1st June 2025

Welcome

June has arrived and with it the prospect of rain. Until last week we had not had rain for 8 weeks and, apart from pots, only water the plants in the Vegetable Garden. We don’t use sprinklers but try to water at the roots by using perforated hoses.

(The grass on the West Lawn has suffered from lack of water but elsewhere not too badly).

In the Vegetable Garden we are picking Chard, Salad crops and Beetroot, cutting Artichokes and digging up our early Potatoes. We are still planting Beans and Cucurbita and have picked our first Sweet Peas.

Strawberries are having straw placed underneath the fruits to keep them off the ground and the Asparagus is allowed to go to seed.

The Delphiniums are flowering in the Iris bed and the Iris are about to be cut to prevent wind rock damaging their surface rhizomes.

The Daffodil area is having a feed of blood fish and bone. We used to feed after they were cut down but last year changed to this earlier feeding plan.

The Bog Garden is looking good with Iris Pseudacorus Variegata and the purple flowers of Iris Laevigata Variegata. The larger thuggish yellow Iris Pseudacorus used to dominate this area, but we have moved them to alongside the Moat where they are defending the banks from erosion from the springs within the Moat. Look towards the stand of Pleached Hornbeam to see them now in flower.

The Autumn border has woken up and primula are flowering throughout the Water Garden.

The white roses growing largely in shade at the end of the stream path are R. Moschata Nastarana.

To identify our roses look at the map provided in the Coffee Shop

Orange, pinks and purples shout out in the West lawn flower beds. Try strolling between the brick Pergola planted with roses, then turn right along the gravel with its self-seeded plants, then right again up through the shade of the Nut Walk. If you were then to turn left you would be into the Wild Garden with its waist high Ox Eye daisies taking over from the spring bulbs. Lots more to see if you walk round the east side of the Hall or return by crossing the new bridge beside the Holiday Cottage.

Wildlife is much as stated last week except the sheep have been moved. The Hebrideans are now in the overflow Car park where they are enjoying munching their way through the grass and we are enjoying not having to cut it.

Pause in your travels to listen to the birds. We are blessed with a huge assortment and their sightings are recorded in the Coffee Shop- please add to the list if you see different birds

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker