6th April

Welcome

We are enjoying the longer daylight hours but, unlike last year, we have had very little rain.

In the Vegetable Garden we are picking Leeks, Sprouting Broccoli, Rhubarb and the first Asparagus. The over wintered Spring Cabbages have been slow to mature. Our potatoes are in the ground, and we are busy putting in frames for the beans. Because we have so much wildlife nearly all our Vegetables are started off in the Greenhouse.

We still have a danger of frosts and Geraniums, and other summer plants remain protected in the Greenhouse. Along with the trays of seeds, space is at a premium.

In the Dell look out for the little white wood anemone- Anemone Nemorosa which is in flower and the Bluebells which are just coming up.

The Daffodils are enjoying the Spring sunshine. They don’t all flower at once which gives a continuous display and look for the Cowslips coming up amongst them.

The Bog Garden is a mass of Marsh Marigolds (Caltha Palustris) whose strong yellow flowers make a striking display.

Hosta and Hemerocallis are just appearing in the beds beside the path in the Water Garden.

The Clematis on the Wall at the front of the Hall is C. Armandii.

We are busy putting in supports for the plants in the West Lawn. Paeonies, Poppies and Delphiniums all need staking before they get too tall.

The Wild Garden is looking very wild and well worth a visit. A large band of Leucojum line the banks of the Moat.  It is a good year for Primroses, and they are popping up all over the garden but with the blue Anemone Blanda, Fritillaria and the last of the early Daffodils they make a pretty patchwork of colour.

We have put up warning signs by the East Lawn Shrubbery as a Graylag goose has chosen to nest there.  4 Urns of tulips were over wintered then put onto the West lawn. Another Greylag has chosen to nest in one of the Urns- completely ruining the tulips and one wonders how the goslings will make it out of the Urn to the ground.

We have 25 Hebridean lambs.  A shoal of 15 Carp was seen in the Moat but so far, no Heron nor Cormorant. There are Eels and Tadpoles in the Fishponds. Moles and Rabbits continue to cause havoc and the Muntjac are an ever-present threat. We are seeing lots of different Wagtails-Pied, Yellow and Grey

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker