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

Topical tips for March

Pot up dahlias and cannas in the greenhouse to give them a head start.
Dig up and divide congested clumps of snowdrops etc as the flowers fade.
Prune roses, wisteria and late flowering shrubs.
Prepare the vegetable patch, clearing and digging over or rotovating on fine dry days.
Plant the early varieties of potatoes that you prepared (chitted) last month.
Cut down ( pollard) willows and cornus that are grown for their winter colour.
Cut down autumn fruiting raspberries.
Start to cut grass on a high cut, when the lawn is dry enough and the weather is sunny..
Start to cut grass on a high cut, when the weather is dry and breezy.
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.

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.

Topical tips for February

Start chitting potatoes

Divide and replant early flowering bulbs that have finished flowering

Check fruit and veg storage for rot or rodent damage

Trim the old leaves from hellebores and epimediums to reveal the new flowers

Sow sweet peas on a cool windowsill or in a coldframe

Rub down and treat wooden garden furniture, in well ventilated areas

Regularly check that greenhouse heaters are working, and that fleece has not been blown about.

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.