Walled Garden Volunteers' Blog July 2023

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This month’s blog begins with a photograph of Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’, looking fabulous in the stellata border. However, she doesn’t realise she is soon for the chop! We are taking action very soon – in fact, Carroll has already begun – to remove this plant, which has seeded about in the garden, and has deep tap roots, very difficult to remove!

So, feast your eyes while Miss W is still in her glory!

And now to our wonderful veg patch! Along the pergola there is an abundance of organically grown fruit and vegetables, all masterminded by Sarah, with help this year from Helen N and other walled gardeners.

There is inspiration here for all: in this small space we have broad beans, peas, shallots, purple/red orach, and lettuces; and along the front edge, rhubarb, and chard. Now, in July, the beans are finished, giving space for the squashes to take the sun.

The fruit and veg is harvested and if you are lucky enough to come into the garden on a day when we are picking the produce, you will be able to taste and perhaps to buy some of our organic produce.

 True, many of the berries are sampled by visitors…the blackbirds are particularly fond of the strawberries, of course! And the raspberries disappear quite quickly – though some mistakenly pick tayberries – here, the red one looks ripe, but beware! Until they turn deep red/purple, the tayberries are tart! There are soft fruits to the other side of the border: raspberries, tayberries gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries, and even a kiwi (though no fruits on this yet)    

Then we have the raised beds…here’s just one, seeded with early salad vegetables, in a photo taken in early June. We’ve picked the lettuces now, and the spring onions, which grew huge! The radishes are over, too, but the beetroot, sown a second time after the seed failed, are only just sprouting now, in late July.

In the next bed, the courgettes are growing fast! Look at the other raised beds; you’ll see more salads, and onions, between the pots of potatoes.

And have you found the blueberries? The apricot trees?

And did you spot our (tiny at the moment!) vine?

And look at the fruit on the apple and pear trees in the orchard!

Then there are the herbs (pictured), carefully tended by Nicola.

We hope you will venture along the path through the pergola and discover some delights of this part of the garden.

…not forgetting the hedges and the lawn (pictured below) at the top of the Garden, of course, kept in trim by Geoff, to give a satisfying sense of calm against all the colour and growth elsewhere.

Next time: the Yew Tree Garden……..