Nature : the right choice

A year ago I completed my WRAGS training and began my new life working as a Gardener, that is continuing to garden but being paid for it! Imagine that, being paid to do something I enjoy. I have since been a member of the garden team at Heale gardens and have found other gardens to tend to as well.

This week was a reminder of why I never returned to a desk, post children, and the enormous peace that comes from being outside (except when the machines are going full tilt).

I spent time with a client weeding, cutting back and chatting about her need to make the garden smaller, easier and less maintenance as she grows older and finds the size of the garden too much.

I volunteered at Horatio's garden at the Hospital here and spent time seeing how the garden is evolving and the charity are expanding with even more gardens in more Hospitals, giving patients space to breathe.

At Heale, I was lucky enough to break free of the veg garden for a bit (not that the veg garden is a chore to be in) and cut Willow in the Japanese garden. You have to get in the river for some of the work, pruning Wisteria and cutting Watercress and sending it downstream. Getting in the river and mucking about on a fine Autumn day. Stuff of stories. Of course not all days in the garden are as glorious, cold wet days can be never ending, muddy days even worse so, but a day or two now and again where the sun shines ain't half bad.

We received a rather large bulb order, checked and stored ready for the time we need to plant.

I did do some cropping, our first Leeks 'Little Nipper' and the last of the Courgettes and Beans. Some Salad and Pak Choi. 

The Pak Choi has been great, a purple leafed variety, romping away under fleece. Plus our Aubergines are almost there, a first time growing for me so very pleased with some of them.

The rest of the gardens continues to flourish in the late Autumn sun.

Glorious metallic heads of the Miscanthus coming through and the late flowering Lavandula x intermedia 'Vera' contrasting with Stipa gigantea (my morning view from our bothy).

Slow down

Autumn is upon us and the gardens are slowing down their production and growth. Always plenty to do but I am cropping less Beans, a few Courgettes and possibly the last batch of Cucamelons.

I have really enjoyed watching the Cucamelon grow and hunting for the tiny fruits amongst lots of leaves trailing up their supports. I still feel like I have found a jewel each time I see one.

More veg is on the way though, we planted out Spinach and Rocket yesterday. We would be planting lots of Kale but it is being chomped big time. Even leaving a tray of Kale out, you turn your back and leaves have been removed and shoved down the box hedging. Woman versus Bank Vole. The Bank Vole is most certainly winning right now! I have attempted one last planting using just three plants under cloche this time instead of netting or fleece. The cloches have ends and are pretty sturdy. We shall see (secretly I hold out no hope as the little fellas burrow and squeeze their way into everything but must keep trying!)

It is bumper fruit season and we have cropped Plums, Blackberries, Pears and endless Apples. The Apple tunnels at Heale produce different varieties, some names are lost but some remain, Ellisons Orange being one. Lots of Apples need clearing despite the Bank Voles doing an impressive job at eating them but there are less wasps around so the task is less fraught with danger now! We pruned the Blackberry (Rubus fructicosus 'Oregon Thornless") and re-trained in the new shoots onto the fruit cage. A lovely pruning job, especially as the plant is thornless.

The Dahlia beds are thriving right now, beautiful shapes and colours. I really like the dark reds of cultivars such as 'Arabian Night'. I don't usually like pink but there is one called 'Hillcrest Royal' which has a zing about it and I really like the petal formation.

I got to spend time in some of the other areas of Heale this week, known as the Top Terrace, where we transplanted beautiful bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum') and Bearded Iris. The Fennel had rather taken over, they have enormous strong solid root systems. We were also removing a bit of a weed, Galega or Goat's Rue. It is a pretty Pea like foliage but self seeds and ends up popping up everywhere. 

Pruning will be a big feature of our work in the garden from now on, I started with some Lonicera and we will be continuing with Vines and many Wisteria and of course the Roses will need attention at some point. Much to come and cooler misty mornings with bright skies. I LOVE Autumn.

Hats off to the lone Gardener

It has been a manic time with monkeys and school holidays and working in between. I have been continuing to visit my gardens and enjoy their tranquility. I work mostly with people dipping in and out of my day and the time alone mixed with someone nearby suits me just fine.

Some time with a client this week, planting and cropping Dahlias, Cropping veg, edging and tidying borders for a big Christening she will be hosting this weekend. All is ship shape.

Another garden I tend to had been slightly neglected by me but nothing a couple of hours couldn't sort. The mix of Summer rain and sunshine had given a good crop of French Beans and Courgettes and Carrots, so I was lucky.

My days at Heale this week were spent mainly alone as HG is on holiday. Man, hats off to the lone Gardener. I had the ear worm of 'I'm going slightly mad' by Queen going round and round all day long! I don't think the full time sole Gardener role is for me. However, I did achieve a lot and enjoyed the freedom of a big garden and trying to think about what areas would benefit from what.

Main crop Potatoes needed cropping, drying (to bake them and stop them rotting) and storing away. All other veg continues to provide - Courgette, Carrot, Pak Choi, Rocket, Herbs, Chillies, Salads. What a bounty.

Our beloved Sweet peas had finally given up. Almost 5 months of give and they could give no longer. They have been glorious and nothing beats that first time you crop a load of flowers and smell their scent. They take some time to bring down and the area was incredibly weedy. Empty space now, weeds to come or fill with another crop quick!

I managed to fit in lots of smaller tasks, leaf blowing, pot watering, greenhouse feeding. The Heale Aubergines are looking great and we have different varieties which is interesting.

When the visitors come it is so lovely. They all want to chat and they all love the garden. One Japanese visitor yesterday was so excited to see the Perilla (Shiso) herb we are growing, she told me all about how she uses it in pickles as it colours the veg and she hadn't seen it anywhere else before. 

 Even HG came by (on his week off the nutter) along with the other Bird off Twitter - Holly (gardenbirdblog). Great to see her.

My main friends were an Egret (early doors), Bank Voles (sneaking past you'd have thought but really quite bold), The Robin, Papadum the Peacock, couple of Chickens, and a big fat Toad that emerged from the Sweet peas. I have loved my work but certainly miss a chat here and there.

Summer fades

I have been working in humid weather this week and wet weather. Sometimes dry and sunny but cold and damp first thing. Things are turning that is for sure.

I have been planting out Salads this week. Firstly, for my client's small but beautifully kept veg garden. She grows all sorts and is constantly sowing and transplanting for a full, colourful plot. Great variety and amazing what you can achieve.Then, later in the week on a larger scale at Heale. Rows of Salad leaves, Misticanza, Miscuglio, Asolo mix. Beautiful and delicate.

We also planted our Kale - sown in modules and ready when the plant has around 6-8 leaves - you need quite a lot of space for this crop - 18 inches apart but I do love Kale so think it is worth it. A faff though, of that there is no doubt, planting, slug pelleting, preparing a hooped framework for netting. Brassicas are high maintenance indeed.

We are still cropping like mad at Heale. Runner Beans this week and many many Purple French climbing! Long gangly ones, short springy ones. We cropped in the rain this week, wet sleeves a plenty from reaching high up into the plants.

We also spent time clipping and pruning in the veg garden - the lollipop shaped trees of Crataegus x Lavalleei 'Carrierei' (what a mouthful!). Dangerous spikes grow from the trunk and boy are they sharp. We used long handled loppers to reach the wayward and out of shape re-growth and HG carried on with secateurs up a ladder too. It takes a long time to prune eight trees.

When it rained and it really did rain, we tamed some planted Jasmines which are tied into a framework and sit like that all year until they are whisked into the house for their sweet scent. Imagine de-tangling a child's long hair and you know what I mean, you need a lot of patience. HG has bucket loads of that. I could have just chopped it all off at times! But again, once you get each stem of the plant singled out and all of the dead out, the plant breathes a sigh of relief! Fed with osmocote and, if necessary, re-potted, the Jasmines are ready for the off again.

I re-discovered Burdock this week. I noticed the sticky little burrs which I remember from childhood. My children took great pleasure in sticking the plant to the ceiling of our car over and over again like velcro! In fact the big WWW tells me that Burdock seeds were indeed the inspiration for Velcro. Nature is the best.

Colour and variety

Missed my Blog last week. School holidays and building works at home make for an even more hectic time than usual. Gardening is still happening and it is most definitely my break from all that the rest of my life entails!

Heale this week was more than beautiful. Peaceful digging whilst listening to the River trickle on past. A grey Heron taking off when I disturbed it first thing in the morning. Bank Voles sneaking past us (almost banging a drum and telling their family to follow on behind).

Lots to crop at the moment and it is my favourite time in the veg garden. Courgettes, Salad, Carrots, Radishes, Pak Choi, Beans (so fine they look almost translucent), Oh and the beauty that is a baby baby baby Melon  -Cucamelon -Melothria scabra. What a glorious little thing? Best eaten at the size of an Olive, Zingy and zesty and refreshing, the Cucamelon is such a cutie.

 We also cropped the last of the Blackcurrants, so ripe they fell from the heavy branches as we picked and left their juice all over us.

Sweet peas are still coming unbelievably, so strong with immensely long stems.

We spent a lot of time working in the borders this week too. Cutting back, dead heading, trimming Hostas and Ferns. Cutting back Astrantia, Stachys and summer pruning fruit, rewarding work, instant hit of clean lines and fresh plants.

Although the garden is bursting with life, Veronicastrum, Echinops, Magnolia's all over the place, Gladioli, Sunflowers, Ipomoea, fruit bursting and ready to eat, my plant of the week is the purple climbing French Bean! It has such delicate Beans which grow green, then morph into purple, then back to green when cooked. I want to try 'Purple Cascade' which apparently keeps it's colour once cooked. Such a shame to only have the colour on the plant. A glut of them meant a taste test this evening. My eldest thought they were the best. I quite agree.

Succession in the veg garden

What a couple of days at Heale. A bright sunny day to crack on with planting out more Salad, sown only three weeks ago. Pak Choi and Rocket in the mix. HG suggested fleecing these to avoid holey leaves if the Flea Beetle fancies a light snack.

We also transplanted the rest of the Leeks once we had created space by taking down the Broad Beans. Leek 'Below Zero' and 'Little Nipper', some of which were ready to eat they had grown on so much. Quite a process from sowing seed months ago, to planting out in a holding bed and then transplanting.

The herb bed at Heale has gone a bit nuts so needs a bit of a tidy. Cutting back Rocket, Mint, Fennel. The scents all around you are wonderful when you work with Herbs.

We cropped Courgettes (yellow, green and stripy), beautiful tender young green Beans, Cucumber, Radish, Potatoes (First Early, 'Red Duke of York', red skin, yellow flesh). Wonderful stuff.

The Globe Artichokes are coming to an end. A beautiful vegetable. Apparantly it has one of the highest antioxidant property of any vegetable, so not just a pretty face.

Sweet peas have carried on giving. Since we did the business of laying down and tying in, HG has fed them. They continue with gusto. We removed side shoots and tendrils and cropped in the persistent rain this morning.

The rain continuing, there is the endless pot washing to contend with. Great once complete and a perfect task for a rainy day.

We sowed more Salad, ready in a few weeks to pop out in the garden. Misticanza 'Quatro Satgioni' and 'Miscuglio', Asolo mix, Wild Rocket. Yum.

Much to see in the garden, a bright yellow Cestrum, which was pointed out to me by an inquisitive Dutch visitor, who has seen the plant growing in an Orangery in Holland. Veronicastrum covered in Bees and looking weird like an Ox tongue when the flower has fasciated.

Rosa mutabilis looking simple and fine in the veg garden borders.

New plant of the week, HG showed me a beauty hovering along the riverbank in the Japanese garden. Heart shaped leaves and an erect white flower head, Houttuyinia cordata. We even found it IN the river. Native to Asia, it is eaten as a herb in Vietnam, described as 'Fishy'! A bit invasive so they say, watch out!

Vegetables galore

What a treat this time of year to crop so many lovely veggies. At Heale, mixed Radishes are pretty cool, ranging from white to purple. I must pick up some at home. We are now cropping our second early Pots - Belle de Fontenay - sounds so posh (!) and look so good and smooth skinned. The Courgettes are coming now, green and yellow as the Broad beans and Salads go. More salad on the way so we cleared and dug the plot again. Raked neatly and ready for the off again.

I spent an awful lot of time this week dead heading. I do love pruning, it can be so satisfying. Main work was with Roses and Peonies but also worked with Apples, summer pruning the stems to 1 bud past the basal cluster. Safe in the knowledge that your work will stimulate more growth and a better plant next season.

At Heale the herb and cut flowers areas are in full swing. I do love a good Fennel bed and Borage.

The veg garden looks really good now, everything is going really strong (including the dreaded weeds - my favourite being Purslane; totally flat and sprawling in growth and edible, I ate it and I am still here).

HG introduced me to a rogue that I had not planted in the cut flower section called Bupleurum, used in bouquets and flower arranging for structure. Similar looking to a Euphorbia.

I got to go on the mower at Heale this week cutting and sucking up Alchemilla mollis that grows amongst flagstones on the Terraces. Quicker than flipping cutting with Shears! Great fun and a reminder of how to use the mower! Lots of work to do in other areas. Sweet pea maintenance continues, feeding the greenhouse crops, edging and weeding, watering pots and veg plots.

Papadum and the chickens have been pootling about a lot, birds of prey circling overhead, visitors taking pix of me digging the soil, Bees buzzing down my shirt. Just an ordinary day in the life of a Gardener.