4th August 2024

Welcome,

The Vegetable Garden is in full swing. Our early potatoes are being dug up to store, Courgettes, Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Chard, Hispi Cabbage, French Beans, Lettuce and Beetroot are being harvested. Butternut Squash are spreading underneath the Sweet Corn and fruited branches of Blackcurrants have been cut down. Kale should be picked and Sprouting Broccoli for the winter is doing well inside the Fruit cage. Tomatoes are fruiting and we have tumbling varieties in pots and later, Cordon ,in the Greenhouse.

Whereas the Vegetable Garden is in its prime the flower garden is in transition from the summer flowers to its autumn plants. Plants are being cut down and others emerging.

Delphiniums in the Iris Walk have been cut to the ground (some have re grown) and the blue chicory on the banks have finished flowering and they too will be cut down. At the front of the bed the Nepeta was cut down 6 weeks ago and that is now re flowering

The Dell is covered with a canopy of leaves, we are growing Chamomile in the space that a fallen Chestnut created, and our first pink autumn Cyclamen have appeared

The Bog Garden has a fallen Willow in the centre, and we are waiting for the gardens to close before we can remove it.

The Autumn Border is starting to colour and the tall pink spikes of Persicaria are lining the bank under the Buddleia Globosa

We have cut out the flowering stalks of the Hosta and Hemerocallis lining the path beside the stream.

Beautiful Water Lilies are in flower beside the bridge over the Moat and pink Crinium are in flower beside the Hall

At the bottom of the West lawn the Oleander are coming into flower in the Pots.  And the white -poppy-like flower is a Romneya

Look across the Moat at the white flowers of the Indian Bean Tree.

The Wild Garden has been cut down so that the sun can feed the bulbs and encourage the seeds to germinate.

House martins are still nesting under the eaves around the Hall- there seem to be more nests than usual this year and the Fly Catchers have returned to nest above the lavatory in the Courtyard.

Not as many butterflies as in previous years.

Moles are causing a lot of damage and we seem to have had a second brood of rabbits.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker