Walled Garden Volunteers' Blog June 2025
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The theme of this month’s blog is simple: Water!
Pictured are two of our three ‘Water Butt Towers’, all completely empty now after the long spell of hot, dry weather. The Cowle Trust purchased three of these towers, and four extra-large rounded water butts a couple of years ago, all made of recycled materials. This substantially increased our water harvesting from 400ltrs to 2,400ltrs when we decided we would no longer run the ‘leaky hose’ system in the flowerbeds: our plants were mostly well established in the borders and would have to cope.
It's been a bit of a challenge this month, though! We have fruit and veg to look after, and flowering plants we’d moved about, plus some ‘summer seasonals’ to keep the displays colourful.
We have still used the micro-hose and spray for the raised beds, though, a few times each week, for about an hour before opening time.
The raised beds are full of salad vegetables; the pergola is packed with produce; for the first time ever, we had some flowers on the kiwi plant! – and look at our apricots, the tree carefully ‘netted ‘by Helen N and Helen K.
This year, we are experimenting with some new dahlias, shown here on the top left, in the raised bed. They are rather slow at present…they are thirsty plants!
Visitors who remember the ‘old favourite’, the very tall red dahlia much enjoyed in previous years, will find it is now growing in the Bonkers Border, to add another splash of colour here, soon (we hope!). The dry weather meant the slugs didn’t get to it!
Our Garden Guides, who greet visitors on days when the gardeners are not in, have helped, too, by watering all plants in containers. Above is another of our ‘old’ dahlias, doing well in a pot.
We have temporarily removed the flowerpots in the courtyard, however, since they were simply sizzling in the hot sunshine.
Courtyard Garden
In the courtyard garden, under the dry shade of the Yew tree, Cheryl has been using the bowser and watering cans to ‘spot water’ the roses and any newer plants, as in the Walled Garden borders, too. The roses here look lovely, and their scent fills the air.
The thick layer of mulch applied to all of the beds during the very wet Spring, also helped – and the results are clear.
It looks like all the hard work has been worth it, so far!
Flourishing Garden
P.S. And just as I finish writing this blog, it’s started to rain! A freshen-up shower, rather than any proper rain…..
