General Interest Articles

Angmering - its pronounciation
by Neil Rogers-Davis

How often have you been ordering something on the phone and you are asked for your address? All is well until you come to "Angmering". People outside Sussex have rarely got a clue how to spell it or pronounce it - it's not their fault, it can be quite hard to pronounce if you're not a local. Even our local kids don't know how to pronounce it properly! This is evidenced by my statistics pages that monitor web traffic. Barely a day goes by when someone wanting Angmering types "Amering" or "Amring" into a search engine. When said quickly, it does sound very much like that. However, we should not encourage sloppy pronounciation.

So how is "Angmering" pronounced. I will have a go at trying to write it in a phonetic way. Here goes!

It has three syllables which sound like:

ANG (as in hang )
MER (as in the gold, frankincense & myrh - also rhymes with sir )
RING (as in that band on your finger!)

Put them all together without any emphasis on any syllable and say them quickly: ANG - MER - RING

Press the play button (below) to hear my pronounciation.

Now that was quite easy, wasn't it!

(27 October 2008)

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What's in a Name
by Jim George

Ideas have often come to me like small stones dropped into a small pool, sending out mental ripples of possibly wider appeal.

I remember, as an example, on first coming to Angmering being attracted by the beautiful tower of the church, with its early Tudor beacon tower, that later investigation showed it to be on the lay line linking it with neighbouring Poling church tower.  It’s still possible to feel like one of those ancient Britons trudging the well worn pathway between what was then, the nearby sea and forested downs, by walking today along the well-preserved footpath, still linking the two villages.

Well, something similar occurred quite recently, completely out of the blue, as they say, when driving along the top road to Worthing.  There, moving in the opposite direction was a small commercial van, bearing the name of “Knapper” on the side – I forget the first name.

This set in motion a whole train of thoughts about the origin of our surnames.  “Knapper” seemed to be most   appropriate in a county so singularly lacking in building stone.  But it does have ample supplies of flint stone, the use of which became a distinguishing feature of so much of Sussex architecture and a feature of many surviving old, and some new, boundary walls – comparable in their effect to the dry-stone walls of the Cotswolds and Yorkshire dales.

Flint could be used without any working, as can be seen in some of the walls in the village.  But it could also be knapped, that is struck to break open the flint to reveal the beautiful, highly polished, black, smooth surface that could be revealed.  And of course this work of knapping is the origin of the surname Knapper.  So, my observed van driver was possibly descended from an ancient line of highly skilled craft workers, or at least my imagination hopes so!

How ancient this craft is could be illustrated by the discovery in 1993 of “Boxgrove” man, given the delightful modern name of “Roger”, but, as radio-carbon dating and other sophisticated methods of dating shows, “Roger” dates back 500,000 years.  At what is now an English Heritage site can be seen the handiwork of these prehistoric “knappers”, the flakes of flint and beautifully worked hand axes simply discarded where they sat butchering the deer, bison, horses and even elephant and rhinoceros.

Yes, “Knappers” and knapping have a long and distinguished history.

(20 November 2007)

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Grandmothers in our Family
by Carole Mason

My maternal grandmother ruled the roost. We lived in her tiny house in Swindon during world war two.  I was there with my mother, my aunt, two cousins and the occasional lodger. My grandmother always wore an apron, and her legs were bandaged. Her hair was white and she wore it in a roll around her head. Her expression was stern and unsmiling. She used to sit in her chair near to the fire and the wireless. I cannot remember sitting on her lap, or having a cuddle. I had to be very careful of her legs. She used to do the washing in a boiler in the scullery. It was built into the corner of the room, and filled the house with pungent steam. She used to let me throw in a blue bag, and to help her put the sheets through the mangle, and when they were dry after their billow on the washing line, I helped her to fold them. I loved all of that, because that is when she used to tell me stories about how she used to do Queen Victoria’s washing. She used to make wine as well - Cowslip, parsnip, potato, dandelion. Bottles were all tucked under the stairs, brewing away. The night the bottles popped, we thought the Germans had invaded. Baby chicks used to arrive in boxes, and be put near the fire, to keep warm. They had such a smell about them, and were so lovely to touch, and to handle. Sometimes in the morning though one or two had not survived the night, and were stiff and cold to touch. The others though grew more leggy, grew feathers on their wings, and were turfed outside to the chicken run, no longer to be caressed, but to be fed up so that we could have extra eggs. My grandmother had this special way with her fried eggs. She used to plaster them with layers of pepper and salt and sit them on fried bread. If I was good, she would cut a small triangle for me to taste, and I have never tasted eggs which were soooo delicious. My grandmother ruled the roost, what she said was law.

My paternal grandmother died when my father was 12 years old. She died dancing at a wedding. She had a weak heart and had been told not to dance, but she did. Well that is the family legend. Photos of her reveal a large woman, with sharp eyes, and wavy hair.

When my daughter was born, and I had made my mother into a grandmother, she was not too happy about being old enough to be a grandmother. My father was still alive, and they had a busy social life, and kept dashing off to foreign parts. Being a grandmother for her was to be an adoring onlooker. She used to make quick visits, for a quick cuddle and kiss for her granddaughter. In time the two of them had this very loving connection which was mysterious to behold. They sensed things about each other, and there was a quiet contentment about them when they were together. My daughter always wanted to sit near to her, just touching. In later life, my mother’s grandmother role was to be the focus for the family to gather together, when she would make feasts, and prepare favourite foods to delight her family.

I first saw my grandchildren before they were born. My daughter had a scan, she was expecting twins, and we saw images on the screen which were amazing. One twin was twirling somersaults, and the other was hidden away. Suddenly a face came into view. The image was enlarged, and there she was, peering out at me, and my heart leapt, and my eyes filled with tears and there I was – completely smitten.

Once they were born, and I held them and looked into their eyes, I was lost. It was love at first sight. I was in love again. My life was turned upside down – and still is!

(4 March 2007)

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DROUGHT RESISTANT GARDENING

by

Amanda Colberg

of

Garden Design and Creation, Angmering

01903-879757

amanda@garden-designer.co.uk

www.garden-designer.co.uk

 

For the enthusiastic gardeners amongst us, the hosepipe ban currently affecting an ever-increasing number of regions across the South of England is more than an inconvenience it’s a potential disaster.

 

But do not despair.  With a little thought and reorganisation, you can conserve water, minimise drought damage and still ensure you have a summer garden that’s the envy of all your neighbours!

 

How?  It’s simple…………….

 

 

1.      Improve Moisture Retention in the Soil  

 

Limit evaporation from the soil by mulching soil surfaces. This will significantly improve moisture retention.  There are several different types of mulch which can be employed for this purpose:-

a.       Organic Mulches

         

                    The best organic matter to use would be -

                            

                    (i)      Animal Manure making sure that it is well rotted.

                    (ii)     Mushroom Compost though this should not be used on very chalky soil or acid loving plants.

                   (iii)    Garden Compost when the texture has turned ‘crumbly’.

(iv)    Leaf Mould this compost will suit acid loving plants (recycling garden waste into compost makes one of the cheapest soil conditioners).

(v)    Chipped Bark make sure you buy chipped bark, not chipped wood. But be careful: when dry and in a strong wind, it tends to blow about the garden!

 

b.       Non Organic Mulches

 

(i)      Gravel or other Aggregates excellent, long lasting inorganic mulch available in a range of colours, textures and sizes

(ii)     Grass cuttings compost with other material first (never compost grass cuttings that have been freshly treated with herbicide).

(iii)    Cocoa shells a good, light, porous mulch with small amounts of nutrients

(iv)    Rocks, Pebbles & Glass Nuggets are a colourful, efficient alternative to all of the above.

 

When using an inorganic matter as mulch on the soil, first prepare the site by pegging down a porous membrane on top of the soil. The weight of the inorganic mulch will help anchor the membrane and prevent the gravel or glass nuggets from becoming buried in the soil.

 

2.      Water Butts

 

Place water butts in the garden in strategic spots where they can catch water from the roof of your home, garage and garden outbuildings. Water butts can be inter-linked using hosepipe to allow the maximum amount of water to be stored.

 

Call Original Organics for under half price Water Butts including a down-pipe connecter and a watering can on tel. 01884 841515

 

         

3.      Recycle Domestic Water.

                  

Do not use water though that contains bleach or detergent.  Bath water can be used so long as you rotate the type of water given in one area. Make sure that the water is not poured directly on to the leaves.

 

4.      Lay a Drought Tolerant Lawn

 

Grassed areas are the first to suffer from a hosepipe ban.  Consider reducing the size of your lawn and possibly replacing it with a Gravel Bed or a lawn made up of thyme or camomile. Alternatively, you could consider hard landscaping.

 

However, if you’re set on keeping your lawn, a turf company in the South of England called Sovereign has developed a Drought Tolerant Grass called ‘Xerisdetails of which can e found on my website www.garden-designer.co.uk

 

 

5.      The Hard Landscaping Option

 

There are a variety of surfaces other than lawn that offer interest and texture in the garden. These include:- 

 

(a)    Paving  Leaving a space between the paving stones for creeping plants such as thyme can soften the edges of a hard-paved area. Even in dry weather there is usually sufficient moisture beneath the slabs for the efficient growth of alpines. Leaving out the occasional slab can also provide space for a larger plant to be grown.

         

(b)    Cobbles and Aggregates naturally complement each other as well as do plants and can be easily worked into curving shapes and organic patterns.  For added colour contrast, glass blocks can also be introduced in small areas.

 

(c)    Gravel This is by far the easiest surface to lay, although it is better not to lay gravel immediately next to the house, as it is easily trodden indoors.

 

(d)    Decking can easily be accommodated in any garden regardless of levels. Using grooved timber helps to prevent slipping when the surface is wet.

         

Combining the above in an imaginative way will not only enable you to conserve water, but will also provide an area of garden that   needs little maintenance.  It will also create a cool area where plants will thrive during spells of dry weather.

        

 For more information about any of the above contact Amanda

          Email – amanda@garden-designer.co.uk

          Tel.  01903 859757

          Website – www.garden-designer.co.uk

 

6.      Planting      

There are a number of ways in which planting itself can help reduce the amount of water evaporation from the soil:-

 

(a)    Plant more trees - Shade from trees helps to provide cooler pockets of air, whilst the trees themselves create an excellent windbreak to minimise the drying effect of the wind.  If your garden occupies a large, windy site, especially near the coast, you could benefit from planting a high hedge or a ‘shelter belt’ of trees and shrubs.  For more advice about this kind of planting contact me by email amanda@garden-designer.co.uk or give me a call on 01903 859757

 

(b)    Grow Plants in Containers If you grow a lot of patio plants in containers, grouping them together will enable them to produce their own microclimate.  It will also help conserve water, as more is required to water more widely spaced plants. Water-retaining granules incorporated in the compost of hanging Baskets and containers will also help keep the soil moist during dryer weather.

 

 

(c)    Plant Ground Cover The use of ground cover planting is another very useful way of helping to retain moisture in the soil.  Plants with silver coloured foliage are especially effective in achieving this.

 

The art of good ground cover planting lies in creating drifts of plants, broken by the occasional change of height, shape and colour.

 

 

(d)    Use Windbreaks It is not only trees and shrubs that can be useful in slowing down the wind and reducing moisture loss in the garden. More immediate remedies are things like woven willow panels, trellising and baffle fencing, all of which provide instant, effective help in combating the drying process when erected in the right places.

 

For long term windbreaks, evergreen hedges such as holly or deciduous hedges such as hawthorn are an excellent choice.

 

         

            (e)    Terracing  In sloping gardens, water quickly drains away, leaving slim opportunity for the soil to absorb any moisture. Terracing provides a flat surface to help contain and conserve water supplies. Terracing can be constructed in various ways, one of which is to use sleepers. For more advice on this topic contact me www.garden-designer.co.uk or phone 01903 859757

 

 

   

PLANTS SUITABLE FOR DROUGHT CONDITIONS

 

Flowering Plants

Achillea millefoliumSammetriese

Allium cristophii

Anthemis

Asclepias tuberosa

Asphodeline lutea

Dictamnus albus

Echinacea purpura ‘Robert Bloom’

Echniops rito

Euphorbia griffithii

Gaillardia

Gypsophila repens

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Lychnis flos-jovis

Nepeta x faassenii

Origanum laevigatum

Phlomis russeliana

Salvia sclarea

Sedum

Verbascum

 

 

Grasses

Cortaderia selloana

Elymus magellanicus

Eragrostis curvula

Melica altissima

Stipa arundinacea

 

 

Foliage that can withstand Drought

Eryngium maritimum – seashore dweller

Eucalytus perriniana -Tree

Festuca ovina  - grass

Pinus thunbergii – conifer

Portulaca oleracea - succulent

Sedum spathulifolium Purpureum - succulent

Sempervivum ciliosum -  rock plant

Senecio cineraria Cirrus –bedding

 

Plants for Dry Shade

Perrennials

Bergenia

Brunnera

Cortaderia selloana

Epimedium

Lamium

Pachysandra

Pulmonia

Waldsteinia

 

Bulbs and Corms

Allium

Anemone blanda

Cyclamen

Eranthis hyemalis

 

Shrubs

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Euonymous Hedera

Ilex

Prunus laurocerasus

Ribes

Rucus Santolina

Symphoricarpus

Vinca Minor - a good ground cover

 

 

Good Plants for Coastal Sites

Flowering Perennials

Armeria

Cortaderia

Crambe

Eryngium

Kniphofia

Limonium

Oenothera

 

Flowering Shrubs

Cistus

Cytisus

Fuchsias

Genista

Halimiocistus

Hebes

Hydrangeas

Olearia

Romneya coulteri

Rosemary

Spartium

 

Seaside Hedging Plants

Crataegus

Elaeagnus

Escallonia

Fuschia Riccartoni

Griselinia littoralis

Hippophae rhamnoides

Ilex

Leyland cypress

Olearia x hasstii

Pyracantha

Rosa rugosa

Tamarix

Ulex

 

 

Plants for the Container Garden

Some of these plants will need winter protection

 

 

Agapanthus Blue Moon

Aloe ferox

Brachyscome iberidifolia

Convolvulus cneorum

Cordyline Purple

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Festuca glauca

Gazania

Halimium Susan

Hebe Red Edge

Helichrysum petiolare

Lampranthus haworthii

Lavender

Lotus hirsutus

Nerium oleander

Opuntia robusta

Origanums

Pennisetum alopecuroides

Phlomis fructicosa

Phormium tenax

Portulaca grandiflora

Rosemary

Salvia sclarea

Saponaria

Sedum Ruby Glow

Sempervivum guiseppi

Sempervivum montanum

Thymes

Yucca filamentosa

 

Good Plants for Dry Places

The following can cope with lack of water in full sun but a few like shade. Take care, some tender plants from hot climates will need protection from damp northerly winters.

 

Trees

Acacia dealabata – Mimosa

Arbutus – Strawberry tree

Cedrus  - Cedar

Cordyline australis

Crataegus – Hawthorn

Cupressus – Cypress

Eucalytus – Gum tree

Ilex aquifolium – Holly

Koelreuteria paniculata – Golden Rain tree

Ligustrum lucidum – Chinese Privet

Parkinsonia aculeate – Jerusalem thorn

Pinus – Pine

Quercus – Oak

Rhus typhina Stags horn sumach

Robinia pseuacacia

 

 

Shrubs and Climbers

 

Artemisia

Atriplexhalimus

Ballota pseudodictamnus

Bougainvillea glabra

Caragana arborescens – Pea tree

Cistus- sun rose

Convolvulous cneorum

Cotoneaster

Cytisus – Broom

Elaegnus

Eriogonum

Escallonia

Euonymous

Euphorbia characias

Fremontodendron

Genista

Griselinia littoralis

Halimium

Hebe

Hedera – Ivy

Helianthmum – Rock Rose

Hippophae rhamnoides

Hydrangea paniculata

Hypericum calycinum

Hyssopus officinalis

Juniperus

Lantana

Lavendula

Lavatera

Lonicera periclymenum

Lotus hirsutus

Nerium oleander

Olearia

Opuntia robusta - Prickly Pear Cactus

Parahebe catarractae

Pervoskia

Phlomis

Prunus laurocerasus – Cherry Laurel

Romneya coulteri – tree Poppy

Rosa – Rose

Rosemary

Ruta graveolens –Rue

Santolina – Cotton Lavender

Spartium junceum – Spanish broom

Tamarix - Tamarisk

Teucrium fruticans

Ulex europaeus – Gorse

Yucca

 

Perennials and Bulbs

Drought resistant perennials seldom produce the same luxuriant growth of an traditional herbaceous border. Some will need to be over wintered in a green house or conservatory

 

Acanthus

Achillea

Agapanthus

Agave

Allium

Aloe

Anthemis

Artemisia

Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly weed

Asphodeline lutea – Yellow asphodel

Calamintha nepeta

Crambe

Dictamnus albus – Burning Bush

Echinacea Purpurea

Echinops – Globe Thistle

Epimedium

Eryngium – Sea Holly

Erysimum – Wall Flowers

Euphorbia – Spurge

Gaillardia

Gazania

Helichrysum

Iris

Kniphofia- Red hotpokers

Lamium

Lampranthus

Limonium platyphyllum – Sea lavender

Lychnis

Nepeta - Catmint

Oenothera – Evening Primrose

Pachysandra terminalis

Phlomis russeliana

Phormium

Salvia

Saponaria

Sedum

Stachys

Tulipa

Verbascum

Verbena bonariensis

 

Ornamental Grasses

Not all grasses are drought tolerant a few like it damp but these below suit dry conditions.

 

Briza –Quaking Grass

Cortaderia sellonana – Pampas Grass

Elymus hispidus – Blue Wheat grass

Eragrostis curvula – Love Grass

Festuca

Helictotrichon sempervirens – Blue oat grass

Holcus mollis Albovariegatus

Koeleria glauca

Leymus arenarius – Lyme grass

Melica altissima

Pennisetum – Fountain grass

Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Blue stem

Stipa

 

 

Rock Plants

 

Acaena

Alyssum

Antennaria dioica

Arabis

Armeria – Sea Pink or Thrift

Aubretia

Cerastium tomentosum – Snow in Summer

Gypsophila repens

Origanum

Phlox subulata

Rhodanthemum hosmariense

Sedum

SempervirensHouseLeek

Thymus – Thyme

 

Annual and Biennials

 

Argemone - Prickly Poppy

Brachyscome iberidifolia

Calendula Officinalis – Marigold

Cosmos bipinnatus

Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Eschscholzia California- California Poppy

Lavatera trimestris – Mallow

Linaria maroccana – Toadflax

Linum grandiflorum – Flowering Flax

Onopordum acanthium

Papaver – Poppy

Portulaca grandiflora

Salvia sclarea

Senecio cineraria

Silene coeli-rosa  - Rose of Heaven

 

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