High Summer in the Walled Garden

The hot weather is challenging the garden and the gardeners but it is harvest time, so we all keep going.

The old Bramley apple tree is packed with fruit this year - and there are plenty of plums ripening, too; we’ll bag them up for sale in a few weeks time.

The surrounding meadow is in its third flush of wild flowers, purple knapweed dominating now. 

The garlic is already drying in the shed and Sarah lifted the onions from their raised bed this week. The everlasting sweet peas at the end of the pergola threatened to block the path! So Geoff tied them back.

In late Summer we shall start to lift and pot up any seedlings . We can then sell well- established plants in the autumn, to raise money for next year’s planting. However at present it is too hot and too dry to do this work. 

The mulch we put down in the winter must be helping to keep moisture in the soil, but we are keeping note of the plants which are coping with the current weather conditions. We may need to adapt the planting for future years ; however, the  garden is mostly in full summer glory, with sun-loving flowers enjoying the heat. 

Do come and sit for a while.