It’s technically October but botanically September. With recent temperatures approaching 25°C and wall-to-wall sunshine, we’re kind-of having the summer we should have had, it’s just several months late. The garden has an autumn tinge to it as most of the flowering is now over and some of the shrubs are defoliating but everything else is taking advantage of the warm weather and soaking up the sunshine before temperatures drop for the winter. The result from a single small pot of Houttuynia a year after division and growing on It’s lovely to be out in the garden. The contrast between the neatly ..read more

It’s been a while since the last post and that’s mainly because the second half of the season had several NGS Open Days and private group visits packed in. In fact, we had three events in the space of two weeks in the first half of August (who organised that, eh?). The garden in full “Romantic Style” glory Now, however, after a final afternoon “do” for the many volunteers that helped us over the course of the season, some on hot days, some in driving rain, the garden is closed for 2023 and the final figures are in: £3000+ raised for the NGS, who will distribute it to their beneficiaries 10 NG ..read more

We’re well into summer now and I’m sat here wearing sweatpants, long sleeves and a dressing gown, trying to keep warm. It’s no secret that summer in the UK this year has been even more miserable, cold, wet and grey than it sometimes can be – and yes – that is bitterness in my tone. Yep. Still raining. Not being guaranteed to have at least a few days in a row of warm sunshine (we haven’t even managed an afternoon of it for over a month) has had a chilling effect on visitor numbers and enthusiasm for people to come and support us on NGS Open days. Continuously unsettled weather where the forecas ..read more

We’ve just had another Public NGS Open Day and so I slept in til around 10:30am this morning. Five events down, five to go. We’re at the half-way mark and along with several pages of very kind comments written in the guestbook by garden visitors under duress, we have an interesting statistic to pull about about the cake: with 223 visitors to the garden, we’ve served 256 slices of cake. Make of that, what you will. Interestingly, I’ve had very little time to actually tend to the garden, there is an embarrassing amount of dead-heading that I haven’t managed, the border edges are looking rough, t ..read more

Walk around the garden at this time of year and you’re assailed from all sides by scented plants. Most have fragrant flowers, some have fragrant leaves that are planted to spill over the paths and release a cloud of aroma as you brush past them. Most give off an intoxicating sweet heady fragrance, as subtle as a freight train. Some do this during the heat of the day, some in the evening as it cools. Regal lilies, which I can smell through the open windows The scent of summer is here, in the perfume of the jasmine enveloping you while you sit on the patio. In the waves of sweet honeysuckle waft ..read more

I’m of the impression that most people don’t just want to see gardens, they want to have great cake too. Why else would we have so many gardens with integrated cafes and cake stalls? It’s no different for an NGS Open Garden event. Though we haven’t been to as many as we’d like, one of the principal reasons we set out for an afternoon NGS visit is to nosy around another garden and then sample the baking. One can’t be without the other. Thankfully, I’m also a very good baker (so I’m told, often by people with my cake in their mouth at the time) and the catering is all in-house. I’m writing this ..read more

It’s been quiet on this blog but it’s been rather frantic in the garden. After the previous aftermath from the first ever Open Garden event under the National Garden Scheme – a private visit from a local Gardening Group – we’ve just had our first public Open Day on Saturday 10th June. Plant Sale for the local Gardening Club We’re still sort-of clearing up and recovering from it, while also preparing for a garden scouting visit on Monday afternoon and then a private group visit on Wednesday. The local Residents Association Magazine published a whole page interview on the garden and Horticulture ..read more

Well, here we are. It’s the day after the one before. Actually, it’s the day after the one before the one before because numpty-me didn’t get round to posting this the day before. The day before (the day before) being when we had our first, ever, NGS Open Day with a local Gardening group coming as the first, ever group to see the garden beyond friends, neighbours and family. Rather staged, but just as delicious I needn’t have panicked, it went very well, from the initial introductory talk to the garden to the cakes, it was all well received and I’ve a guestbook with some very glowing comments ..read more

I thought I might be able to just squeeze in a sub-week warning post as it seems things have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. Trying to establish a border in three days For example, I’ll tell you right now that the best time to start concreting a high foot-traffic area is 72 hours before Open Day. While waiting for that concrete to dry, perhaps a more “normal” activity like repairing a cavity in the pergola before fitting the final rafter might be an idea. If getting up a ladder is too much, then you can try a border redesign. Sharp edging on the Rectangle When the hysteria around Open ..read more

It’s been another week, it’s also been dry so I’ve managed to continue preparing the garden for its first ever Open Day, due in a fortnight. We’re still mostly overcast and cool and so the seedlings still refuse to get a move-on. I don’t blame them, to be honest, there hasn’t been much sunshine around to get motivated by. One of those “perfect moments’ in the garden, under the ornamental cherry On a first glance, not much looks to have changed from the week before but now it’s the details that are starting to shine through. There’s wicker screening wrapped around the bulk bags of the compost h ..read more