibrant botanic display. They will then wheel their mobile gardens across London on the 24th, 26th, and 27th May as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, a new London-wide celebration of flowers, gardens, and gardening supported by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. In addition to showing off their horticultural handiwork, the students will also be collecting on behalf of the Dyslexia Research Trust.

It’s all smiles as the talented young gardeners decorate their wheelbarrows

The students are working hard to transform their designs into reality. They have now started to paint their wheelbarrows, and the results are already looking wonderful. “The designs are really starting to take shape now,” Jo tells HugoFox News, and indeed it is clear from the youngsters’ progress that there are some talented gardeners coming into bloom in Whitchurch! If these early stages are anything to go by, the finished barrows will be an amazing sight as they are paraded through London’s streets, wending through the city centre from their starting point at Battersea Park.

Jo has likewise been kept busy with the project. On 2nd April she gave a radio interview on Andover Sound, and she has even been asked to write a piece for the Daily Telegraph – including a recipe for asparagus! And with word spreading about the students’ undertaking, Whitchurch’s local Methodist Church has also asked them to display their wheelbarrows at the church’s 200th anniversary Flower Festival, to

A green barrow to match the designer’s green fingers!

be held in Winchester Street, Whitchurch over the weekend of 15th – 17th June.

But whilst the project is coming along brilliantly, the students are still in need of more donations. “We could still do with a generous giver of some plants,” Jo tells HugoFox News. “If anyone can help, it would be hugely appreciated.”

If you are in a position to donate some plants to the project – or to support it in any other way – Jo can be contacted on 01256 896325 or 07771642639 and by email at jo@gardensbyjo.co.uk. Alternatively, you can get in touch with HugoFox.com by emailing victoria@hugofox.com. The students will be wearing T-shirts bearing their sponsors’ logos during their London outings, so this is a choice opportunity for local businesses to support a worthy cause whilst also gaining some publicity.

More information about Jo’s gardening services.

 

March 9, 2012

Whitchurch-based Garden Designer appeals for help to create show-stopping display

Posted by newshugofox under Amazingardens, Charity Events, Chelsea Fringe, Dyslexia Research Trust, Gardens by Jo, HugoFox.com, London Olympics, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Testbourne Community School | Tags: , , |
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A planted wheelbarrow, similar to those which will be appearing in London as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival this summer

Award-winning garden designer, Joanna Kent, is working with a group of students and local listings site HugoFox.com on a new project due to take place as part of the Chelsea Fringe this summer – and it’s set to be wheely good…

The project, sponsored by local listings website HugoFox.com, involves a group of students from Testbourne Community School in Whitchurch, who will be planting their floral designs into wheelbarrows as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival - a brand new London-wide festival of flowers, gardens and gardening timed to coincide with the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show.

Local garden designer and joint Hampton Court Silver award winner Joanna Kent (Gardens by Jo; www.gardensbyjo.co.uk) is co-ordinating the mobile garden installation, which involves the wheelbarrows being taken to Chelsea during the festival and wheeled around the surrounding boroughs, in an attempt to ‘bring Chelsea to the public’ whilst also collecting on behalf of the Dyslexia Research Trust.

Volunteer students from Testbourne Community School present their wheelbarrow designs

Currently looking for support from local garden centres, nurseries and businesses to help the project with contributions towards fuel, plants and flowers, Jo and the students are busy working on the designs for the wheelbarrows, many of which are based upon themes such as the recession (money tree, anyone?), the 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Jo tells HugoFox News: “The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the largely untapped horticultural design talents that are developing in secondary schools. There is a great emphasis on horticulture in the primary sector, but far less once the students have reached the age of 11, and the group I am working with have come up with some astoundingly good ideas which I can’t wait to see in bloom!”

Jo has already accumulated a number of wheelbarrows for the project

With wheelbarrows already sourced, Jo is now preparing for her minibus driving test, as she hopes to be able to transport the children to and from London using the school bus, and HugoFox.com founder Michael Thompson is also working hard to arrange ways in which the planted wheelbarrows can be delivered to London. In addition, Jo is hoping to gain support from local businesses, as well as donations from local gardening centres:

“We are currently looking for contributions of flowers and plants, or donations from local companies and individuals who wish to support the project, whilst also helping us to raise funds for a very worthwhile cause. Our students will be wearing t-shirts bearing our supporters’ logos as they wheel their designs about the city, and we’ll of course express our gratitude in all publicity relating to the event. This truly is a fantastic opportunity, and I’d love to hear from anyone who can help make it possible.”

With the Fringe taking place between 19th May and 20th June, Jo’s team will be wheeling their barrows out on Thursday 24th May, and again over the weekend of the 26th and 27th - catching the eyes of commuters, business people, tourists and locals alike, as the crowds head to Chelsea show.

Garden designers Jo Kent, Judy Cornford and her son and project manager Jesse Cornford at their Silver award-winning garden at Hampton Court last year

The planned route will take the wheelbarrows from Battersea Park, across Albert Bridge,

along the Embankment to the Chelsea Flower Show before heading to Sloane Square, down King’s Road and across Chelsea Bridge to complete the tour at Battersea. That’s some prime coverage for anyone looking to support a worthy cause whilst gaining some publicity!

Any support from local individuals and businesses would be greatly appreciated and Joanna Kent can be contacted on 01256 896325, 07771642639 and by email, jo@gardensbyjo.co.uk. Alternatively, get in touch with HugoFox.com by emailing victoria@hugofox.com.

For more information on Jo’s gardening services, click here.

 

February 10, 2012

In the bleak midwinter…

Posted by newshugofox under Gardens by Jo, HugoFox.com, Local Business, Offers | Tags: , , , , , , |
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When the Pennsylvanian groundhog, ‘Punxsutawney Phil’ came out of his burrow and saw his shadow signalling six more weeks of winter, a shiver reverberated across the Northern Hemisphere. We know the feeling. If you’re anything like the team at HugoFox.com, you’ll be feeling the cold today – so perhaps it’s time we focused our minds upon warmer times ahead…

Overton Pond in January... No, not really. But if you fancy a holiday, look no further than your local travel agents. Check out HC Travel for some ideas...

In the bleak mid-winter our thoughts turn to holidays past and future, of barbecues in the garden, picnics and frolicking in the park. What’s the key to surviving the cold? Think ahead and get ready for a year of celebrations. It’s time to turn up the heat and start getting excited about 2012: with plenty to look forward to, your friendly local fox is ready to help ease you in with some great offers and fantastic ideas that should be right up your street!

We’ve just marked Accession Day and it’s put the whole country into a jubilant mood. Why not start planning your Jubilee party now? How about some regal and elegant afternoon teas?  There’s nothing so quintessentially English as a pot of Earl Grey tea, some scones with luscious jam and clotted cream, not forgetting of course, the cucumber sandwiches! Head for The Gallery in Overton where you can find colourful bunting, quirky serviettes and Emma Bridgewater Pottery to add that touch of style to the proceedings. You can even get inspired by their own courtyard setting for a cuppa or seasonal snack.

You may not be invited to the palace garden party but why not host your own? The season to picnic will soon be upon us. Why not plan ahead and find the perfect picnic hamper? Pippins in Oakley have a beautiful range of ‘shabby chic’ wear for the home and garden. They’ll create a gorgeous bespoke hamper for your outdoor celebrations. All you’ll need to do is bring the bubbly and find someone special to share it with.

Pop along the The Gallery in Overton for a luxurious cream team to warm the cockles

Before the forecasters start predicting what a wet summer we’re inevitably going to have, think back to last October when we were basking in Mediterranean temperatures. There’s no better time to upgrade your outdoor cooking facilities and invest in some new equipment. Why waste time when the sunshine does arrive skulking around DIY stores trying to find a bargain barbeque? It’s time to strike while the charcoal’s hot!  Baytree Cookware has everything from tagines to tablecloths and is guaranteed to help you get set for the summer.

Save for a few intrepid daffodils, our gardens are in a state of hibernation. Now’s the time for our minds to be active though, creating the garden of our dreams. For some instant colour and vibrancy then make a beeline for Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants in Whitchurch. They have a beautiful range and can help advise you on spring and summer planting. If you’re in need of a little professional advice because you’re thinking of completely restyling your plot, then a great place to start is Gardens by Jo.  Jo has years of experience in restoration, mature gardens, restyling and planting. What better than creating your own English country garden for the Queen’s Jubilee?

If the storm clouds gather, and it’s time to gather up the picnic rug in a hurry then why not play it safe and book a holiday abroad. HC Travel in Overton will find you the perfect destination to find that heat that you’ve been dreaming of. You can always watch the Olympics in the air-conditioned hotel room and dream of returning to your luscious green garden. It’s all about looking ahead and knowing that the sun will come out…it just may not be tomorrow.

 

August 5, 2011

Local listings company attracts Google’s attention

Posted by newshugofox under Gardens by Jo, Google, HugoFox.com | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Local listings company, HugoFox.com, are putting their search engine optimisation skills to good use by getting small businesses online – and racing up the Google rankings!

For many businesses, a website is something they can’t do without – but for self-proclaimed ‘technophobes’, silver-surfers or start-up companies who simply can’t afford their own site, local listings website HugoFox.com is providing a free and effective way of gaining recognition by the most powerful search engine in the world. (more…)

 

July 8, 2011

HugoFox.com garden designers triumph at Hampton Court

Posted by newshugofox under Amazingardens, Gardens by Jo, HugoFox.com, RHS Hampton Court Flower Show | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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It’s never too late to have a career change, as demonstrated by interior designer-turned-landscape gardener Judy Cornford, who this week won a Silver award at Hampton Court Flower Show.  

Judy's design for RHS Hampton Court Flower Show

Having trained originally in sculpture, in 2006 Judy enrolled upon a foundation degree in Garden Design at Sparsholt College. Passing with flying colours, she incorporated her new found passion with her eye for space and colour to win a gold medal at Newbury Show in 2009.

While many would be content with such a prestigious prize, at the ripe age of 72, Judy decided to ‘have a go’ applying to exhibit at the RHS Hampton Court Flower show with her design for a small conceptual garden, encouraged and assisted by fellow designers Joanna Kent and Tony MacBride. (more…)

 

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