Hello gardeners, this month has been busy, as ever. We have been harvesting asparagus after a rocky start to the season, with below average temperatures and excessive rainfall hampering the industry nationwide. I think our customers will enjoy the flavour of our asparagus, which is always popular.
We have created a new cut flower bed just north of the herb garden. It has radiating arcs that mirror the centre circle. It is planted with Helianthus annus (sunflower), Tagates Patula (the original french marigold), a seed I have been collecting for several years and was a gift from a dear friend of mine, Cosmos sweet peas and stocks among others.
Our newly seeded grass paths seem to growing well and received their first mowing yesterday. Using a cylinder mower that has a roller should ‘tiller’ the grass, helping grow a thicker sward. Last week I almost completed my “American bed”, so called, not because I myself am American, but because of the American plants, planted within it. Although many of our garden vegetables are American in origin I wanted to create a bed, which looked American as well. So it is planted with climbing beans, courgette and squashes. The centre circle is planted with sweetcorn Amaranthus and Courgette ‘Di fiore’ a courgette with only flowers (no Fruit), so now all I need is sunshine.
In the historic Victorian Dell, many plant species have come into flower, enabling me to identify them, such as Kolkwitzia amabilis (beauty Bush) or Kalmia latifolia, the so called the (calico bush), the regal ferns have unfurled fresh apple green foliage just as the Candalabra primmulas are finishing. I still anticipate more discoveries in the months to come.
I hope you are all filled with as much anticipation about this summers growing and harvesting as I am. Please don’t hesitate to come and speak to me in the walled Garden if you are in the area, I may even give you a pinch of my Tagates patula seed.
Fingers Crossed,
Whitney Hedges, Head Gardener, Newick Park
