MEMBERS of the Hampshire Gardens Trust are a mixed bunch of people with one thing in common - they are all keen to enhance the county's gardens, parks and landscapes.

Some like to 'get their hands dirty', joining in the digging, planting and weeding.

Some are professionals (such as architects, garden designers, photographers, lecturers, solicitors, accountants and landscape historians), who provide the skills for restoration projects and new garden schemes.

Some members take part in fund-raising, or research, or keep an eye on local planning applications likely to affect important gardens or parks in the county. Others do not have the time to take such an active part - yet their support is no less valuable. They contribute an all-important annual membership subscription of £10 per year (single membership) and new members are always welcome, whether they can take an active role or not.

Equally varied are the garden projects in which the trust is involved.

They include the Porter's Garden inside Portsmouth's historic dockyard, the Crescent Garden at Alverstoke, the King John Garden at Romsey, the beautiful garden of the Gregg School in West End and the Physic Garden in Petersfield, which is in the style of a 17th century town garden.

On behalf of the trust, garden designer Mark Rendell recently planned new gardens in the inner courtyard areas of Petersfield Hospital.

He also designed the Woolston Millennium Garden, a modern city site in Southampton which opened in April 2002. It features steel and fibreglass sculptures, and is described as 'A celebration of flight and float', marking Woolston's connections with land, sea and sky. Engraved bricks list the names of passengers and crew of the Titanic (as well as local inhabitants and businesses), while steel chain links around the edge of the garden represent the men who used to queue for the local labour exchange.

At Coldeast Hospital near Swanwick, trust member Mark has designed a new healing garden, with scented plants, mosaics, sculpture, prayer flags, bells and an outdoor 'snoozarium', where patients can rest underneath shady trees! Work started on January 21 and this unique courtyard garden should be completed by the end of the summer.

The trust also helped with the detailed historical research needed for Queen Eleanor's Garden outside the Great Hall in Winchester, an authentic replica of a 14th century garden.

Particularly successful is the garden of the Manor House at Upton Grey, near Basingstoke, which was originally planned in 1908 by the famous designer Gertrude Jekyll. With expert advice from the Hampshire Gardens Trust, the owners, John and Ros Wallinger, have now fully restored this five-acre garden, following the original planting scheme. It has an authentic Jekyll wild garden and collections of roses, lilies and peonies.

June Parkinson, chairman of the Hampshire Gardens Trust, believes that the organisation and its individual members really can 'make a difference' to the quality of life in our own county.

"We have nearly 400 members," she said, "but we do need more because of the wide range of projects and interests that we cover. We are very fortunate to be able to employ a part-time secretary but everyone else in the trust works on a voluntary basis. Joining the trust is a nice way of meeting like-minded people who appreciate gardens and we have lots of interesting garden visits, lectures and seminars for those who can take part.

"Our members can decide for

themselves what level of involvement they want and how much time they have to spare. It's entirely up to them. Even those who just pay their subscriptions are helping us because we do rely on membership fees and our

annual grant from Hampshire County Council.

"They are helping us to fund our

projects and to protect our heritage. In fact, every penny counts."