21stJune 2026

Welcome,

Many plants are struggling in the current hot spell, and the Vegetable Garden would suffer without water. Elsewhere, apart from new plants, we do not water.

Some plants of course enjoy the heat and the mediterranean plants in the Herb Garden and Globe Artichokes are thriving.

The leaves of the Ginkgo tree outside the greenhouse are interesting and are said to look like Maidenhair ferns. The Ginkgo is one of the oldest living tree species in the world dating back to pre- dinosaur times- between 245 and 66 million years ago. The yellow rose growing up through the Ginkgo is Mermaid. The names of all the roses in the garden can be identified by the map on the tea towel in the Coffee Shop.

We had just started to cut down the daffodil areas. They have been fed with blood fish and bone and left to die back before cutting.

The water iris in the Bog garden have finished flowering and the Zantedeschia lining the banks are now the star performers.

Hemerocallis and Hosta are in full flower lining the path in the Stream garden-the effect achieved by constant lifting and dividing.

The West Lawn is a mass of colour and the gravel beside the edge the Moat is full of self- seeded plants including Geranium, Thrift, Californian Poppies, Oxeye daisy, Verbena Bonariensis, Larkspur and Nigella.

Looking across the Moat there is a white rose climbing up through the tree called Wedding Day- possibly 20ft high? With 104 different varieties of roses in the gardens there is a lot of dead heading going on! The majority are repeat flowering and by cutting off the dead flowers we will hope for a second display.

Enjoy the cool shade of the Nut Walk and walk through the chest high Oxeye daisies now dominating the Wild garden.

Beside the large Copper Beech on the main drive is a Liriodendron (Tulip tree) which still has a few flowers to be seen.

Over 40 birds have been spotted in the gardens this year and good to see the House Martins have returned and are nesting under the eaves of the Hall. Names of the birds can be seen in the Coffee Shop.

The Dragon Flies are back and Water Boatmen, Skaters and large Carp in the Moat. Some interesting Butterflies, including the Brimstone, are acting as pollinators and widely considered as symbols of good luck. We hope you can spot one.

Stay healthy and good gardening.

Lynda Tucker