It is now August, and with that comes the start of a new project in the gardens: the redevelopment of the Rose Lawn. Mr Berkeley has felt for some time that the area was letting the gardens down so he commissioned new designs. The chosen design will be implemented during the middle of August. Any of you who are interested should get down to the gardens for those all important 'before' photos...
Debbie has had the most interesting month where wildlife is concerned. One day she came into the yard all excited after seeing a bright green parakeet fly overhead. I didn't see it but am keeping an eye out. The a few days later some anxious visitors asked her to help a hedgehog that was stuck in the heron pool. She went to investigate and saw a large adult hedgehog sitting on the plinth at the feet of one of the heron statues, in the middle of the pool. After trying to net the hedgehog with a fishing net, Debbie fetched a plank and made a bridge. Whilst she and the visitors were debating as to who would go along the plank to fetch the hedgehog, it quietly made its own way along, jumped off the end and scuttled down the path.
And what is looking good in the gardens at the moment? The border agapanthus are looking their best whilst the agapanthus in the tubs outside the conservatory are stunning. Sweet peas in the kitchen garden are still flourishing and the dahlias have just started to bloom.
Talking of dahlia we have an interesting story about one of our newest dahlia acquisitions. Stuart, an ex Spetchley Gardener offered us a new dahlia called Carly which had been named after his daughter, and bred by his wife's grandfather. I was very excited when it finally flowered, a lovely white with pale yellow centre. The picture shows Carlie, with great grandad Robert and the Carly dahlia.
