Garden Diary

“The impressive garden of a 15th century moated house… where old meets new”
- Jackie Bennett, The English Garden
"Hidden and Romantic"
- Roger Last, Norfolk Gardens
"Amongst 12 of Best Secret Gardens in the UK"
- Tania Pascoe, Guardian
"Secret Garden"
- Uniquely Away Summer
“A blossoming romance”
- Tim Longville, Period Living
"Water-encircled harmony"
- Annie Green-Armytage, Landscape
"Dream gardens"
- Widget Finn, Gardens Illustrated
"Paradise regained"
- Stephen Lacey, Beautiful Britain
“Perfect in every detail”
- Leslie Geddes-Brown, Country Life
"Inspirational gardens from around the world"
- Claire Takacs, Dreamscapes

17th March 2024

Welcome back to our garden.

Like everyone else we have suffered from a very wet winter.The Vegetable garden is on a south facing slope so the water does drain but the soil does still get saturated and we are only now getting back on to it.

Purple sprouting broccoli is now ready. We have protected it all winter from the wildlife with nets and we have had our first pick. In about a month it will be time to plant next year’s crop!

We are moving the rhubarb from the back of the garden where it gets baked by the sun to a more sheltered bed at the front. We are doing it in 2 stages and moving half at a time. This is so that we can continue to pick from the original bed whilst the newly moved rhubarb is settling in.

The space that has been left at the back of the garden has been replaced by Globe Artichoke who should enjoy this position. Again this is being done over two years.

The raspberry canes have been moved to a new bed because of the presence of Bindweed . The old bed has been thoroughly dug over and a fleece put down to warm up the soil. The potatoes have now been chitted and planted under the fleece which will be removed once we see some growth.

Elsewhere supports are being put up for beans and they will be planted first in the Greenhouse where they should avoid the mice and pigeons whilst they put down some roots.

The unheated Greenhouse is still packed with overwintering perennials. They will soon need moving to make space for the seeds being sown.

Enjoy the Daffodils- we have over 48 different varieties all coming at different times. At the moment the early yellow are visible but please keep to the paths to avoid treading on the later emerging varieties.

If you like yellow and blue this is a good time to visit with Scilla and Muscari everywhere and sometimes combining with the small daffodil tete a tete or primroses.

On the front of the house the Clematis Armandii is just coming in to flower with  its beautiful pale pink flowers. Normally this flowers early April.

The Wild Garden is a mass of the wild daffodil Pseudonarcissus which enjoys the damp soil it finds there and this will soon be joined by the blue Anemone Blanda and Snakeshead Fritillaria. Although the snowdrops are over the giant white snowflake- Leucojum, has spread along the side of the Moat and is in full flower.

Our first lambs usually arrive on April 1st. This year they started arriving in mid -February. So far we have 12. The Swans have been visiting but yet again chased off the Moat by the Grey Lag Geese. The 2 Geese remain guarding the Fishponds and the Heron has appeared again. We have had many Moles, Rabbit and Muntjac- the joys of gardening!!

Happy gardening and stay healthy

Lynda Tucker

 

 

 

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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 12th 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 2nd 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

 

 

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29th January 2024

I have always held the belief that, for many reasons, the difference between a good gardener and a bad gardener is two weeks i.e. do the job at the right time. Well, the good news about January is that the clock stops and the pressure is off. Most plants are sensibly hunkered down under ground and digging at this time of year compacts the soil. Too soon to sow most seeds and not good to plant into frozen ground. The water table is high and the ground sodden with exceptionally strong winds. We are still picking Kale and Leeks from the Vegetable Garden and the unheated Greenhouse is now a shelter spot for tender pots of Geranium or Fuchsia but seed sowing will wait until the temperature warms up.

There are some exceptions of course – pruning jobs for the Viburnum, Sambucus and fruit trees, but most hedges and roses at Hindringham have already been done. Another exception is the Nut Walk. This is a major January task taking 2 or 3 weeks, skilfully tying in, weaving and cutting shoots and forming the beautiful framework that visitors appreciate in the summer. Photos on Facebook/Instagram.

We have yellow Jasmine on walls, purple Iris Stylosa (Unguicularis) along the foot of walls and Hellibore starting to flower. Snowdrops and Aconites are up but still tightly closed; some Primroses are appearing on sheltered banks and we have the lovely Iris J S Dijt (Reticulata) pushing up through the gravel beside the front porch.

So in January and February our thoughts turn from plants to maintenance and these are the months for repairing lawn edges, filling potholes, cleaning Greenhouse pots and windows, putting down fresh gravel, and renewing signs, fences and posts. All the wear and tear jobs that get neglected or forgotten once the plants require attention.

Rabbits are a nightmare with holes appearing everywhere and the same is true for moles. The sheep seem very contented on the lush grass and our Hebridean flock usually start producing lambs from about April 1st.

Who knows what challenges the February weather will bring but the lawn mower has returned from servicing, bulbs are poking through the soil, the birds are loudly singing and we have a whole fresh new year of gardening to plan and look forward to.

 Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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Its January 2024

Happy New Year to you all.

The days are getting longer but the worst of the winter could still be to come?

In the Vegetable Garden we still have Leaks and Kale and the Sprouting Broccoli is standing well. All other vegetables have been removed and a layer of our own compost laid onto the soil.

The Raspberry bed, which had terrible bindweed, has had all Raspberry canes removed. Their roots have been thoroughly washed and planted in a new cage on the other side of the Vegetable Garden; the bindweed will be dug out when the currently waterlogged soil dries out. The soil is so wet we are avoiding treading on it. The plan is to plant potatoes in the hope that any remaining weed will come out as they are dug up. We do not have the space to leave the bed empty for a year- which is the perceived wisdom, and want to avoid weed killers- time will tell if this works!!

The Greenhouse has been lined with bubble wrap and the Orchids for the Hall are stored on the benches having spent the summer outside beside the Greenhouse. We keep Fuchsia and Geraniums in there and the Oleander and Olive Tees from the West Lawn are kept frost free in the Coffee Shop. Pots with Tulips have been stored beside the Greenhouse and covered with wire mesh and some Chilli powder to deter the Squirrels and mice. The large pots with the Bay Trees have been taken from the Herb garden and also stored out of the wind.

White winter Cyclamen are flowering in the Dell and the winds are bringing down leaves and branches. It’s a good time to clear leaves from the gravel paths and soon we will be busy replacing or repairing the gravel board lining the paths. Time to order more gravel as it seems to disappear but we use wood chip where we can as it is readily available.

We haven’t suffered too much from the strong winds- a dead tree along the fence and the odd branch down here or there. We try to clear them up quickly as soon the ground will be bursting with snow drops, aconites or daffodils and we wouldn’t want to tread on them!!

We have finished pruning the long pleached hornbeam hedge and almost finished the roses. The cuttings are too thick to compost and will be burnt and the ash added to the Compost heap or put around the raspberries and apple trees.

Lovely Clematis Freckles is in flower on the Hall and beneath it the purple Iris Stylosa (aka Unguicularis- ugh!!) and yellow Jasmine. There is the odd Primrose in flower but no sign of the Hellibore yet.

Muntjac are in evidence along with Kites and Buzzards. Moles are having a wonderful time and we see the odd Rabbit, Fox and quite a few Jay. The sheep and Geese in the Fishponds are thriving and the pair of Swans have returned.

Looking at the rain outside the window this is a wonderful time of year to hunker down with a seed catalogue and catch up on all those magazine articles you failed to read and comfort yourself with the knowledge that, apart from some pruning, you will do more harm outside than good. Happy New Year to you all and……

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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November 29th 2023

Welcome to the garden on a nasty cold and wet Winter’s day. The heavy rain has resurrected the natural springs in the gardens and the stream and moat levels have risen considerably.

Not good weather for treading onto the soil and so it’s rose pruning, leaf collecting, repairing gravel boards to paths  and hedge cutting.

The Vegetable garden is still producing Carrot, Parsnip, Kale and Leeks. The Purple Sprouting Broccoli has been staked and netted against pigeons. Raspberry canes have been moved to a new bed in an attempt to get rid of the bindweed which currently prevails. We will dig out as much weed as possible and in the Spring plant potatoes in that bed to clear the ground.

Orchids, Geraniums and Fuschias have been moved into the protection of the Greenhouse and Canna and a few Dahlia stored under the benches with sheets of black plastic (insides of compost bags) creating a dark space.

The last tulip has been planted and the pots covered with chicken wire and chilli pepper sprinkled on top to thwart the squirrels.

Most of the flower beds have been cut down and a mulch applied and we bought some Cow muck and have given the roses a good feed.

We have had the last picking of apples in the orchard and are now applying grease to the trees against bugs.

The lovely winter Iris stylosa is flowering well and looks beautiful up against a wall underneath the yellow jasmine and we even have a few primula in flower !!

Today the sun shone and although freezing cold it lifted the spirits and the early frost looked beautiful. The red stems on the Cornus are standing out and lots of berries on the holly are reminding me that Christmas will soon be here and the end of another gardening year.

.Wildlife is still abundant but the Heron has moved from the Moat to the Fishponds and we seem to be visited by quite a few muntjac.

Do follow us on facebook/Instagram to see the garden in winter, otherwise it just remains to wish you a very Happy Christmas and…..

Stay healthy and good gardening.

Lynda Tucker

 

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11th November 2023

Welcome to the November diary.

A little late writing this diary but the garden has been full on. How people put away their tools for the winter I know not as we seem busier than ever.!!

In the Vegetable Garden we are down to Kale, beetroot, carrots, leeks and Parsnips.

Climbing frames have been removed and seeds harvested. Large areas denuded of plants have now had compost applied and dug in. The Raspberry bed is in constant need of weeding during the summer months which takes up a lot of time. It was originally planted 30 years ago but as raspberries are shallow rooted perhaps we haven’t been able to weed out roots as well as foliage? I plan to start a new bed in another frame and carefully replant some of the bushes but leave the bed otherwise empty to get to grips with the pernicious weed. The Asparagus still remains green (a lot of rain ) and we are waiting for the foliage to turn brown to cut it down,

The Greenhouse has had a thorough clean – benches and glass, and the bubble wrap has gone up on the smaller section. I am now able to move the Orchids from outside where they have spent the summer into the warmth of the Greenhouse.

We are starting to cut down perennials in the beds, especially the Hosta and Hemerocallis lining the stream- If we don’t the fleshly leaves may rot back into the bulb or attract slugs. The decision this year is not to remove the leaves from the Hellibores. I know its supposed to be good practice but it does make them look ugly plus, as we have muntjac the pretty exposed flower heads would be too much of a temptation!

The autumn colours are not as strong as previous years and leaves are staying on longer than usual but we are pressing ahead with rose pruning and the tulips need repotting for their spring display.

Muntjac, rabbits, moles and squirrels all happily munching away, Raptors flying over and the odd noisy skein of geese, but joy of joy a pair of white swans taking a great interest.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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8th October 2023

Welcome, 

The gardens are now closed but you are still welcome to find out what is happening in the Garden and I will now post once a month. Face book and Instagram will continue with pics.

There is still so much colour, as Summer transitions to Autumn, so next year we will open for the first week in October so that the autumn plants and foliage can be enjoyed.

We still have carrots, beetroot, parsnips and Kale in the garden and are picking strawberries (can you believe it?), raspberries, tomatoes, apples and Pears. Some apples are stored but the majority are juiced and frozen.

Beds that have finished producing are dug up and later we will cover them with compost.

Lots of hedges are being cut but the large Pleached Hornbeam will wait to be cut until the leaves have dropped as this will make the task easier.

Tomatoes are finishing in the Greenhouse and the Orchids for the Hall will be moved there to encourage flowering.

Urns and Tubs are having their soil replaced with fresh compost which we will do every 4 years.

The West Lawn has been scarified and top dressed and the East lawn has had an Autumn “feed and weed” applied.

By the Autumn Border rabbits and squirrels have done a lot of damage to the grass in that area and it has been raked, seeded and covered with a layer of plastic (with holes) to act as a mini greenhouse to encourage the grass.

No plants are being cut down as yet because they are looking so amazing but we have started pruning summer flowering shrubs and are tying in the long branches of roses to prevent wind damage.

The Heron is still a daily visitor, some of the lambs have gone to slaughter, lots of bees amongst the Asters and we are co -existing with the rabbits and squirrels.  

See you in November.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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24th September 2023

Welcome to our last week of garden openings for 2023.

We have had a mixed weather gardening year with planting times being of extra importance. Beetroot have done badly and Tomatoes are very late, however, we have had excellent crops from Beans, Peas, Sweet corn, Courgettes, Asparagus and Broccoli.

We are now removing the supports for peas and beans and digging over the beds before adding a layer of compost. The Asparagus will be left to turn brown before cutting down and in the Greenhouse the lower leaves of the tomatoes removed so that any sun can reach the tomatoes to ripen them.

Our attention is now on fruits- Raspberries are going well and we have had a second crop of Strawberries, Plums and Blackberries have mostly been picked and we are harvesting our Apples and Pears. The Apples are either stored or juiced and frozen.

Outside the Greenhouse the Buddlea on the bank are being dead headed to stop the winds rocking them in the winter, and they will be hard pruned in the Spring.

The Cyclamen are providing a bold splash of colour in the Dell and the Camomile is gradually spreading in the space between the Jaquemontii Birch. This is the area where the Snowdrops and Bluebells dominate in the Spring as well as Cyclamen Coum.

In the Autumn Border we are waiting for the sun to open the Aster flowers- there are 8 different colours and along with the Dahlias make a colourful display when flowering.

Asters are more advanced in the West lawn- where they do get more sun, but look out for the lovely pink flowered Lespendeza near the orange Cosmos and red Dahlia Bishop of Llanduff. Along the wall the tall yellow spikes are Ginger (hedychrium Gardnerianum) and lining the Pergola path with orange flowers is Zauschneria ‘Ed Carman”

Thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you when we reopen for the Daffodils at the end of March 2024.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

 

 

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17th September 2023

Welcome

Penultimate week of garden openings and we are already feeling the cooler air. The Autumn colours are best after some cold weather and we are transitioning- but not yet here.

The Vegetable Garden is giving way to fruit. We still have Carrots, Cabbage and Courgettes to pick but are getting a surprise second crop of strawberries along with the autumn Raspberries, Pears and Apples. Beds that have been harvested are now being dug over and we will spread a layer of compost to let the frosts break down and then turn the soil ready for planting in the Spring.

Apples that store will be picked and others will be turned into our own Apple Juice and frozen.

Outside the Greenhouse the yellow climbing rose in the Ginkgo tree is Mermaid. Second flowering and it finds its own way -if you start it off well.

Don’t miss the colourful cyclamen in flower in the Dell.

The Autumn Border is full of Asters and Dahlias which are beginning to colour, the tall Orange flower is Tithonia and the very tall yellow daisy -like plant is Inula Magnifica.

The Water Garden is full of Hydrangea enjoying this cool space and look along the ditch for the Toad Lilies- planted as a line and with delicate orchid-like flowers

Colchicum are in flower along the edges of the East Lawn.

The West lawn is full of colour- a lovely lupin is in flower which seeded itself in the Gravel and the Delphinium which was cut down after flowering is almost as good the second time.

Don’t miss the beautiful shrub- lespendeza near the Bay, with its long branches covered in pink flowers. It contrasts well with the orange Crocosmia and D. Red bishop of Llanduff.

Cormorants and Heron are daily visitors along with squirrels, moles and rabbits. BUT so very pleased to see the return of the White Swans on the Fish Ponds.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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10th September 2023

Welcome,

Vegetable Garden Potatoes have been dug and Pea crops harvested and the ground is being prepared for a layer of mulch which will be worked in by the frosts before being dug over and planted in the Spring. We are still picking Salad Crops, some Beans, Sweet Corn and butternut squash- growing under the Sweet Corn- but it is the Raspberries, Apples, Plums and Pears that we now harvest. We are cutting and drying herbs which I understand will be in short supply this winter because of the cost of commercially drying them.

The Tomatoes in pots have done well this summer but our main supply is grown in the Green House and are fruiting later this year.

In the Iris bed, Iris and Delphiniums have been cut down.

Cyclamen are brightening up the shady Dell and the chamomile “lawn” between the Jaquemontii birch is slowly taking shape.

Not yet ready for the autumn leaf colours but the Autumn Border with its Asters and Dahlias is colouring up. This is fenced in the hope of deterring rabbits but you will see from the grass areas near it that we have a serious challenge.

Enjoy the path through the Water Garden where the Toad Lilies are in flower and the Hydrangea are enjoying the cool shade.

At the front of the Hall Magnolia Grandiflora is in flower by the Porch and the white flower at the bottom of the West lawn is Romneya.

Roses are having their second flowering and Clematis that covered them are dying back but look for Kaiu which is the small white clematis on the West Lawn Pergola – still beautiful.

Don’t miss the lovely Lespendeza- next to the Bishop of Llanduff and the orange Cosmos- with its wafting branches of small pink flowers.

I have mentioned our rabbits but we also have Moles and Muntjac,  and need to keep the gates to the West lawn closed!

We have Heron and at least 2 Great Cormorants feeding off the Moat but the white Swans have made a welcome return to the Fishponds. About 6 o’clock most evenings groups of birds swoop down to feed off the ponds-mostly house martins and swallows.

Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker

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