3rd March 2024

The nights are getting shorter and despite the rain we are looking forward to Spring. February has been the wettest on record and around us the roads have been flooded making many impassable and causing damage to housing. Here the 12^th century Moat around the Hall did what it was built to do- keep the land inside dry so the Hall suffered no problems. However the stream walls were completely washed away  early in the month with some of the blocks ending up beyond the fish ponds. These were all replaced, but then a second deluge came and we have had to rebuild using much heavier blocks.

A lot of gravel as well as wood chip has been put down and path edges repaired as well as replacing fencing that the black sheep knocked down escaping in the dark- there’s more to gardening than plants!!

We opened for NGS on Saturday 2^nd March and it poured with rain nearly all day. This made parking in the normal Car Park impossible because the ground was sodden and visitors would have got stuck!! As a result of finding every nook and cranny imaginable we just managed to park everyone and no cars needing towing off.  We were very pleased that 140 visitors braved the weather and the charity benefited from over £1000. The Church took over the Coffee shop and raised over £500 with visitors appreciating the warm soup and sausage rolls being served.

The garden is waking up. We have exhausted all the Vegetables with only Sprouting Broccoli waiting to be picked. Fleece has gone down to warm the ground before planting the potatoes which are chitting in the house and the first vegetable seeds have been planted in the Greenhouse. A generous layer of compost has been spread throughout the vegetable Garden.

The Green house is still full of overwintering delicate plants which will soon need moving out to make more room for seeds- the majority of our Vegetables start in the Greenhouse where we can get them established before planting them where they have to contend with mice, rats, pigeons, pheasant and unfortunately the odd rabbit.

The snowdrops are over, as are the early Viburnums and Clematis, but the Hellibore are looking good and we are awaiting the magnificent Clematis Armandii  on the front of the Hall. Brightly coloured Primula are popping up in the Water Garden and daffodils bursting open. With over 48 varieties they produce a wonderful carpet of yellow but amongst them are spaces where the white varieties appear a little later.

There are some lovely Honesty at the back of the Hall and Tulip Ballade is poking up along with the Paeonia which has been staked in preparation. Can’t wait.

Normally our first lambs come on April 1st but this year they started in February and so far we have 4. Birds are definitely chirping loudly and taking to build their nests and good news- 2 white Swans have been circling and we hope they will be returning.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker