Ist April 2023

Welcome Back

In the Vegetable Garden we are picking rhubarb and kale. The sprouting broccoli is doing well in the fruit cage but in the open pigeons and pheasant are taking their share. Potatoes have been planted under fleece and vegetable seedlings are still either in the Greenhouse or the cold frames waiting to be planted out.

I hope you like the new paths in the Herb Garden. David and Jim worked hard in a fortunately dry February and I think the result is so good and it looks so natural that you might not have even noticed.

The Iris border has been thinned out and we need to stake the Delphiniums- whilst we can still reach them

The Dell in February was white with snowdrops. These have now died back and the bluebell leaves have started to appear and will turn the Dell blue.

The Daffodil area -At the moment mainly yellow daffodils can be seen but the bare patches will soon be filled with white daffodils and with over 40 different varieties there is an amazing display.

Daffodils certainly do well here and manage to seed themselves everywhere -which is a problem as they shouldn’t be cut down until 6 weeks after flowering and a dying daffodil is not a pleasant sight. Our solution is to dead head, dig up and move them to the bottom of the orchard where they grow happily and are picked for the house.

The lovely Clematis in flower on the front of the house is c. Armandii.

The Tulips in pots by the front Porch are a nod to Great Dixter and a useful way to add an early splash of colour.

There is a path marked through the Wild Garden- anemone, fritillaria etc are just appearing and difficult to avoid treading on.

We have been overrun by moles and rabbits this winter and the dreaded Muntjac who just nip off flower buds. The heron visits every morning and the two white Swans are spending time between the Moat and Fishponds.

With the days getting longer everything is just bursting into life. Fingers crossed not too many frosts and…….

             Stay healthy and good gardening

Lynda Tucker