21st July 2024

Welcome

The Vegetable Garden is in full production, and we are harvesting Potatoes, Onions, Beetroot, Broad/French  Beans and Peas, Hisbi Cabbages, Chard,

Lettuce, Radish, Spring Onions, Soft fruit and Herbs.

I love “companion planting”. Roses are planted at the end of Vine rows in Vineyards to attract the aphids away from the vines and with the same idea we plant basil under the tomatoes in the Greenhouse. Last year we started planting beetroot between the onions and this was to utilise the space whilst the onions were growing. I hate wasting water but plants such as runner beans need watering and so we use a perforated hose at their roots rather than a sprinkler hose. This year we have planted Parsley between the Runner Bean plants to take advantage of the watered soil and the need to water.

Its time for the herbs to be cut down and for a while this little garden will be less attractive, however the smell of the jasmine on the arch as you enter the Herb Garden still encourages you to enter.

The Box is being cut much later than we usually cut it. Earlier it was too wet to cut (would run the risk of Box Blight) and on the day we did start it was too sunny and the leaves were scorched. Watch this space – we will get there.

Tomatoes are growing in the Greenhouse but some of the outside plants are keeping pace- 5 different varieties growing this year including my favourite Marmande and its more expensive relative Tomande.

The Buddlea are in full flower and these humble plants (all of which have been grown from easily propagated cuttings) puts on a colourful display on the banks of the Moat, as well as having a lovely scent. The Buddlea attract butterflies and we have already seen some Red Admiral.

All daffodil areas have now been cut down and the Wild Garden is having its one and only cut of the Year. It is the time of year when many of the plants have finished flowering but some, such as the geraniums, are cut down now as there is time for a second flowering before the winter. Other plants are now appearing in the spaces- such as the Ginger (Hedychium Gardnerianum) at the back of the West lawn, and when they finish flowering the geraniums will have recovered and cover the space.

Roses have been dead headed and some will be having a second flush but Clematis are planted along with the roses to maintain the interest.

Still lots of colour in the West Lawn as we approach the Aster and Dahlia season and you cannot miss the arresting combination of Crocosmia Lucifer, planted with Agapanthus and blue Larkspur. The plants in the gravel at the bottom of the West Lawn have been cut down but some are left to seed. I am always amazed at the gravel plants-despite the lack of soil and care and astounded sometimes by the distance some of them have seeded from other areas of the garden

Lots of Dragonflies in the gardens and Fishponds, we still have House Martins under the eaves of the Hall and the white Swans have returned to the Fishponds where they have befriended the widowed Goose. The Heron still fishes in the Moat every day and we must keep gates firmly closed to thwart the many rabbits that are not satisfied with the amount of grass on offer!!

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker