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Thursday 2 August 2007

Tasks for August

Continue to dead-head spent flowers, especially roses and summer bedding.

Make sure you arrange for someone to pop in and water the hanging baskets, greenhouse and veg plot if you are off on holiday. They will also need to keep an eye on any veg that needs picking, such as runner beans.

Check tree ties and stakes for rubbing or constriction. Remove and clean to eliminate overwintering pests.

Keep working with the hoe when the weather is warm enough.

Start taking semi ripe cuttings of fuchsias, penstemon, pelargonium, salvia etc Watch for the fungal infection rust on hollyhocks, pelargoniums etc.

Remove affected foliage and spray with a fungicide.

Start trimming hedges.

WET WET WET!


Water, water everywhere. The last couple of months of wet weather finally culminated in the most devastating storms last month, the like of which I have never seen before. We were very lucky here at Spetchley as there was little damage, apart from sodden lawns and borders, the eel trap full to overflowing and the lake slightly bursting its banks. On that now infamous Friday, two of our team had difficulty getting home: Mike had to leave his car at work, was taken through the villages by 4x4 as far as possible and then had to wade home. Debbie eventually managed to get home, but then the main road near her house collapsed, breaking water pipes and causing her village to become cut off for the entire weekend.
However, it has been an excellent year for hydrangeas (see pic) and astilbes, that both love damp conditions!

Recently we have been filmed by a TV company, intent on making a 20 week series of programmes on the day to day running of our estate, and that of Berkeley Castle. We have been followed about when rescuing eels from the overflowing eel trap, when tying up rain battered borders, and when our very exciting new entrance display arrived. The new welcome 'hut' has now been sited at the main garden entrance. It is very eye-catching, with plenty of space to display items for sale, leaflets etc. Do come and take a look. (If you are interested, the programme is running on Sky channel 280 on a Saturday evening, and is called 'Berkeley, a Country Estate'.)

Alex ('our' student) is with us again for the summer. It appears that a life after university in the world of high finance was not for him, and he is taking a break before plunging headlong into a new career involving museum archives, or document research etc

seed collecting from across the gardens is up and running again. This means that we have a wide selection of seed available. But please remember that the selection is seasonal and can change monthly. If you have any requests for seed please let us know and we will do our best to collect them.

And finally, the long awaited restoration of the conservatory has begun. The carpenter was there today, measuring up for new frames, and removing all the old glass etc. All the old, wooden frames will be removed, the original metal structure will be treated, and new frames installed.
Best Wishes
Kate Portman
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