News and updates

Important update about Chessington Garden Centre discount scheme for CGS members

We had a fantastic day at the Claygate  Market on Sunday 29th March, with a brilliantly busy stand and a great atmosphere throughout. It was lovely to meet so many local people with a shared interest in gardening, welcome new members, and chat all things growing. Our depot products went down a treat too, available to all (including non members!) for the day of the event. The ever-popular grow your own potato kits - inspired by our recent talk and advice provided to members

Come and say hello to us on the CGS stall at Claygate Market on the Parade tomorrow (Sunday 29 March) 11.00-3.00 for plants, seeds Allan's Broad Beans), gloves, free books and more! 🌱🌻🌿

We know our members love to see the next generation get their hands in the soil - so here’s a chance to make that happen without spending an extra penny. From 1st April, Esher Church School will be featured in the Waitrose Community Matters green token scheme at the Esher store. The children there are raising funds to create their own kitchen garden - growing, harvesting, and eating their own produce. Exactly our kind of project. When you do your Waitrose shop, please drop yo

Let's Talk Gardening with Jean Griffin - the joys and challenges of modern gardening

This is a members only post - please do not share or reproduce - content is made available at the discresion of Barry Newman (This method can be used for one bag or a row) Planting the Potato using a 17 litre Polypot • 1/4 fill the bag with multipurpose compost • Add an egg cup of fertiliser and mix thoroughly (potato is a stem tuber so all potatoes will be produced above the original seed) • Nestle the potato on the fertilised compost with the chits uppermost (it is usual to

A regular feature of the CGS stall at the annual village flower show (Saturday, 11th July, this year) is the sale of home-grown plants.  These raise a useful amount of money for us. Each year we ask our members to provide saleable plants that they have grown from seed, cuttings, thinnings or division. This requires a little forward planning.  We would be grateful, therefore, if, when preparing your own, you would pot-up one or two extra plants to donate. These, in clean, labe

The Depot will open on Saturday 7 March   Time: 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon   Closed on Saturday 11 July - Claygate Flower Show   Open fortnightly in August on 1, 15 and 29 August Closes Saturday 12 September   Please come and visit us for a wide variety of gardening products including top quality compost, plant feed and fertilisers, plant netting, weed membrane, gloves and many other sundries for all your gardening needs.   Price List for 2026 is now available in the Membe

Depot Early bird 🐦 opening Sun 1 March 1.00 to 3.00 pm. Stock up Early on compost, gloves and much more!

advice on growing, maximising space, choosing varieties and preparing produce for competitions

If you are part of the Claygate Gardening Society, you already know how valuable the resources and community connections are. The CGS members area is your gateway to exclusive content, event details, and practical gardening tips tailored for local gardeners, allotment holders, and community volunteers. In this post, I will walk you through how to access the CGS members area easily and make the most of what it offers. How to Get Started with CGS Members Access Accessing the CG

Lidl in Chessington is currently selling 20 packets of seeds for £5.00 Various flower and vegetable varieties

The first talk in 2026 will take place on Thursday 22 January in Claygate Village Hall Please arrive at 7.30 p.m. for a 7.45 p.m. start The National Garden Scheme with Annabel Alford-Warren Join horticultural expert Annabel Alford-Warren for an engaging journey through the "secret" local landscapes and charitable legacy of the National Garden Scheme. Annabel is a dynamic speaker with a lifelong passion for the "Great British Garden" and is a village garden leader in Shere, S

Never mind Christmas… here at the Depot we’ve already got our sights set firmly on your gardens for 2026! Over the past few weeks, the team has been hard at work analysing what you purchased throughout 2025 so we can fine-tune our stock for the year ahead. We’re placing orders with our suppliers now and making the most of discounts to ensure we can offer you the best possible prices next season. A huge thank-you to everyone who helped keep the Depot running smoothly in 2025—p

Hello all An update as we reach mid-November. As of this week we're going to process all early bird memberships for 2026, meaning from Friday this week, 21 Nov, the office will close until Jan 2. If you have not yet joined/renewed: Anyone who has renewed or joined during the 2026 early bird period will have their cards processed during this period. This is not an automatic process so requires effort to manage the 200+ cards, please be patient. Card availability: 2026 Physica

Las day to Join / Renew before January

The upcoming Annual General Meeting of Claygate Gardening Society on November 27th will be our 75th.  We are part of the village community.  Membership is rising.  We are financially in good shape.  We have had another busy year with a lot of activities and added benefits, culminating with Gardeners’ Question Time being recorded here. These things do not happen spontaneously; they are planned and organised by your committee. This has been largely unchanged for three years, th

on Thursday 23 October in Claygate Village Hall 7.30 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. start Women Writers and Their Gardens   Cheryl Sands, Garden Historian, discusses the idea that gardens can be perfect settings for dramatic scenes - they are traditionally a space away from the conventions of society and allow for all kinds of freedom. Jane Austen, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Agatha Christie, and others weave in their thoughts on gardens, society, healing and the cycles of life, often insp

Reminder 2nd recording of BBC GQT Radio 4 from Claygate Holy Trinity will be broadcast on Fri 19 Sept 3.00 pm - repeat Sun 21 Sept 2.00...

Autumn Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Show 2025