Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Week 1

General

Although the gardens are still open to the public the staff are taking a well deserved break.

Week 2

General

Feeding birds and putting out water.

We felt that some of the conifers in the Plantsmans garden had become too large so we dug them up. If they still had a good rootball they were potted into large pots and left to grow on. Hopefully, they will be planted elsewhere at a later date.

Many mole hills had appeared over the Christmas period, the soil was raked back over the area that it had come from. The mole was trapped and removed, we’ve found this to be the most successful way of dealing them, mole scaring devices only move the mole from one area to another in yours or your neighbours' garden.

Started to pressure wash any surfaces in need of a clean such as glasshouses, paving, garden furniture, fences, brick and sleeper walkways.

Washed trunks of birch trees to show off their true colour, this was done with a brush and pressure washer on a low power setting so as not to damage the trunks.

Forking over bare patches, cutting back perennial stems, incorporating our own garden compost and then planting where needed, we have also cut down some trees that have become too large to move if they were no longer suited to their situation.

Digging up and dividing  perennials that have outgrown their spaces, this is best done when the ground isn’t too wet. The divisions were then taken to the nursery.

Replacing or repairing any wooden border edging if rotten, any wooden furniture is being checked also.

During bad weather we cleaned out all sheds, glasshouses and serviced lawn mowers and other machinery.

Engraving plant labels before riveting onto aluminium pegs and being pushed into the ground in front of the appropriate plants.

General

Pruned shrubs and climbers - Summer flowering shrubs that flower on last years wood such as DEUTZIA; WEIGELA; PHILADELPHUS; plus any others (light shaping only if needed so as much flowering wood as possible remains) – LONICERA; late flowering CLEMATIS, VITIS, HYDRANGEA petiolaris, WISTERIA, climbing and rambling ROSES.

Occasional watering of potted plants in the conservatory and greenhouses, only if the compost started to dry out.

Elizabethan Vegetable Garden

Repaired wooden edging of octagonal herb bed.

Greenhouse

Sowed into modules BROAD BEAN 'Aquadulce Claudia'; LETTUCE 'Fristina' and 'Lollo Rossa'; CAULIFLOWER 'All the Year Round' and 'Candid Charm'; ONION 'Mammoth Red' and 'Mammoth Improved'; LEEK 'Mammoth Blanch'; AUBERGINE 'Calliope' and 'Black Beauty'; CARROT 'Amsterdam Forcing'; CABBAGE 'Hispi', 'Greyhound' and 'Golden Acre'; BROCCOLI 'Summer Purple' and CELERY 'Martine', 'Pink Mammoth' and 'Giant Red'.

Week 4

General

Any potted plants were top dressed with a fresh layer or compost or other suitable mulch.

Finished off tree pruning, this must be done before the sap starts to rise.

Cut off Epimedium leaves if not already done to show off the flowers when they emerge. Any of last years remaining Hellebore leaves were also removed if not done before.

Outside pots still need occasional watering at this time of year, especially if on walls as the water drains from them much more freely and any rain usually misses them as they are more sheltered.

Any remaining apples in store were removed and used.

Pruned climbers in conservatory such as Plumbago and Passiflora.

Heeled in ten varieties of Rose supplied by David Austin Roses. These will be planted into the gardens when we have found places for them.

Apples and pears pruned as for deciduous trees but also shortening old spur systems or removing the occasional old one completely.

After having very strong winds the fence along one side of the Ornamental Kitchen garden became very loose. So we decided to replace the posts, wires and trellis but left the panels out to allow more light into the garden and provide a view into the garden from the apple arch. A couple of large trees also blew down and these were sawn into logs.

Allotment

Brought Victorian cloches into the polytunnel to dry out before being painted.

Weeded around fruit bushes.

Repaired holes in polytunnel caused by this weeks strong winds.

Parterre

Forked compost into beds.

Elizabethan Vegetable Garden

Topped up ASPARAGUS beds with compost and finished off with a layer of manure.

Put cloches over LETTUCE.

Greenhouse

Sowed CABBAGE 'Hispi', 'Greyhound' and 'Golden Acre', BROCCOLI 'Summer Purple', CELERY 'Martine', 'Pink Mammoth', 'Giant Red' into modules.

Sowed BROAD BEAN 'Crimson Flowered' into 8cm (3") pots.

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