I think I may starve....

September is nearly upon us and next week we are having the first wedding that Miss Berkeley can remember in the little C of E church up the drive. The daughter of the farmer over the road is getting married, so Miss Berkeley, Nigel my husband, and I are taking special care to ensure that the grounds are pristine for the event. Nigel has been volunteering to keep the church yard in order for the last 5 years.

We had a fantastic day at the M5 Living History event last month where re-enactors from all over the country displayed life from various centuries. This year there were far more displays and re-enactors than in previous years. We spent quite a time wandering around all the encampments and talking to the people. I found the barber/physician particularly gruesome!

It was a hot dry day so I needed to move an irrigation line in the copse with the help of my husband. Whilst we were doing this a small group of WW2 soldiers came creeping up the ride, checking for the enemy... (They reminded me a bit of the end credits of Dad’s Army!)

There were trade stands for the first time, which sold a fascinating array of re-enactors paraphernalia. It was possible to buy muskets and all the associated equipment, medieval outfits and cloth, swords and bows and arrows, reproduction coins, glassware and even chain mail gloves!

Every half an hour or so there was a display battle with cannons, muskets and various people falling down ‘dead’ and being dragged off the battlefield...

I had a go at the archery using a longbow (think Robin Hood), and managed to graze the back leg of a model deer, completely miss it’s hindquarters and then send a third arrow under it’s belly. I think I would starve if I had to rely on my hunting skills.

There was a wonderful display in the squash court by some RAF re-enactors showing how Bomber Command worked, with a map table and the Wrens standing round pushing airplane indicators across it (see photo). It was all explained really well, and the mock air raid demonstration was great fun.

And finally some frustrating news: the company that has collected our yew clippings for the last 10 years or so is now unable to do so, as the company they sell the material to can now get yew clippings more cheaply from China.

September Tasks

Continue to trim hedges. Putting a sheet down first to catch the clippings will make clearing up a lot quicker.
Dead heading the herbaceous borders will prolong the display, but if you want to save seed, don’t forget to leave some flowerheads uncut!
Keep cutting lawns, gradually raising the cut in preparation for winter.
Check fruit trees and remove any fruit affected by brown rot to reduce infection spread.
Be particularly careful when picking tree fruit as wasps love windfalls and can become quite drunk, presenting quite a hazard.
Continue to pick runner beans etc. in the kitchen garden. It is not too late to sow quick crops of radish and lettuce.
If your greenhouse cucumbers are suffering from an attack of red spider mite, try putting a block of wet straw by the plants to increase humidity.

Happy visitors

This is an extra entry to my usual monthly missive. Debbie has sent me the picture she took that I mentioned in the previous blog.... so here is the picture I promised of the happy visitors; a lovely couple just sitting in the copse enjoying the sunshine.

What do you mean no electric?

The last month has been full of lots of sunny weather, and the gardens have been looking really lovely. (The picture shows the beautiful heads of an achillea) The watering however, is proving to be more and more of a nightmare. I have been constantly moving seep hoses around the borders in the copse where the hydrangea and rhododendrons are flagging. We can’t be the only people really wanting lots of rain.
Half way through last month I was working with Debbie on the South Border when we noticed 2 lovely people sitting in the copse, enjoying the gardens. They looked really happy together and Debbie went over to have a chat and ask if it would be ok for her to take a photo! They were suprised but delighted to oblige. When I get a copy I will post it....

After the excitement of the powercut mentioned last month, a couple of days after that I noticed that some of the sockets downstairs didn't work. It was thought that mice had possibly chewed the cable which would mean a major rewiring job. Thankfully it was just an unrelated problem in a faulty circuit breaker. We are now back up and running again.

The last month has been full of lots of sunny weather, and the gardens have been looking really lovely. (The picture shows the beautiful heads of an achillea) The watering however, is proving to be more and more of a nightmare. I have been constantly moving seep hoses around the borders in the copse where the hydrangea and rhododendrons are flagging. We can’t be the only people really wanting lots of rain.

Debbie has been working really hard on new planting plans for the South Border and Kitchen Garden central path where all the plants have been cleared out. We lifted and repotted all the plants from sections of the borders and have been trying to eradicate the bindweed, creeping thistle, ground elder etc etc but it is proving to be very difficult. Mr Berkeley has great ideas about making a traditional style perennial border on the South Border, but using a lot of new and interesting plants.

New volunteer Rob came in last week and I think I must have bored him to tears.... he was working in the same area all week... planting, weeding, pruning the espaliers, removing the peas and beans that had finished... he didn’t manage to get out of the kitchen garden all week! Anyone else like to volunteer?!?

August tasks

Make sure you arrange for someone to pop in keep an eye on the greenhouse and veg plot if you are off on holiday. They will also need to check any veg that needs picking, such as runner beans and squashes.
Keep working with the hoe when the weather is warm enough.
Watch for the fungal infection rust on hollyhocks, pelargoniums etc. Remove affected foliage and spray with a fungicide.
Keep picking those sweet peas and remove seed pods if they form.
Continue to dead-head spent flowers, especially those of summer bedding, hanging baskets and any remaining late flowering roses.
Start cutting hedges towards the end of the month
Listen to the weather forcast and water greenhouses and pots accordingly.
Start taking semi ripe cuttings of fuchsias, penstemon, pelargonium, salvia etc
Start collecting seed