Tips for December

Clear leaves from paths, and where they lie thickly on grass.

Tie in whippy shoots of climbing roses before they are damaged.

Float a ball in the fish pond to reduce the pressure of ice on the structure, and to prevent total freezing.

Ensure the potting shed is clean and tidy, and all pots and trays are washed, ready for next season.

All dahlias and cannas should have been lifted by now, after the frost has blackened the top foliage.

Tie in whippy shoots of climbing roses before they are damaged.

Float a ball in the fish pond to reduce the pressure of ice on the structure, and to prevent total freezing.

Ensure the potting shed is clean and tidy, and all pots and trays are washed, ready for next season.

All dahlias and cannas should have been lifted by now, after the frost has blackened the top foliage.

Winter Wonderland

Odd patches of bright colour are all that's left in the gardens, from early bulbs and evergreens such as mahonia (see pic).

The leaves have gone through a rainbow of hues, and almost all have now fallen. This of course means that leaf collecting must now begin as we have start clearing leaves from paths, and areas where the trees have completely shed their leaves. We are also collecting leaves where they lie in thick layers, from lawns and borders as they can damage grass and other low growing plants. Using a lawnmower will chop the leaves into smaller pieces, and add grass clippings which speeds up decomposition when storing leaves for leafmold. It is important however, to burn leaves from plants that have suffered from leafspot etc as the spores will overwinter on the leaves and then reinfect anything they get near enough to touch.

In my July diary, I mentioned that the heat of the summer had caused a serious problem for the carp in the garden lake, after which a firm was called in to relocate some of the stock. They finally arrived last month, and used an electronic probe to stun the fish for a few seconds so that they were easier to net. Although the amount of silt in the lake caused a problem with the electronic pulse, they managed to collect a tank containing over 100lb of fish, mostly common carp, and all in very good condition, the heaviest single fish weighing in at 16lb. The fishermen were pleased with the number and condition of the carp, and intend to return when the weather is colder because apparently, the fish move about less in colder conditions, making them easier to find, and net.

After last month's discussions about the new Kitchen Garden, all the garden staff, including Dennis, the Kitchen Gardener, have been busy drawing up plans and putting forward suggestions. We hope that December will see the beginning of some of the basic groundwork, as we break the final design down into managable chunks.

And last, but not least, it is that time again. We are preparing to see you again at our second, even more spectacular Illuminated Trail. Have you seen the single tree on the hill by junction 7 of the M5, after sunset? Very pretty.

Tips for November

Ensure that all tender plants have been taken into the warm, or protected by fleece or straw as we are just starting to get those nippy nights

Check guttering/drains and keep them clear.

Lift and divide borders, so that perennials are regenerated for a better display.

Top dress borders with leafmold, well rotted manure, or compost from the local recycliing centre.

The Tree Climbing Dog

October has been a busy, yet interesting month: The trees have shown their colour both with leaves and with berries (see pic: callicarpa Profusion), and we have been open during October weekends so that people could enjoy it with us.

One very exciting thing that has occured is a decision to redesign the Kitchen Garden, to grow small quantities of a larger variety of vegetables, in a redesigned layout. If all goes to plan some of the work will be acheived over the winter and the improvements can be viewed when we open again next year.

We were repairing a section of staging in one of the greenhouses last week, and discovered something that caused a bit of interest. The old staging had been removed, and underneath was a long cast iron heating pipe which had a cast iron open-topped box constructed round part of it. We have yet to discover what it was for, but think that it may have been some sort of propagation box. We have left it intact, under some new staging.

This November we are digging up the eastern half of the South Border, dividing the perennials and giving a top dressing of well rotted manure. We are lucky to have a farm on the estate that provides all the manure we can use!

After all the excitement of being on TV with the Taxol article, a friend connected to the BBC came for a walk with us and our dogs, and saw one of them, Holly, climb up a tree. She thought it would make a good 'end of the news' story and again we had a cameraman in the gardens.
This one has certainly created a talking point as people have come to the gardens to see where the 'tree climbing dog' lives!

Topical Tips for October

Start sowings of hardy annuals and sweet peas under glass

Change the plantings in hanging baskets for winter interest

Lift and divide herbaceous perennials

Lift and store main crop potatoes.

Store undamaged apples and pears in a cool, dark well ventilated room such as a garage or garden shed.

Prepare the garden for winter: keep drains and ponds etc free from leaves and debris, clean and store garden tools, ensure that greenhouse glass is clean, and that any shading has been replaced by insulation.

Spetchley Open in October

Well, here we are again, almost at the end of the season. We are open weekends in October this year so any visitors coming to the gardens will, for the first time, be able to see the trees clothed in their autumn colours.

At the moment the autumn cyclamen, and asters are looking their best, and we also have a garden full of 'naked ladies'! Before you rush off to complain ( or get too excitied...), I must point out that it is one of the common names for the autumn crocus, or colchicum!

Regular diary readers will know that we save all our yew hedge clippings for conversion into the cancer fighting drug Taxol, and have done so for the last 6 years. This is a very interesting process, and was recently filmed by the BBC for Midlands Today. Richard did all the main hedgecutting shots (See pic); the gardens were shown in all their glory, and the phone did not stop ringing. I was then asked to do a live radio interview the next evening, and photographed for the local newspaper the following day.

We were expecting a fish company to come and remove all our larger carp from the garden lake this month, but there was a temporary clampdown on the movement of fish so we are still waiting for that exciting event.

And finally, Alex has left us to move on to pastures new. We all wish him the very best.

Tips for September

Now the rains have arrived start giving lawns a light trim.

Remove the spent flower spikes of earlier flowering perennials.

Take cuttings of tender plants such as salvia, lavender, cuphea and verbena.

Start saving seeds of favourite plants. They keep well in paper envelopes in the fridge.

Finish trimming hedges.

Discussing the Weather

It has been an interesting and busy month. According to good old fashioned British tradition, we must of course discuss the weather!
It was so hot at the beginning of the month that we were watering trees, shrubs, perennial borders and ourselves almost constantly.
Cornus, rhododendron, cercis, phlox and asters are particularly drought intolerant. However with the help of the long hoses and leaky pipe we were able to manage until the rains finally arrived. And arrive in style they did! We were deluged with water that filled the gutters, overflowed the drains, swamped the new toilet block and ran off down the drive, into the horse pool. Since then it has been intermittent 'wetting rain' which is much preferred. All the grass has turned back to green from a dusty hay colour, which of course means that we were out today giving it all a light trim.

The re-enactment of the battle of Worcester by the Sealed Knot group was a great success, (see picture).

Several fields along the old main drive to the house were taken over for an encampment and battlefield.
Guns, cannons, smoke, fire, horses, men dressing up, women and children.... it was great fun to watch, with the light hearted yet very informative commentary issuing over the (not very authentic) tannoy system. We went with a friend from Poland who thought that British people are .... eccentrically British!

Unfortunately the eggs taken from the white peahen were infertile.
The new keeper put it down to the fact that there are two males and only one female. I'm not sure what that means.

Now our main task in September is to cut all the yew hedges. Richard and I started trimming the Fountain Beds just before the August Bank Holiday. We only have another 4 weeks of cutting to go!

There was some sad news in the middle of the month when we were told that Bill Roberts, the husband of Isabelle who used to take the money on the gate, passed away. We all send our prayers and condolences to Isabelle, who is currently with her family in Canada.

Tips for August

Dont forget the garden if you are off on holiday. Arrange for someone to check the hanging baskets, veg and greenhouse whilst you are away.

Water in the evening, with "grey" water from the washing up and even bath water if you can.

Install some leaky pipe ( provided you are not on a hosepipe ban). If you are lucky enough to live near one, an horticultural supplier is much cheaper than a Garden Centre or DIY store.

Start trimming hedges.

Battling with the Heat

Last month proved to be very successful for "our" student Alex, who has been helping us in the gardens for the last 4 summers. He received his degree results, acheiving a First in Heritage Management. We are all very pleased for him. We are also very grateful that he has spent a fourth summer with us as his help in keeping trees and shrubs irrigated has proved a lifesaver for some of the plants.

The heat has been very difficult to work in, and we have spent most of our time watering, weeding in shady areas and moving as the sun moves round. Plants, such as cercis, cercidiphyllum, rhododendrons and hydrangeas and a large proportion of the herbaceous borders have been wilting as the temperatures have risen. To combat this we purchased a length of 'leaky pipe'. Made from recycled tyres, the pipe leaks water along its length when attached to a hose on low pressure. We thread it through the borders, and run it at night to reduce evaporation and allow the water to get exactly where needed. We are also putting old wool carpet circles round our more vunerable trees. Covered with woodchip the carpet circles will retain water, suppress weeds and eventually rot away, by which time the trees will be well established.

However, one benefit of the heat is that the lawns don't need to be mown every week!

After the great success of the Best of the West End concert, with its hit songs and fantastic finale of fireworks, we have been wondering whether the Sealed Knot civil war re-enactment will be as enjoyable.
However, the amount of preparation that has been going on, with groups of people scurrying about, huddling together in corners and discussing the merits of bringing large quantities of horses in that way or this way, where the cart horses are to be stabled, where the big cannons are to be sited, where the local dentist, hospital and doctor are (!), etc. etc. seems to indicate an even bigger spectacle. It has all been very interesting so far, if a little alarming. Still, the re-enactment will be completely separate from the gardens, so there is little special preparation for us to do, apart from the usual maintenance.

On a more cheerful note, the gardens are still colourful, with plants flowering at the moment including the white flowered hoheria, blue and white agapanthus on the North Border, crinum powellii, (see pic), the red double flowered pomegranate, and oddly, some of our rhododendrons.
And finally, the asters will soon be putting on their late summer show.

Tips for July

Thoroughly water vunerable plants, then mulch round them to keep moisture at their roots.

Feed roses etc with a general fertiliser such as phostrogen, and continue to deadhead spent flowers.

Top up pools as water evaporates. Keep pumps in good condition.

Work with the hot weather and hoe regularly.

Continue watering and harvesting veg and fruit in the kitchen garden.

The Fish, The Birds and The Bees

At the end of last month I mentioned that we had yet to see any warm weather. Well, it is here with a vengeance, and has caused a serious problem with the garden lake as the carp began to suffer in the heat. Even the eels, which are normally very tough, were struggling to breathe. A large pump was hired to recirculate the water. After losing some of our larger carp we called in the local Fire Brigade with their more efficient hoses and pumps. They kindly aerated the lake for several hours and thankfully the carp are recovering.

The white peahen started laying last month. After last year's failure the new gamekeeper has removed 3 eggs to incubate. The peahen doesn't seem terribly interested in raising her own family.

Continuing on the theme of nature, we had a large swarm of bees suddenly appear and take up residence near the Fountain Beds, which was a bit of a suprise. Thankfully, this proved less of a problem than the carp as, whilst we were phoning various people to see if someone would take them away, the bees decided they didn't like the view and chose to move on.

We are expecting a good show of lilies down the Long Walk, including a mix of lilium monadelphum (See pic) and lilium martagon. We treated a possible outbreak of lily disease last spring and it looks as if we have caught it in time.

In the middle of June I was in Vienna helping my daughter bring back her student stuff after a year abroad. Whilst there I had a call to say that BBC Gardeners' World would be showing our paeony piece filmed last year, on June 23rd, and our local radio station would like to record an interview! I had to pass on the radio opportunity as at the time I was battling with grossly overweight luggage at Bratislava Airport. Still, apparently it was a good programme.

And finally, greetings to our international diary readers: Nancy and Tom in Maryland, USA, and Mary and Paul in Alberta, Canada. We are always delighted to hear from people who read this diary entry on a regular basis. Do let us know if you are one of those people by emailing hb@spetchleygardens.co.uk.

Tips for June

Feed plants in borders, and start dead heading flowers.

Thin out hardy annuals and veg sown in the garden.

Ensure net cages over soft fruit, peas and any other vulnerable veg are secure, without access holes for mice or pigeons.

Shade and ventilate greenhouses, and keep the pathways dampened on warm days, if we get any...

The New Mower

After the late start to spring we have had a strangely wet and dull month of May (the expected drought hasn't arrived in Worcester yet!). Although it has reduced the amount of outdoor work we have been able to do, it has allowed us to concentrate on all the indoor jobs that we never seem to get time for, so the conservatory and melon houses are looking a lot tidier this month.

We have also had a tricky time with our grass cutting machinery as one mower after another decided to play up or die. This has meant however that the plunge had to be taken, and we now have a smart new ride-on mower for the main lawn. A splendid machine that was demonstrated just after a hailstorm and didn't miss a beat.

We had a stand at the Malvern Spring Show to advertise the gardens, which was fun. We took turns at manning the stall and looking round the exhibits and stalls. People connected with the estate in some way came and introduced themselves so we got to meet, amongst others, a previous land agent and a chauffeur to the Berkeleys.

The davidia involucrata ( handkerchief tree, dove tree or ghost tree) is in full bloom on the monument lawn. It looks as though it has been hung with hundreds of white handkerchiefs. When you visit, do have a look as it is very impressive at the moment, and has been showing off for a couple of weeks.

Tasks for May

Continuously picking rhubarb and removing any flowering stems will ensure a longer crop.

Protect vulnerable plants such as young seedlings, or hostas from slugs. We use crushed egg shells as a barrier.

Install shade netting or a whiteout spray over the greenhouse if necessary.

Bedding plants can be planted out towards the end of the month, after the last frosts have passed. Ensure they are gently acclimatised to the change in temperature outside the greenhouse or cold frame.

Trim back spreading alpines such as aubrietia and arabis after flowering.

It looks like we may be in for a dry summer so a water butt or other water collection system connected to the guttering is a good idea.

Spring and the 400th Anniversary of the Cedar

Spring has finally well and truly sprung! Rhododendrons are out, magnolia are in full bloom and there are still plenty of daffodils looking good. I noticed an early paeony flowering today, starting the promise of an excellent show in about a month.

This reminds me of June last year when the BBC came to film our paeonies.
If all goes well we may be on Gardener's World at the end of the month.

A thatcher came last month to do a 'service' on the roof of the summerhouse (see pic), which was very interesting to watch. He took off the old net, combed through the thatch, which was still in very good condition, and re-thatched the very top where it was a little worn. He then replaced the metal netting with a less intrusive thin plastic one. It was a long job, taking the best part of two days, but it now looks almost new.

To celebrate Spetchley's 400th year this year, Mr Berkeley decided to plant a cedar, so last month we had a planting ceremony on the main lawn. Unfortunately the weather was rather wet, but that didn't stop our local radio station, BBC Hereford and Worcester doing a live broadcast, and the local newspapers from taking pictures. All in all it was a very busy morning.

One of the corners of the gardens is currently being remodelled, with a large yew tree having been removed and the area levelled off. A wall is being built to create a very sunny corner just outside the back gate to our working yard.
Mr Berkeley is planning two narrow borders that will be home for some of the more tender climbers and shrubs. We are all interested to see what will be chosen to be planted there.

Tips for April

Trim back shrubs that have flowered over the late winter, eg jasminum nudiflorum, removing the flowered shoots to keep the shrub within its boundaries.

Prune back hardy fuchsias to 2 or 3 buds from their base.

Clean patio slabs and stonework to remove alge etc.

Keep hoeing when the weather is warm and breezy to remove small weeds.

Sow carrot, beetroot and other early crops at two week intervals, for a longer harvest.

Earth up early potatoes to protect the tubers from the light.

New Faces to Greet You at Spetchley

As I write this month's missive, looking out over the tearoom lawn, the chairs and tables are out and it's a lovely sunny afternoon. There is a fine show of crocus all down the Long Walk, the last of the snowdrops are still flowering, early cyclamen are out and the daffodils are starting to push their flower buds up amongst their leaves, promising a fantastic show in two or three weeks. Spring has arrived at last.

Now that the alterations and improvements to the tearooms are complete there is an L shaped serving counter and a new, separate food preparation area. The extended seating area is bright and spacious, and there is local produce on sale.

It has been a little chaotic in the gardens for the past few weeks as we have been running the gardens with half the usual number of staff.
What with sickness and staff turnover it was a tricky few weeks. We are, however getting back on track as we have now been joined by our new gardener, another Richard, who has previously worked for garden maintenence companies. This is his first time in an historic garden and he says that he is already learning new skills.

We also have three ladies who have just taken on the shared role of Gatekeeper. So it will be Claire, Joan or Sue who will meet and greet you when you visit. Apart from sellng entry tickets to the gardens, the Gatekeeper will also be selling season tickets, tickets to Spetchley Garden events when appropriate, and plants that are surplus to requirements from the gardens. (We have some lovely crocus for sale at the moment!)

Tips for Marcht

Prune roses, wisteria and campsis.

Begin to prepare the vegetable patch, clearing and digging over on fine dry days.

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

Start to cut grass on a high cut, when the weather is dry and breezy.

Now is a good time to cut down (pollard) willows and cornus that are grown for their winter colour.

Mulch beds before the weather becomes drier, with rotted grass clippings, leafmold, bark chips or one of the decorative mulches available from the garden centre. They will retain moisture over the summer, suppress weeds and keep the borders looking fresh.

Harvesting Hazel Sticks

There has been a lot of work on the new tea room and toilets in the last month. Floors have been excavated and relaid, new windows installed and extra work space added. We were very interested when we saw that the builders were soon to be laying the concrete floors, as we are looking for things others don't want. Luckily for us there was some concrete left over that we were able to acquire. We now have a small concrete floored bay in our yard, suitable for woodchip, compost or manure. We are hoping to extend the area in the future, to make several bays for storage.

We were off into the woods last month as it is now the ideal time to collect the hazel sticks that we use for supporting peas etc, before they start to grow leaves. It was a bit of an adventure for Debbie and myself. The entry to the wood was a little sticky so we decided not to drive in. We collected all the pea sticks we required for the gardens, tied them on to the back of the truck, and got ready to leave. Unfortunately, as we were turning the vehicle round, the wheels spun and it slid into the soft field! Oops. We had to ring the woodsman to rescue us.

All the remaining root vegetables were lifted and stored last month:carrots, parsnips etc, and the areas cleared. We then hired a rotovator and dug over the entire kitchen garden ready for the coming season. This has proved to be a lot easier than the old method of using an antiquated motorised, single bladed plough! The plough is very heavy, smokey and only works in one direction. The benefits of the modern rotovator are almost endless.

We have used up an old grass heap, on a new bed up the drive. The old grass heap must have been about 3 years old and had rotted down sufficiently to spread over the new bed. This bed, next to the Spetchley Church, has now been planted with some hollies, but there is space for several other shrubs that will also be going in in the next couple of weeks.

Tips for February

Keep glass clean in greenhouses, and regularly check that heaters are working.

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

The Garden Awake

Water was to be the theme again at the beginning of January. Mike and I went to check the conservatory boiler, and it was surrounded by a pool of water... the conservatory is warmed using heated water running through cast iron pipes. We had the terrible feeling that the system was breaking down.... until one of the gardeners, who shall remain nameless, remembered that he had left a tap on in the conservatory and the water had seeped through the wall. After turning the tap off the remaining water seeped away, and all were relieved!

A lot of work has been undertaken this month with the preparation of three new areas in the gardens: an extra bed in the copse, a cleared area and new bed at the top of the East Border, and a large bed up the drive that will be full of hollies and berberis. There should be plenty of interesting new plants and vistas to be admired over the coming season.

The gardens are beginning to wake from their winter slumber as the snowdrops are in bloom and early daffodils start to peep through the soil. There is a wintersweet, chimonanthus praecox, in the Stable Yard close to my front door. As I walk past in the early evening it gives out a most beautiful scent.

Unfortunately, we will be losing Richard, one of gardeners, in the middle of February as he is moving on to pastures new. We wish him all the best for the future.

Tips for Januaryt

Those seed and young plant catalogues have started to drop through the letterbox. An hour spent with a plant catalogue, a cup of tea, notebook and pencil is time well spent.

Check over all the garden tools, machinery and equipment, and send lawnmowers etc away for service, blade sharpening etc.

Use warmer days to walk round the garden, looking at the shape and structure of the plants, and planning any projects for next year.

Illuminated Success

The Illuminated Trail took up a considerable amount of time and energy in December, and now it is just a lovely memory. We have spoken to people who visited several times, and those that have decided to apply the theory of lighting trees to their own gardens! We are all hoping that the event will be repeated next year in an even more spectacular fashion.

The remains of the event... the flattened lawns and lawn edges, litter and lost property have been amazingly minimal considering that over 10,000 visitors walked the trail. However some areas do need a little repair, so January will be very busy. This, coupled with the fact that the gardens are open earlier than usual next year means that the gardeners will really have their work cut out to get ready.

Another tradition involving the gardeners is the decoration of the catholic chapel. We gather foliage from around the gardens and use it to create a backdrop for the crib which sits to one side of the alter rail. In front of the crib, a landscape of rocks and sand is built whilst down one side of the crib a swathe of chrysanthemums is placed.
Mahonia stems are woven between the alter rails, and at one time, swags of foliage were also constructed to hang along the length of the chapel. Construction of the swags would take a couple of weeks and required the hammering of supporting nails into the wall. However, since the chapel has been renovated, this practice has been dropped.

The snowdrops are just beginning to show through the grassy banks on the west border, and crocus will soon be up all along the long walk to the white bridge, and covering the bank at the front of the main house. We are currently concentrating our efforts on removing the leaves from these areas so that the flowers can come through unhindered. The collected leaves are piled up in 2 huge heaps to rot down into leaf mold. The leaf mold from 2 seasons ago is then applied to some of the borders as a thick mulch.

(The picture shows an acer palmatum Eddisbury, in the frost.)