On 2009-06-17 11:11:04 +0100, Derek Turner said:

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:54:42 +0100, Sacha wrote:

From a gardening pov, not many of the really good gardens are
open to the public regularly, though Samares Manor is worth seeing. In
the summer months there used to be a charity open-garden scheme for an
organisation called the Jersey Association for Youth and Friendship. If
JAYF is still doing it, this opens some wonderful private gardens up for
one Sunday and there's usually around 10 or 12 of them, IIRC. Derek will
know if that's still running.

It is. In the light of recent events doesn't the title of that
organization seem, how shall we put it, suspect? Probably founded in the
time when you could write a book called 'Scouting for Boys' and nobody
laughed.

My ex-mother in law was one of the founders. ;-) So no, I don't think
I'd suspect her of anything horrible! IIRC, the founding of the
charity came about because someone came to the island and gave a talk
on the gap between younger children in care and those slightly older
ones of 16 - 21, moving into adult life but still needing support and
secure places to live.
We were talking to the farming friends about all this recent nastiness
and knowing some of the personalities inivolved rather well, even being
related to one of the chief proponents, they feel a certain politician
has a large axe to grind. And of course, the media really has had a
field day. Talk of an isolated clliff top when you can see the houses
next door to Haut de la Garenne is really irresponsibly over-dramatic.
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Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon