2nd August

Welcome,

We are busy in the Vegetable Garden harvesting Beans, Beetroot, Carrots, Courgettes, Salad crops and Potatoes. We are trying to pick the Courgettes at only 6 inches long- but is a race to keep up! We try to keep the Squash  off the ground by putting a barrier between the soil and the fruit as they will not be ready for a few weeks. The Asparagus have been left to die back. This bed was mulched earlier in the year with our home-made compost and we have produced a healthy crop of Verbena Bonariensis and Apple of Peru (Nicandra Physalodes)-a problem of not being able to heat the compost and kill off any seedlings!!

The American Pillar rose on the Pergola has been cut back. This very thorny vigorous rambler was first bred in U.S.A. in 1902 and makes a stunning once a year display along the width of the Vegetable Garden.

Buddleja along the Moat banks are dead headed to keep the display going and the first Cyclamen are appearing in the Dell.

In the Dell the Chamomile bed has a problem. The variety grown is nonflowering Treneague but unfortunately Roman Chamomile has sprung up amongst it. We will dead head the Roman to stop it seeding and hope that Treneague – which is a better low spreading ground cover plant, will take over.

Wonderful seed heads can be seen on the Paulownia in the daffodil area. We have successfully produced 2 plants from its seeds- but it has taken 3 years

The tall purple spikes in the Bog Garden are from a Thalia which seems to be coping with this year’s fluctuating water levels.

Be careful of wasps but do have some yellow Mirabelle plums which have fallen by the Stream Garden. Absolutely delicious for jam and I have picked enough.

Pink Criniums are in flower on the front of the Hall and the Wisteria is having a second flowering.

Oleander are in flower in the pots at the bottom of the West lawn- taken inside for the winter.

The West lawn has suffered from this years dry weather and we didn’t water as we were assured that lawns will recover, It is West and South facing and drains well. This lawn has been cut by a robot mower which is programmed to cut regularly by tiny amounts, which it then spreads back onto the lawn. Currently we have several brown patches and weeds so will review this strategy at the end of the summer.

Squirrels are leaving a trail of hazelnut shells under the Nut Walk. Fortunately, Muntjacs are not very tall as the have eaten the bottom leaves of our climbing hydrangea (Petiolaris) on the large  tree by the Autumn Border. 6 Kites were circling on the thermals above the gardens the other evening and the rabbits are busy making their scrapes on the ground. Quite a large shoal of Carp can be seen coming up to catch the insects on the top of the moat and the Heron is there keeping watch.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker