21st August 2022
Welcome
On Wednesday we had our first decent rain for 8 weeks. The brown grass is beginning to green and the saturated pond weed on the Moat has mostly sunk and we have our clear water back.
Water levels are still low but with showers forecast we hope the garden has survived its worst onslaught and we have not lost too many shrubs.
Vegetables are all growing well and runner beans and courgettes have been picked this morning with surplus for sale at the gate.
The Iris bed will get some attention this week and plants split and re-planted. The Delphiniums in this bed were cut to the ground after flowering and have regrown- albeit at a lesser standard
Lots of green and shade in the Water Garden, Hemerocallis and Hosta have been dead headed and we are awaiting the Asters and autumn flowers.
Most roses are having a second flowering. The clematis on the posts which flowered to filled the gap between 1st and 2nd flowerings is dying back, except for the later flowering Viticella.
In the West Lawn the Passion flower on the back wall was grown from seed. Its intriguing flowers turn to bright orange balls full of seed- pretty, but need to be careful as it can get invasive.
The geranium in the gravel were cut back after flowering and will soon flower again- bright pink G.psilostemon which clashes beautifully with the purple Verbena Bonariensis and orange California poppy-Eschschoizia californica.I am hoping the Oleander in pots will continue to flower long enough to add to the mix.
Please don’t walk on the rough grass beside the East Lawn. The Autumn Crocus are just appearing and they cover this area but difficult to spot and avoid as the flowers appear before the leaves
We still have 7 cygnets, the Heron visits daily and sometimes fish are left on the steps in the West lawn- we don’t think that’s the work of the Heron?
Stay healthy and good gardening
Lynda Tucker
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