Tasks for May

Prune winter flowering heathers before the end of May
Earth up early and maincrop potatoes, prune spring flowering clematis after flowering
Keep hoeing and weeding harden off summer bedding and plant out when all risk of frost is past.
Pinch out the growing tips of bush fuchsias
Check shading and ventilation of greenhouses

Springtime at Spetchley

I have to apologise this month for the lateness of the entry as we are now almost a week into May. The daffodils are almost over, but daphnes fill the air with their scent, and the rhododendrons are looking amazing. The weather is now lovely, but I can't say the same for last month. Rain, hail, flooding, even snow ( see picture of snow on Prunus Pink Shell). Very pretty, but also very frustrating as it has put us really behind with hoeing, weeding and grass cutting.

The Specialist Plant Fair went very well, with plenty of stalls selling a variety of plants, accesssories, ornaments, books and plenty of food. Well over 1100 visitors came to see the fair, to enjoy the free garden tours and to listen to the guest speakers in the marquee. The forecast had been a little worrying but it was lovely and dry on the day until the fair was almost over. The rain at the end of the day caused some consternation in the car park after the stall holders had loaded their remaining products, and vehicles began to get bogged down. Husband was dispatched to fetch the jeep and managed, over the evening to pull out several vans!

It was also a fun month, with the visits of 2 groups of primary school children, learning about the way plants grow. We have another primary school group booked for the middle of May so we are getting plenty of practice. Mike, Debbie and myself led groups of 5, 6 and 7 year olds on tours of the gardens, explaining about trees, seeds, flowers, bark, bees, cow poo.... (Why is it that children are facinated by cow poo?) We set up a 'nature table' in the vinery full of seeds, bark, bulbs, vegetables in pots and different natural objects for the children to study.

Regards
Kate

Spring Musings

I have just been looking back over the past few years to when I started writing the Spetchley diary. Back in 2005 we were delighted at the thought of a renovated rest room and the excitement of clearing out sheds to find enough material for a museum (still one of my great plans...). During March 2006 we saw the construction of the new toilets and tea rooms whilst March 2007 was so wet that all our plans for starting the Kitchen Garden project were thwarted.

This year all our thoughts are again concentrated on the Kitchen Garden, but thankfully the weather has been so much kinder. The bones of the garden have been completed and it is now time to start the great replant. Design plans are being drawn up and it is quite unnerving to realise just how many young plants will be constantly required. This is going to be a really high maintenance project, but will be worth all the effort.

Last month I went with my husband for a trip to Warley Place, Essex, the home of Ellen Willmott, Mr Berkeley's great aunt. There is little left of the grand estate but the drifts of early daffodils and snowdrops are breathtaking and show that winter is almost at an end.(see pic). The estate is now leased by the Essex Wildlife Trust now and is cared for by volunteers.

At Spetchley we are opening again on 21st March, Good Friday this year, less than 3 weeks away. As the weather has warmed up and become breezy we have started to cut the grass and weed the borders in preparation. Daphnes and mahonia are spilling their scent into the air, and the cherry blossom is beautifully reflected in the horse pool. Even with the occasional cold snap it is a very cheerful time of year.

Our volunteer, Leigh, has been offered a temporary job at a local nursery for the summer so we will really miss her and can't wait for her to be back.

We look forward to seeing you during the new season.

Tasks for March

Pot up dahlias and cannas in the greenhouse to give them a head start.

Dig up and divide congested clumps of snowdrops etc as the flowers fade.

Prune roses, wisteria and late flowering shrubs.

Prepare the vegetable patch, clearing and digging over or rotovating on fine dry days.

Plant the early varieties of potatoes that you prepared (chitted) last month.

Cut down ( pollard) willows and cornus that are grown for their winter colour.

Cut down autumn fruiting raspberries.

Spring is on the Way!

It finally feels that spring is on its way. There are bright clumps of snowdrops everywhere and hellebores are beginning to flower. We have been trying to work on our own new garden at Gardener's Cottage but it has proved to be a bit difficult as clumps of snowdrops are beginning to flower everywhere we want to dig. We have been carefully picking through the borders gathering them up before we dig!

The wet weather at the beginning of the year was a challenge as we thought we would never be able to get out into the gardens. The copse and New Lawn became excessively wet underfoot, and the eel trap filled with eels as the lake level rose again. Richard released about 20 eels back into the lake. However, the bad weather did give us the chance to prune the grape vines and conservatory plants so it wasn't all bad.

This is the month for pruning and clearing, so we have been attacking the task with gusto. The cercis and robinia arches in the Millennium Garden have been pruned and tied in, and a large area of the copse was been attacked with a pruning saw.... A large scrub patch in our working yard has been removed to make way for a nursery bed, and the Palm House, which is not open to the public, is also being cleared and tidied.

In the Kitchen Garden work is continuing steadily. Two cold frames are being built, so that we can raise and display vegetables in a more protected environment, pathways have been improved and more box hedging has been planted. We are hoping to have a wide variety of veg and fruit on display for the next season.

February Tasks

Start to cut down and mulch herbaceous borders when the soil is not sticky. Epimediums and hellebores can have their old leaves removed so that the early flowers can be seen.

Keep off the lawns when frosty.

Order seed potatoes and start chitting them in a cool dry corner.
(This means getting them to start sprouting, to give them a head start when they are planted).

Check greenhouse heaters and fleece in the garden regularly. The wind can easily dislodge loose fleece.

Start pruning late flowering shrubs.

Tasks for January

Make the most of 'indoor days' to plan for next season, with seed and plant catalogues, and a layout of the garden.

Cover rhubarb crowns with straw and a forcer to grow early stems.(This cannot be done every year as it weakens the plant).

Dig over the veg patch on sunny dry days, and add manure if not growing root crops.

Prune back grape vines.

Ensure tools are clean, oiled and ready for next season.

Book machinery in for a service early in the new year.