Merry christmas wishes to our gardeners

While sending well wishes through text or email is perfectly acceptable in this day and age, there is still no better way to send holiday cheer than with a classic Christmas card. “One of the season’s simple pleasures is sitting down with a cup of hot tea and reading the ‘real mail’ holiday cards and letters,” says Jodi R.R. Smith, founder of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. “There is something special about holding a piece of paper that was touched by someone you care about.”

If you're not sure what to write in a Christmas card, Smith recommends keeping it short and simple. Summarize an accurate reflection of your positive life events — no boasting or embellishing — and feel free to include a photo or two. Just don’t forget to “include well wishes to others in addition to your update,” says Smith. “After all, the holiday letter is part of your season's greeting to others.” Yet even when we think we have a lot to share, we often end up with writer's block, staring at a blank card without any idea of what to say. Need a little guidance? These simple Christmas wishes will help you get started writing thoughtful notes for all the special people in your life.

Don't forget to check out GoodHousekeeping.com's Christmas 2019 guide!

Funny

• “Merry Christmas! May your happiness be large and your bills be small.”
• “This holiday season, let’s make it a point to cherish what’s truly important in our lives: cookies.”
• “I told Santa you were good this year and sent him a link to your Pinterest board. Merry Christmas to you!”
• “This Christmas, may your family be functional and all your batteries be included.”
• "Merry Christmas! I put so much thought into your gift that now it's too late to get it."
• "Please note: Christmas is canceled. Apparently, you told Santa you have been good this year … he died laughing."
• "Is it just me, or does Santa look younger every year?"
• "Christmas is mostly for children. But we adults can enjoy it too, until the credit card bills arrive."
• "Eat. Drink. Be Merry. Have a wonderful Christmas!"
• Mention a funny memory: "Merry Christmas! I'll never forget the time you ..."

General

• “Merry Christmas! Wishing you all the happiness your holiday can hold!”
• “May your holidays sparkle with joy and laughter.”
• “I hope the magic of Christmas fills every corner of your heart and home with joy — now and always.”
• “Our family wishes you love, joy, and peace … today, tomorrow, and always.”
• “May your family have a holiday season that is full of wonderful surprises, treats and nonstop laughter.”
• "Merry Christmas! Wishing you all the best this holiday season!"
• "Wishing you a Christmas that's merry and bright!"
• "Merry Christmas with lots of love."
• "I hope your Christmas is filled with joy this year!"
• "Happy Holidays! I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true."

Religious

• “Merry Christmas! I hope you receive one blessing after another this coming year.”
• “May the Lord grant you and all your loved ones peace, joy and goodwill.”
• “Wishing you a season that’s merry and bright with the light of God’s love.”
• “May God’s blessings be yours this Christmas.”
• “May the wonder of that first Christmas, the joy of God’s abundant blessings, and the peace of Jesus’ presence be with you always.”
• “May the true spirit of Christmas shine in your heart and light your path.”
• "Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas."
• "May God bless your life with love and joy this holiday season."
• "Merry Christmas! May God's love be with you."
• "May the spirit of Christmas be with you all year round."

Romantic

• “The only thing I love more than Christmas is you.”
• “It’s not what’s under the tree that matters most, it’s who’s around it. Every year I’m so grateful to have you there.”
• “You put the merry in my Christmas.”
• “Though we are apart, you are in my heart this Christmas.”
• “Forget the mistletoe, you can kiss me anytime you like.”
• "All I want for Christmas is you."
• "I'm so lucky to be spending another Christmas with you!"
• "Merry Christmas! You're the best gift I could ask for."
• "Holidays like Christmas make me so grateful to share life with you."
• "Christmas is magical because we're together. "

Quotes

• “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” —Garrison Keillor
• “Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s a frame of mind.” —Valentine Davies
• “Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart ... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.” —Bess Streeter Aldrich
• “Christmas is not an external event at all, but a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart.” —Freya Stark
• “I prefer the retro chic of spending Christmas just like Joseph and Mary did — traveling arduously back to the place of your birth to be counted, with no guarantee of a bed when you get there.” —Tina Fey
• “I am not 100 percent certain what a sugarplum is, but for a few weeks every year I’ve got visions of them dancing in my head anyway.” —Jane Green
• "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." —Burton Hills
• "Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection." —Winston Churchill
• "My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others." —Bob Hope
• "Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day." —Helen Steiner Rice

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Well, Green Fingered Fans, it’s been an interesting year for us gardeners. With not one, but 2 blasts from the Beast from the East and then a few months later the garden was torched, with a hot, dry summer.

As we come to the end of the year, I’ve made up a daft festive song, celebrating the harvest and later in the blog I’ve wrote some of my RHS Young Ambassador Highlights.

How’s your garden grown this year?!?!?

Festive greetings from my garden

My Mum, Dad and I have worked hard in different areas of the garden this year. My Dad has done more landscaping in the top garden and together we’ve started to transform the front garden. Whilst our new greenhouse has helped us grow more plants from seed, especially veggies and herbs.

Mum and I enjoyed harvesting & cooking the veggies, which inspired this twist on a classic Christmas Carol, my 12 days of harvest song, filmed over the summer and autumn:

• 12 fragrant bay leaves – we grew lots of other herbs too, including some beautiful, heady, herby Greek basil
• 11 dirty shallots – always a staple in our garden, as well as white and red onions. They grow so well and are quickly scoffed in lots of grub, made by Mum
• 10 new potatoes – actually, they were a bit hit and miss this year! I also got to plant some in the Blue Peter Garden 
• 9 ripe blackberries – well maybe not in our garden, but we do grow blackcurrants, which we harvested to make some delish jam. The blackberries were picked on a walk with my Buddy
• 8 golden sunrise – this year is one of the first times that tomatoes have actually ripened! We used them and the Greek basil to make bruschetta
• 7baking apples– the Young Operation Farmers and other volunteers picked nearly a tonne this year, some of which were peeled by People First Tameside for The Harvest Festival
• 6crapaudine beetroot– a parsnip shaped heritage variety, which we first saw on Masterchef
• 5 pea pods – one of my favs, planted out in toilet roll holders, not a single pea made it to the pan, we scoffed the lot, raw!
• 4 cucumbers – I cared for those huge cucumber plants like they were my babies! But they soon rewarded me with their lovely yummy fruit !
• 3 crunchy carrots – defo the best carrots I’ve grown this year, my little friend Betty helped me to harvest them
• 2courgette flowers – Mum’s favourite way to cook the flowers is to tempura them
• 1padron pepper– the first one we tried was the one in ten, that is hot, hot, hot!!!

Have a watch of the video here:

Not everything has been a success though; the Beast from the East blasted through the garden and destroyed some of the Mediterranean herbs, whilst the summer sun seems to have put an end to Mum’s favourite tree, the willow (we’re hoping somehow it comes back to life next spring)

RHS Young Ambassador 2018 Highlights

As the RHS Young Ambassador for the Campaign for School Gardening, I’ve had another cracking year:

• One of the best thing I enjoy is visiting school gardens and I was absolutely well chuffed to be asked to open Holden Clough Primary School’s new garden
• For the second year I had a seed planting stall at St Mary’s RC Primary School, which was great, as some of the kids told me about how their plants had grown from the previous year
• In May I headed down to London for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – WOW, I just love that place
• A bit of responsibility for my second flower show of the year, RHS Chatsworth, where I was a judge in the Grow Green Planters Competition
• In July, I went to RHS Tatton Flower Show, where I was interviewed by BBC Manchester
• In October I was Wild About Worms, for Wild About Gardens Week, with a video filmed and edited by ex-Blue Peter presenter, Barney Harwood
• Finally, I’m most proud of the #ICanGrow work I’ve done with The Young Operation Farmers and more importantly I’ve made some great friends

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It’s been a great year, with lots of highs and only a few lows, but all in all its been an adventure in many ways. I hope your gardening year has been as good as mine and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy 2019!

Green fingered George over and out__ (drop the mic!)

Christmas cards 2017

This year we have a wide selection of Christmas cards and gifts available for you to send out to your nearest and dearest!

You can pick these up from a range of locations:

• Place your order by calling 023 8120 8881
• View our entire collection via our website: www.southamptonhospitalcharity.org/shop
• Pop into our fundraising offices by main reception, C level, centre block, Southampton General Hospital
• Download our Christmas card order form and send to us at Southampton Hospital Charity, Mailpoint 135, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD
• Pick up your cards and gifts from the Southampton branch of Cards for Good Causes, Barclays Bank, 67B Above Bar Street, Southampton 

Alternatively, if you wish to make a donation in lieu of sending Christmas cards, or if you wish to send an e-card, please email [email protected] for more information.

Our 2017 collection.

Christmas Colouring Cards:

Do you have kids and are you thinking about what to send out to people this Christmas? Why not buy our Christmas Colouring Cards - What better way to give your family a personalised card, than to let them have one coloured by kids (or adults!) 

The pack features two designs – one with the three kings, and one of the manger scene with baby Jesus. Inside are five cards of the two designs. 

Festive Bauble:

This is our personalised card for 2017. It is a round orange Christmas bauble with the Southampton Hospital Charity icon in the centre of the bauble, and a blue bow tie ribbon.

Our personalised cards are always a firm favourite to show their support for everything that the charity does, and for all of the people that we help everyday. 

Gardeners' Delight:

This charming hand drawn Christmas card has a traditional robin sat on top of a gardening trowel, with a sprig of holly on the floor. The plump little robin is sat opposite a pot containing snowdrops, and the whole scene is then showered with snow as a frosty way to end the year! 

This matt card really combines the joys of winters, with the promise of spring!

Festive Penguins:

These cheeky little penguins are enjoying playing in the snow, with some carrying items such as presents or a Christmas tree. This card is a must for those who love animals, or having a bit of fun at Christmas!

This design is flying off the shelves this year, so make sure you pick yours up early to avoid disappointment. 

Away in a Manger:

This religious, bright and uplifting card features the manger scene from the nativity. 

The white background has three stained glass effect scenes: one with the three kings, one with the star and cot with baby Jesus, the other with the shepherds. 

Christmas tree decoration:

New for 2017 are these quaint star shaped Christmas tree decorations. On one side it features the Southampton Hospital Charity logo, and on the other side the wording ‘Shining Star’ to show that you are always thinking of that special someone. 

The star shape is made of plastic, with a silver rope to hang the decoration on your tree, or in a special place. 

Christmas Button:

This modern card features buttons and ribbons in the shape of a Christmas tree, with the words Happy Christmas on the front, blending together a range of red, green, and brown colours. 

It is a welcome addition to our Christmas stock, and fits in perfectly with our stars branding! 

Christmas Delivery:

This card features Santa climbing amongst the roofs of London delivering his presents, with snow falling around him. 

The card is matt, with gold glitter detailing around the lights of the Christmas tree and windows.

We only have limited stock left of this card, so make sure you order it today.

Classmate Pack:

Do you have enough cards for all of the children in your child’s classroom? Make it easy this Christmas with a Classmate Pack. It contains all the cards your child needs for school. 

Each pack contains: 30 square cards (10cm x 10cm), five each of six designs, and one teachers card (17cm x 12cm) The six designs include: Snowman, Santa, Penguin, Christmas pudding with Santa hat, Christmas pudding with holly antlers, Christmas pudding with party hat. 

Santa Packs and Reindeer Food:

Our Santa Packs contain everything children need to prepare for Santa's visit. A letter to Santa with envelope for your child to write down what they would like, reindeer food to feed those hungry reindeer on Christmas Eve, and a 'Santa stops here' door hanger to make sure he stops! 

Last year these were one of our top sellers, so make sure you get them before they go! Or if you just fancy buying the reindeer food on their own, you can buy both from us.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas with a Happy and Healthy New Year.