Well summer is well upon us now and the garden is flowering at a pace I can barely keep up with especially in the heat we have had. We recently had a spell of 17 days without rain, but we are now having the odd shower and the vegetable and herb gardens, including the new cut flower bed, are starting to recover.

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Fennel, Nasturtium and English Marigolds flowering well, with monster courgette plants and the fast growing Dahlias next to them.

Just coming into a fine show is the Californian Poppy, Romneya coulteri with a gorgeous blue clematis which seems to be flowering forever providing a superb background.

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I’ve never visited anywhere where this stunning plant grows so well, we actually have a 10′ long stretch of it now!

The roses are still providing a good show with Rosa ‘Chapeau de Napoleon’ near the Gardeners Cottage putting on a good show with it’s curious mossy growth on the buds.

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In other news the harvest continues the PYO or pick your own for the soft fruit continues thought the bulk of the crop has now been collected. We have still got Rhubarb available, and freshly picked, Courgettes, Broad Beans and Radish for you to buy, all grown in the garden and pesticide free.

This week and next will be busy weeks with help from our volunteers (more welcome!) to get the garden ship shape and bristol fashion for the NGS (National Garden Scheme) day a week on Sunday. Deadheads will be pruned, weeds will be chased into extinction or as near as we can get it, plants will be staked and we hope the flowers will hold their breath till the appointed hour and then unfurl with gusto! Here’s hoping for good weather and a fantastic time to be had by all. Hope to see you all there!