Well what a bit of a mixed bag our summer was! Not much sun (although a lot more than my family in Scotland got – sorry mum!) but such a dry season. Courgettes that wouldn’t grow and sad roses. Lawns that packed their bags and went away for the summer and apple trees that didn’t fruit well. Hmmm.
But one of the oddities of the summer was one of our two pillars of sweet peas which has just kept on smelling sweet and giving us colour from the mid summer till into the beginning of October. Visitors it seems can’t help but make a bee line to have sniff of the perfume. And quite right too! The other pillar did probably exactly the same as yours and gave up the ghost a long time ago.
As you probably have noticed by now, I like projects! Gardens have always got projects on the go, big and small.
Our latest is to rebuild, what we call, The Clay Lane Lawn which runs along our east boundary. Basically it involved a bit of noise provided by the rotavator, a bit of perspiration provided by ten tonnes of topsoil and two wheelbarrows and a small collection of varying sized rakes and of course grass seed – aka fat pigeon feed! You will have to be a bit patient I know, but the results will become more evident in the spring as the growth really starts to develop.
We have both raised the soil level in some parts and reduced others to give a more pleasing look. Also as part of the process we cut back some tree roots so that should help with the lawns growth in future years. As you can see from one of the photos, we had a chestnut tree collapse, so what with the tree gone, soil levels altered and grass in areas it hasn’t been before this area should have a bit of a different feel about it.
With the help of some of our ever eager volunteers we managed to get the soil levels adjusted a bit. One amusing sight was 17 of us (volunteers, Lesley and I) walking in a line, heeling in the lawn. It looked more like an egg & spoon race than a horticultural exercise, but we got the job done in a jiffy.
We are looking forward to harvesting the pumpkins and squashes this week, which will be on sale shortly. This is always a bit of a highlight for Lesley and I.
And what’s next in the gardens at Reveley Lodge? Leaves of course… Autumn is on it’s way !
