High Summer is here?

Rain, rain and more rain. Looking back to last year this was the month when we had the problems with very low water levels in the lake and the fire brigade were called in to help aerate the water to save the carp. This year we are almost at maximum winter levels for the lake! This is good for the fish, but has been very difficult to work round, as grass cutting and hoeing have been almost impossible.
The gardens are begining to recover from the heavy rain and are looking lush and green. Although the roses were rather battered, other plants are just about to open. The agapanthus border is beginning to flower, whilst the Millennium Garden has clouds of verbena bonariensis (see pic.) and the earlier dahlias are out. The main borders are looking bright, and in the copse the cornus, especially varieties Norman Hadden and Porlock, are at their best.
In the Kitchen Garden all was going well. We thought that we had beaten the rabbits by keeping the gates shut at closing time, and that a lack of brassicas would bore the pidgeons. Peas planted earlier in the year had done well and had been largely ignored. A first good picking indicated a bumper crop to come. However, mice finally discovered the peas and ate all the remaining peas from the ground up.
When we came to get the crop, all that remained was empty, chewed pods littering the ground. Anyone have any ideas?
We have a new volunteer, Lee, who comes in one day a week to help out.
She has been learning a lot of new plants, and improving her horticultural knowledge whilst doing the jobs such as dead heading roses, that we never seem to get time to do.

Tasks for July

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

Trim back geraniums and aubretia in the borders after flowering Begin harvesting veg and fruit in the kitchen garden.

Prune wisteria tendrils back to 5 buds.

Start collecting seed when the weather is dry.

It will soon be time to take softwood cuttings of plants such as hebes, fuchsia, salvia and penstemon.

High Summer is here?

Rain, rain and more rain. Looking back to last year this was the month when we had the problems with very low water levels in the lake and the fire brigade were called in to help aerate the water to save the carp. This year we are almost at maximum winter levels for the lake! This is good for the fish, but has been very difficult to work round, as grass cutting and hoeing have been almost impossible.

The gardens are begining to recover from the heavy rain and are looking lush and green. Although the roses were rather battered, other plants are just about to open. The agapanthus border is beginning to flower, whilst the Millennium Garden has clouds of verbena bonariensis (see pic.) and the earlier dahlias are out. The main borders are looking bright, and in the copse the cornus, especially varieties Norman Hadden and Porlock, are at their best.

In the Kitchen Garden all was going well. We thought that we had beaten the rabbits by keeping the gates shut at closing time, and that a lack of brassicas would bore the pidgeons. Peas planted earlier in the year had done well and had been largely ignored. A first good picking indicated a bumper crop to come. However, mice finally discovered the peas and ate all the remaining peas from the ground up.

When we came to get the crop, all that remained was empty, chewed pods littering the ground. Anyone have any ideas?

We have a new volunteer, Lee, who comes in one day a week to help out.
She has been learning a lot of new plants, and improving her horticultural knowledge whilst doing the jobs such as dead heading roses, that we never seem to get time to do.