Boiler Mayhem

Firstly, may I wish you all a Happy New Year.

The first day of December arrived with a sudden and definite change in the weather. There was a very sharp and pronounced cold snap which made everything look crisp and snowy. The misty mornings were really picturesque. (see pic).
The cold snap was preceded by desperation as we were still waiting for the new conservatory boiler to be installed. A lot of phone calls, texts and rushing about ensured that just before Christmas we had the brand new, purpose built heating boiler up and running. Last winter the old boiler had become so badly corroded that every time it was fired up, the circulating water would flow through the holes and put out the fire! Thus, in all its 45 year old corroded glory it was removed by the blacksmith in Pershore to be copied.

A temporary flue was installed to see us through the coldest weather during the holidays. The blacksmith promised to return after the holidays and install the proper chimney, and repair a couple of very minor leaks in the new joints, fired up the boiler and it seemed to work really well. All the conservatory pipes warmed up beautifully and for a while (less than 12 hours) the system worked perfectly. Perfectly that is, until the original pipe going through the wall between the boiler house and the conservatory was found to be seriously leaking, (at a speed of about 3 bucketfulls of water an hour) about 3 feet from the new boiler. Back to the temporary system of a large gas canister and heater. I am feeling so frustrated. So near and yet so far.

At home we found some small logs, destined for the woodburner, that were hollow. We saved a few and filled them full of melted lard mixed with seeds and nuts. When we hung them on the trellis in our garden we had an amazing range of birds coming down to feed. Which reminds me, I must refill them as they get emptied in a couple of days. We also removed a dead tree that had a hollow trunk so we cut it into sections and will put them round the leaf heaps as hedgehog hideaways.

Apart from the excitement and frustration about the boiler it has been a very ordinary month. Raking leaves has continued throughout the month, and looks to continue well into February. I find December to February very miserable months although, looking out of my window today, the sun is shining brightly making the garden look very inviting.... The early signs of spring are just beginning to show and I am really looking forward to the snowdrops.

From Planning to Planting

It has been a wet and windy November. For the first time in quite a while I have lain awake in the small hours of the night, listening to the wind and wondering how many trees have fallen in the gardens. Actually, we have been very lucky, with no damage apart from the odd, small branch.

This has been an exciting month in the development of the garden, with new plantings both developed and planned. Debbie is full of creative ideas and we are always really pleased when we get the go ahead from Mr Berkeley to develop one of her plans.

The first has been the removal and replanting of the bamboo area at the bottom of the East Border, right next to the Fountain beds. The big, old hollow bamboo that had been a favourite for children (and my old Head Gardener) to hide in for many years, had died. It was removed, thankfully for us with a JCB, and the area replanted with 3 well behaved black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), and over 60 black grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus nigrescens), interspersed with 30 large flowered purple crocus. We are also intending to plant tall, purple flowered alliums. When fully mature it will be a dramatic point to two of the main borders. See picture, which incidentally also includes my two dogs: Daisy and Holly!

The second area that has been marked for redevelopment is the far end of the moat leading to the garden pool. This has always been a difficult area to keep tidy so the intention is to plant it up with two varieties of gunnera, which is a very large leafed architectural plant that likes damp soil. To help with the view of the area a section of yew branches have been removed from the South Border, overlooking the moat. This exposed a drop of about 8 feet into the moat from the wall at the back of the South Border which needed to be fenced off. The Forester rescued some very old, wooden fencing from the deer park and re built it at the top of the wall. Debbie had originally envisaged an elegant, wrought iron fence, like a ’Juliet balcony’, but costs have dictated that the wooden structure was created instead. I must say that I did have misgivings about the fence as it was being constructed, but the finished article is very much in keeping with the style of the gardens.

One of the problems we are having with the warmer than usual weather is that the dahlias have not been frosted. It is usual to wait for the first frosts before lifting dahlias, but if this doesn’t happen in the next couple of weeks we will be lifting them unfrosted as they are more at risk of rotting in the ground.

The sad news is that there will be no Illuminated Trail this year. Although many have asked about this year’s Trail, the vaguaries of the weather, and low attendance last year have both meant that it was decided not to stage the Trail this year.

Snakes and Ducklings

The last couple of weeks have been really busy as the Plant Fair and May Bank Holiday have been on consecutive weekends. Both are important events at Spetchley and we have been running around trying to get the gardens as tidy as possible.
The Plant Fair went well again, although I was unable to attend, having previously booked a weekend retreat with my church. I was told that people were very keen to buy vegetable plants to grow on, and cut rhubarb went so well that we are unable to keep up with demand.

My husband has just gone to Hong Kong for 3 weeks to do some voluntary work, so we are missing his help in the garden. He has been doing all the main cylinder mowing and saving us a lot of time. For three weeks we will have to do it ourselves. We really miss him!! He also took our camera with him so this month’s picture is an trusted old favourite of ducks and geese on the lake, both with their offspring.

That reminds me of a tale Richard told me last week of finding a ducking on the drive and having to throw it into the Horse Pool to return it to its mother. Unfortunately, although he managed to save one of the ducklings there were two more in the water that had sadly not survived the torrential rain of the previous evening.

Talking of wildlife, I did a tour at the beginning of last month and the highlight of the trip for the group of visitors was spotting a couple of large grass snakes swimming around the Heron Pool in the Kitchen Garden! I must admit it was amazing to see.

The gardens have been lovely, some of the paeonies are looking fantastic. As soon as I get the camera back I will be out taking photos of them for the blog....

Best wishes

Kate

Menacing Mice and Rascally Rabbits

Now is that manic time of year when the greenhouse becomes full of seed trays, every border needs attention and there are not enough hours in the day: Spring is finally with us after all the snow and rain! The early Cyclamen coum look lovely amongst the snowdrops on the bank in my garden.(see pic.)
Work has been progressing really well on the projects in the gardens: the vinery glass is going in, all cut with a curved end to draw rainwater away from the woodwork. I expect that the vine will be a lot happier when it is snug inside the vinery again instead of being covered in bubblewrap and fleece as protection against the elements.
The rose lawn replanting has begun, and is almost complete, although the grass has yet to be laid in the centre as the weather has been so bad and the soil has been waterlogged.

The wet weather has caused us to be a bit more inventive with starting seed for the Kitchen Garden: the website ‘Freecycle’ yielded a great source of guttering... We were given a piece of down pipe that we cut length ways and created the perfect home to start early peas. This method also fools the mice! Unfortunately however, the mice ate all the sweet pea seedlings we had started in the greenhouses. Very annoying. And ... we are also still trying to outwit a rabbit that has taken up residence in the Kitchen Garden.

Richard is almost completely fit again after his knee operation last autumn, and is looking forward to cutting grass etc again. We have been training him up to lead guided tours so those of you who are shown the gardens by Richard next season will really enjoy a chatty, informative and entertaining tour.

Alex has now finished his temporary job in the gardens, but is still on the estate for a while. He is helping the Gamekeeper out for the next 3 weeks,but is then moving on to another job in Cheltenham. This was his 6th time working in the gardens, and we hope that he will be back again soon.


We open again on 21st March for the 2009 season. You can come and see how we are getting on with the vinery and Rose Lawn. see you then

Best Wishes

Kate

The rhubarb forcer...

It is the end of the month again and time to reflect on all that has happened over the last 4 weeks.  January, which is usually dull, wet and miserable, has actually been an exciting time for us.  The coldframes are almost complete, the vinery is moving along steadily, and we have had very positive news regarding the conservatory boiler.

In my December diary I mentioned about the conservatory boiler leaking, and the local blacksmith, Steve Cooper, who is going to rebuild it.  Steve arrived towards the end of January to remove the boiler and take it back to his workshop.  He managed to remove it in one piece, a feat that amazed me considering the rusty state that it was in.  When the chimney was taken down there was the clear pattern of an old archway in the wall behind. Steve thought it indicates that the boiler is younger than the conservatory, and that originally there was an open fire heating the air inside the hollow wall.  All very interesting.

In the kitchen garden we have a new rhubarb forcer, (see Pic) which will produce sweet, early stems when placed over a crown of rhubarb.  This can only be done once every 3 or 4 years as the plant needs to build up it's strength again.

Richard is back from his knee operation and has fitted straight back in.  He still has to be careful for the next few months not to twist or jar his knee, but will soon be fully fit again.  Alex, who was covering for him has been asked by Mr Berkeley to stay on for a few more weeks to help with preparations for opening.  The wet weather, and the fact that our trusty truck has been in Sussex for several weeks being rebuilt has put us behind with some of the winter jobs.  Still, rumour has it that the weather should improve and that our truck is due back next week.  We shall see.

Balloons and Lights

2009 is upon us, and may I say a Happy New Year to all.

Two specific events shaped my life at Spetchley in December:  The first happened when Alex,, Steve and I were collecting leaves at the front of the house.  Alex raked up a large pile of leaves and then discovered a partly ripped helium balloon, which appeared to have escaped from the Co-op. I was not particularly interested and would have thrown it away if it were not for Alex spotting something written on the side.  The message requested that we call a phone number.  Thus was my curiosity aroused.  I did so and discovered that the balloon had been released from Dorset about 6 months previously, by a 13 year old boy called James. A minor coincidence is that Alex's first name is James but he prefers to use his middle name.

The second event was considerably trickier and, as many of you will realise, involves the Illuminated Trail.  The first Friday evening of the lights was perfect (see Pic.) and lots of people came to enjoy the sights, complete the trail, meet Father Christmas and toast marshmallows over the fire pit. Then the rains started, and by Saturday morning it was clear that the route round the back of the lake was unwalkable.  No matter how much straw and bark we put down it was unsafe.  With all hands helping, a new route was devised on the gravel paths and across the white bridge.  After hunting down and installing a lot of new directional signs the temporary altered walk was a great success, much to the relief of everyone.

Boiler Repairs and Naked Ladies

It has been quite a wet month, and the lawns are very damp, but even so there is still some colour. Down on the New Lawn there is a callicarpa with tiny purple lilac berries, colchicum (common name 'naked ladies') have been showing off their pink and white flowers around the trees, and about the gardens there are several pyracantha covered in bright orange fruit. There is a pyracantha just inside the Kitchen Garden where our bees have a colony in the hollow wall. It looks magnificent and, on sunny days, the bees have been very busy going in and out.

The Conservatory boiler has been causing concern over the last season, due to a crack that leaked water onto the fire, putting it out. After months of searching for a suitable replacement, and no-one coming up with viable ideas, I contacted a local blacksmith. He was delighted to come and see the gardens as one of his ancestors had run the forge on the estate around the 1900's. He has now quoted to carefully document and dismantle the boiler, restore and rebuild it. (See 'before' pic). We are thrilled as there was no modern heating system we could find that was up to the job! I will keep you informed of the progress.

It is that time of year again. The Illuminated Trail will soon be upon us and the gardeners have started to check paths, prune back shrubs and generally ensure that everything is safe. There have been leaflets, posters, banners, newspaper articles and headlines all letting you know the details, and if all these have escaped your notice you can always check out the events page on our website http://www.spetchleygardens.co.uk/

And finally, the current intellectual challenge for the gardeners is to find out collective nouns... did you know that a group of weasels is called a sneak, or that a group of finches is called a charm?

Fungus, Frost and Cattle

We have just had the first frosts of the season. Surrounding villages have been having severe frosts for several days but at Spetchley we seem to be sheltered from the worst. There is still lots of colour and interest however, from autumn leaves and berries like the berberis, cotoneaster and callicarpa, to lots of different fungi (see pic).

I met the grand daughter of Miss Willmott's butler last week, as she was visiting relatives close by. She lives in France now, and as we walked round the gardens together she told me of a property in France bought by Miss Willmott, and how her grandfather would be sent across from Warley to open up the house before Miss Willmott arrived for a visit. The property now belongs to the town and is used as offices for the mayor.

A very strange thing happened last weekend. Eddie, who lives in one of the flats told me of some tyre tracks he had seen at the front of the house. I went to investigate and saw ruts in two big sweeps across the main lawn going down to the lake. Why? We have no idea; and now we are going to have to spend quite some time repairing the mess. And that isn't the only mess we have to sort out...

I had just sat down to write this month's diary when I got a phone call from a very excited Debbie telling me that there were cows on the New Lawn, trying to get onto the newly developed Rose Lawn. I went rushing down, only to come face to face with a tan coloured cow in the copse! It turned and joined the others who had by this time left the garden for a different field.

Steve, Chris the woodsman, Ron the stockman and myself spent about half an hour trying to round up the cattle and herd them back to their own field. It transpired that they had been leaning over the fence at the back of the lake trying to get at tasty looking leaves when the fence gave way and in they all trotted. There is a bit of a mess by the eel trap as the ground was rather soft, but it could have been a lot worse.

As Steve says, it is great working here as you never know what is going to happen next!

And finally some sad news: we lost our oldest peacock last month as he died in his sleep. There are now 2 females and one male left.

Kate

The Season Comes to an End - the Gardeners Work Continues

It was a very windy day when I posted last months blog. After finishing the writing I went to check for damage, as occasionally happens when we have high winds in late summer. As I walked across the Rose Lawn there was a very loud crack and I discovered a large oak branch had landed on the old outside toilet block in the woods by the house. After roping the area off and reporting the incident I thought no more about it until the next day when again in the gardens I heard another crack. Another branch from the same tree had fallen on the toilet block. You never know what each day will bring, but it is rare for the same incident to happen twice!

We have had fluctuating staff levels recently: Richard has had a second operation on his knee and will be recovering at home for the next 8 weeks, and Debbie has been on a belated honeymoon in Canada for 3 weeks. Then Steve is taking a week off to learn about the job that the gamekeeper does. Thankfully, and just by chance Alex, our summer student contacted me on another matter a couple of weeks ago and happened to be free for the next few weeks, so he is covering until Richard returns.

Jobs in the garden seem to be going well. The hedge cutting has now been finished with yew and box hedges now all trimmed. The dry spell has allowed us to catch up with all the grass cutting and we are also able to hoe when it is sunny. I have been round the gardens making lists (I love lists) of all the dahlias, so that when the frost has blackened the foliage I will be able to locate and identify them for lifting and storage.

The renovation of the vinery is moving on, with new cedar repacing all the rotten sills. The rose lawn project is also beginning to take shape as arches are installed and paving is being laid, (see picture). Remember that we are open every weekend in October for you to see the progress, at the end of the month we close. Then we'll be getting ready for our Christmas Trail.

Best Wishes

Kate

Summer is Over - New Projects Begin

Looking back at last month's diary and the hedgehog rescue reminded me of another rescue just 3 weeks ago. Miss Berkeley came rushing up to our house one morning calling that there was a dog in the lake.

Hurrying to the Cork Lawn with a spare lead, we quickly spotted Rosy, an old golden retriever who lives over the road. She was stuck at the edge of the lake, unable to get up the bank. My husband reached over, but she moved away into the water. Eventually he managed to grab her collar and we dragged her out. She was upset and anxious as we took her home, but once Rosy recognised where she was she started to wag her tail, and became much happier. Apparently she had been frightened by the sound of a gun a couple of hours earlier.

Events at Spetchley are moving on a pace with both the start of the redevelopment of the rose lawn and the restoration of the vinery. The contractors have finished marking out all the new rose beds, and the vinery glass and old wood is being carefully removed from the vinery (see pic). Unfortunately it rained really heavily last night and the forecast is for more rain, so we will have to see how they get on.

At the end of last month I travelled down to Warley Place in Essex with my husband, for a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ellen Willmott who was, you will recall, Mr Berkeley's Great Aunt. It was a lovely day. We met the family of Miss Willmott's alpine gardener Jacob Maurer, and joined them for a private guided tour of Warley Place. There were artifacts, books, maps, magazine articles and the opportunity to swap stories. Chatting to those whose parents had known Miss Willmott was particularly fascinating as we heard personal stories of her life. It has also been confirmed that Gardener's World will be filming at Warley for a programme on famous female gardeners, to go out around Christmas, so keep an eye out for that.

On 13th September we are having our own Miss Willmott day. Entry is FREE and we hope to have information about Miss Willmott on display so make a note of the date and come along.

See you soon
Kate

Wildlife Rescue and Special Dahlia

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.

Group Visits of the Two Legged and Feathered Kind!

This has been a very full month for groups visiting the gardens, with more than the usual number of guided tours having taken place. I have just finished doing a Sunday guided tour for a very friendly party of florists, after a group of bee keepers, several horticultural groups, gatherings of friends, and a Womens Institute.

The Kitchen Garden is still under attack from pigeons, as they've managed to chew through the pak choi that we planted only 3 days ago.

I was rather suprised as I had considered pak choi to be a salad crop, and the pigeons are not touching the lettuce. Speaking of lettuce, if you visit the tea rooms any time soon, and partake of a salad, you will be eating home grown lettuce. I am very encouraged that we can use the produce from the gardens, and as it has worked out, almost all the produce is used.

It has been a very successful year for sweet peas, especially the towers of flowers we have growing in the kitchen garden. The pink variety at the end of the paths is a variety called Miss Willmott, (see pic) which we were very pleased to grow due to the connection with the family. We have been picking the flowers constantly to ensure a long lasting display.

Last week we had a minor crisis when Debbie spotted a tired and bedraggled duckling stuck in the heron pool in the middle of the Kitchen Garden, unable to clamber out. The mum was calling anxiously from the path. we fetched a fishing net and, swiftly scooped it out of the water, dumping it inelegantly onto the path where is scuttled quickly away. We had less swift success removing a jackdaw from the Morning Room in the main house. It had dropped down the chimney, and was causing havoc. Gardener Steve and myself went into the Morning Room and spent some time chasing it round the room. Eventually it made a mistake and flew against a wall, then Steve was able to grab its legs as it sat stunned on the floor. He took it outside where it flew away.

Best wishes

Kate

Peacock Arrivals and Gardener Departures

After a very noisy few weeks as the peacocks have been showing off again and trying to impress it seems to have paid off. One of the peahens has started to lay; 4 eggs so far. This year we are hedging our bets and will remove half the clutch when she has finished laying.

The gamekeeper is willing to put the remaining eggs under a broody hen. That will be a bit of a surprise for her when they hatch!

All the rain and warm, muggy days have meant that the borders are flourishing. The Fountain Beds are full of Aquilegia (see pic.) and the Davidia involucrata (ghost tree, dove tree or handkerchief tree) has really lived up to its name. It looked as if it was covered in tissues dangling from the branches.

The new doors and window frames in front of the renovated conservatory will be removed and stored for the summer, at the beginning of June. This has not happened for several years and will really help to keep the plants fresh and healthy.

The kitchen garden is moving apace, with lots of new planting, and some extra seating so that visitors can stay a while and contemplate the vegetables....

After the sad demise of our ride on lawn mower we have been treated to a new smart looking John Deere machine. It has everything: adjustable seat, a counter to tell you how many hours you have been cutting, useful places to put things; and It even has a cup holder, though I can't see the practicality of zipping round shrubs with a cup of tea in one hand. I wonder how much tea would actually stay in the mug... ( I know, I know, it is for cans or plastic water bottles, but it did make me laugh.)

Our final piece of news for the month is that Mike, our Assistant Head Gardener has accepted a job to be in charge of a private garden and will be leaving us in the middle of June. He has worked at Spetchley since 2004 and will be missed. We all wish him well for the future.

Best wishes
Kate

Springtime at Spetchley

I have to apologise this month for the lateness of the entry as we are now almost a week into May. The daffodils are almost over, but daphnes fill the air with their scent, and the rhododendrons are looking amazing. The weather is now lovely, but I can't say the same for last month. Rain, hail, flooding, even snow ( see picture of snow on Prunus Pink Shell). Very pretty, but also very frustrating as it has put us really behind with hoeing, weeding and grass cutting.

The Specialist Plant Fair went very well, with plenty of stalls selling a variety of plants, accesssories, ornaments, books and plenty of food. Well over 1100 visitors came to see the fair, to enjoy the free garden tours and to listen to the guest speakers in the marquee. The forecast had been a little worrying but it was lovely and dry on the day until the fair was almost over. The rain at the end of the day caused some consternation in the car park after the stall holders had loaded their remaining products, and vehicles began to get bogged down. Husband was dispatched to fetch the jeep and managed, over the evening to pull out several vans!

It was also a fun month, with the visits of 2 groups of primary school children, learning about the way plants grow. We have another primary school group booked for the middle of May so we are getting plenty of practice. Mike, Debbie and myself led groups of 5, 6 and 7 year olds on tours of the gardens, explaining about trees, seeds, flowers, bark, bees, cow poo.... (Why is it that children are facinated by cow poo?) We set up a 'nature table' in the vinery full of seeds, bark, bulbs, vegetables in pots and different natural objects for the children to study.

Regards
Kate

Spring Musings

I have just been looking back over the past few years to when I started writing the Spetchley diary. Back in 2005 we were delighted at the thought of a renovated rest room and the excitement of clearing out sheds to find enough material for a museum (still one of my great plans...). During March 2006 we saw the construction of the new toilets and tea rooms whilst March 2007 was so wet that all our plans for starting the Kitchen Garden project were thwarted.

This year all our thoughts are again concentrated on the Kitchen Garden, but thankfully the weather has been so much kinder. The bones of the garden have been completed and it is now time to start the great replant. Design plans are being drawn up and it is quite unnerving to realise just how many young plants will be constantly required. This is going to be a really high maintenance project, but will be worth all the effort.

Last month I went with my husband for a trip to Warley Place, Essex, the home of Ellen Willmott, Mr Berkeley's great aunt. There is little left of the grand estate but the drifts of early daffodils and snowdrops are breathtaking and show that winter is almost at an end.(see pic). The estate is now leased by the Essex Wildlife Trust now and is cared for by volunteers.

At Spetchley we are opening again on 21st March, Good Friday this year, less than 3 weeks away. As the weather has warmed up and become breezy we have started to cut the grass and weed the borders in preparation. Daphnes and mahonia are spilling their scent into the air, and the cherry blossom is beautifully reflected in the horse pool. Even with the occasional cold snap it is a very cheerful time of year.

Our volunteer, Leigh, has been offered a temporary job at a local nursery for the summer so we will really miss her and can't wait for her to be back.

We look forward to seeing you during the new season.

Spring is on the Way!

It finally feels that spring is on its way. There are bright clumps of snowdrops everywhere and hellebores are beginning to flower. We have been trying to work on our own new garden at Gardener's Cottage but it has proved to be a bit difficult as clumps of snowdrops are beginning to flower everywhere we want to dig. We have been carefully picking through the borders gathering them up before we dig!

The wet weather at the beginning of the year was a challenge as we thought we would never be able to get out into the gardens. The copse and New Lawn became excessively wet underfoot, and the eel trap filled with eels as the lake level rose again. Richard released about 20 eels back into the lake. However, the bad weather did give us the chance to prune the grape vines and conservatory plants so it wasn't all bad.

This is the month for pruning and clearing, so we have been attacking the task with gusto. The cercis and robinia arches in the Millennium Garden have been pruned and tied in, and a large area of the copse was been attacked with a pruning saw.... A large scrub patch in our working yard has been removed to make way for a nursery bed, and the Palm House, which is not open to the public, is also being cleared and tidied.

In the Kitchen Garden work is continuing steadily. Two cold frames are being built, so that we can raise and display vegetables in a more protected environment, pathways have been improved and more box hedging has been planted. We are hoping to have a wide variety of veg and fruit on display for the next season.

The New and Old Year

2007 has been a very rollercoaster year, with so many highlights and disasters. The rain is something that I will not forget, when the melon houses flooded, the lake burst its banks and the major concert of the year was cancelled after the organisers went into receivership.

However, there were also high moments, that have included the renovation of the conservatory, the development of the kitchen garden, a visit from the Sealed Knot, the interesting experience of being followed by a film crew for the series on Sky TV, and of course the Illuminated Trail which is another event that I have always really enjoyed.

Talking of the Trail, the weather was so crisp and starry for the later half of the ten days that the lake froze. This meant that at the end of the trail we were unable to remove the lights from the island. The ice was too thick to launch the boat, and too thin to walk across. So the lights stayed put until boxing day, when we were finally able to launch our canoe and recover the equipment!

During a visit to my daughter in London just before Christmas I took to opportunity to pop into the Museum of Garden History,
(www.museumgardenhistory.org) just next to Lambeth Palace. (It is shut on Mondays as I found to my cost last time I tried to visit!) It was fascinating and I was sorry only to have an hour before I was due to meet up with my daughter. As I browsed the exhibits I noticed a plant stand previously owned by Ellen Willmott (Mr Berkeley's great aunt).
After a long and very interesting chat with one of the historians I discovered that Miss Willmott had purchased blank Minton tiles that had pictures impressed into them. Miss Willmott then painted the tiles and sent them back to be fired, as was a popular hobby of the day.(See pic.) These tiles were then used to decorate the plant stand. Each tile has Miss Willmott's name on the back. I was also very interested to discover that 2008 is the 150th anniversary of Miss Willmott's birth, and that the museum are thinking of putting on a dedicated display in her honour.

Winter in the Gardens

Well, I started November with the nastiest of colds, and have continued snuffling throughout the month. It is the season to be cold and poorly. The garden however has really benefited from the chilly weather, with a couple of sharp frosts causing the demise of many unwanted pests. (This month's picture is of a fern in the Fountain Beds, covered in frost.)

The garden is still looking bright although most of the leaves are off the trees now. There are little pockets of colour still showing with berries and seeds. One of my favourites is the Callicarpa Profusion, with its vibrant purple berries.

In my June and July diaries I mentioned the problem with rabbits we've had in the kitchen garden. After trying to be really vigilant about shutting gates etc. with little success, we've found the reason... an enormous excavation within Miss Berkeley's flower patch, that had gone unnoticed until she started lifting dahlias and cannas last week. It appears that rabbits have tried to take up residence, with a buffet breakfast by the front door every morning.

Last month also saw the retirement of Dennis, our Kitchen Gardener, who worked at Spetchley for almost 20 years, after retiring from a job in engineering. We will really miss him, but he has promised to continue to mend any broken tools we can drop by as he has always done in the past!

We are still having the fun of being filmed by Halo Films, who have just started to film the preparations for the Illuminated Trail. They are getting to the end of the 25 programmes now, but apparently DVD sets of the series will be available next year.

We have started a lot of the background preparation for the Trail, and the more time consuming pruning has already been done, including putting up protective barriers around the lake. The electricians have installed the lighting and the gardeners will be preparing the grotto for the arrival of Father Christmas.

See you all at the Illuminated Trail!

Kate

Maggot Come Home!

Last month saw the return of the Halo film crew, following the gardeners about for almost an entire day, to see what we do... There must have been about 8 hours of film that the editor will now cut down to half an hour. It was an interesting experience to wear a microphone all morning. Our great debut goes out at the beginning of October on sky 280. After completion of the series there will be a set of DVDs available. That sorts out this year's Christmas presents!
And of course there is another programme on BBC2 in the Spring: "Castle in the Country", where Spetchley gets a mention too.

The hedgehog, that was noted in September's diary is now safely back home. One evening a about 3 weeks ago, two ladies from Worcester Hedgehog Rescue brought him back. They have fondly named him Maggot! He is quite distinctive as the tips of his spines are quite pale, and he has dark rings round his eyes. He is also rather camera shy, this is the best of about 5 pictures, all showing a curled up ball of spines. A home was set up in the copse and instructions were left about feeding. I was given a tin of puppy food and some very unappealing mealworms. The next day he had scuttled off to find his own way, and we didn't see him again until today when he managed to get into the tennis court. He was rescued again, and set up in a more suitable des res. Long may he enjoy the gardens.

The conservatory renovation is making great progress. All the new roof panels are installed and glazed, the top 3 vents are back on their chains again so that they can open, and all that is left is the front panels; just in time for the winter weather!

Hedge cutting has now been completed, including the back breaking task of the box hedges. We are now looking forward to the 'winter jobs list', as compiled by Mr Berkeley.

Alex moved on at the beginning of September, and our Japanese student Satsuki has returned home, but we have the welcome return of Steve, who worked at Spetchley about 3 years ago, and will be working again part time for a while.

And it is almost the end of the season. The gardens will soon only be open at weekends, but we can expect some good autumn colour, so don't forget to visit!

Animal & Conservatory Rescue

At the beginning of the month Mike found a very young hedgehog in the copse. (See pic.) It was tiny, cold, wet and all on its own. The mother was nowhere to be found. Mike took it to Claire the gate girl, who tried to warm it up and clean it. She noticed that it was covered in eggs, and spent quite some time with a donated toothbrush and some cotton buds, removing them. Then she phoned the Worcester Hedgehog Rescue, who came and collected it. The good news is that they were able to save it, and will return it in about 3 weeks when it has put some weight on. ( I call it 'it' as I have no idea how you tell the gender of a baby hedgehog. Hopefully we will be told all about her/him when he/she returns home.)

The conservatory is well under way to being completely renovated. All the old panels have been removed now, the original frame is all clean and painted, (again in 'Spetchley Green), the brickwork has been repointed and rendered in places and we are just waiting for the new frames to be installed.

In the last couple of weeks we have had two wedding receptions on the main lawn at the front of the house. They were both very interesting affairs as they involved people from other cultures with different customs from our own. Between them there were were fireworks, confetti fireworks, a bouncy castle, a disco, 2 huge limousines, and lots of food. The only down side has been that the main lawn now has a large patch of yellow grass where both marquees were sited, which will take a few weeks to recover.

The Millennium Garden is looking lovely at the moment, the verbena bonariensis is such a show stopper. The dahlias are a bright and cheerful sight and the asters are just beginning to put on a display.

The campsis in the Stable yard, and on Gardener's Cottage are both promising to be very impressive in a couple of weeks. This is a great time of year to visit the gardens!

Best Wishes,
Kate