2nd October 2022

Welcome,

The gardens are now closed for the winter but I will continue with an update on what is happening in the garden- albeit only every 4 weeks.

The Swans plus 7 cygnets have all gone- amazing timing!! No sign of feathers or fights so fingers crossed that the parents have led them to their winter resting place. We have found the eaten remains of a rather large eel so possibly that predator hastened their decision to leave?

We have had a rather exciting “find” from a visitor who found a quite rare insect-Themira biloba which is red listed and not believe to have been seen in north Norfolk before. This is a fly associated with swan and, or large goose dung. Next year if you see visitors studying the poo in the Fish Ponds you will know why.

Sad to close when the Autumn foliage is about to perform but there are many jobs in the autumn needing to be done whilst the soil is still warm. A major job is attention to the grass which suffered horribly after 8 weeks of draught. Yes the pundits will tell you it will come back but it is how it comes back which is the problem. For most areas fine but smarter areas, such as the West lawn, need scarifying and re seeding whilst there is still some heat in the soil to germinate the seed.

The Iris bed has been dug out and replanted but so many rhizomes over that we have filled 3 newly dug beds and there are still some over!! We have some very special iris but the problem is trying to mark them when in flower and once they are cut after flowering they all look the same.

The tomatoes are still fruiting in the Greenhouse along with the peppers and chilli. We are picking beetroot, squash, carrots, chard and spinach and the parsnips and leeks are almost ready. The runner bean- White lady is having a second flowering and so it will be interesting to see what happens there but there are still a few french bean- cobra, appearing amongst the ones we have left to go to seed.

I will continue to update with photos on Facebook and Instagram to keep you abreast of the garden during the Winter.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

P.S   Swans plus 7 cygnets back on the Moat this evening-danger over?