9.8.24
High Summer 2024: Head Gardener's Notes
The maintenance loop continues as the warmer weather sits tight, with hoeing, mowing and edging now taking the forefront of the garden rounds. Managing weeds continues to...
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1.6.24
Early Summer 2024: Head Gardener's Notes
The maintenance loop begins in earnest as summer arrives, with hoeing, mowing and edging now taking the forefront of the maintenance rounds. These warm but wet days have...
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7.4.24
Early Spring In The Gardens
Changing Weather Something we’re sure has been affecting everyone in their own gardens so far this year is the incredibly changeable weather we’ve been exp...
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9.2.24
What We've Been Up To This Winter
Winter affords our Gardens Team the time to complete the larger scale jobs in the Gardens, especially those which would be unsafe to tackle around members of the public....
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1.10.23
October in the Gardens: Blooms & Maintenance
Divide perennials on the Jubilee Walk, Blue and Yellow Border, Grey and White Garden, and George Carter Walk Starting in October is the work of dividing the peren...
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1.9.23
Our Gardens in September: Blooms and Maintenance
As September rolls in and autumn appears on the horizon, we start the month with an odd combination of misty, spiderweb-strewn mornings followed by days filled with warm...
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1.8.23
Our Gardens in August: Blooms and Maintenance
August Highlights Herbaceous Borders: such as the George Carter Walk, Blue and Yellow Border, and Jubilee Walk Apples and Pears: can be found in the Orcha...
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10.7.23
Our Gardens in July: Blooms and Maintenance
July Highlights Roses: throughout the Gardens but most especially in the Union Flag Garden Herbaceous Borders: such as the George Carter Walk,...
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1.6.23
Our Gardens in June: Blooms and Maintenance
Already in Bloom Rosa ‘Tall Story’: Baron’s Hall beds Lilac Syringa x Josiflexa ‘Bellicent’: Long Border Irises and various her...
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13.4.23
Our Gardens in April and May: Blooms and Maintenance
Already In Bloom Daffodils: across the gardens ‘Jewel of Spring’ tulips: Italian Garden Tulips: Church Terrace, Nut Garden Magnolias: Magnoli...
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16.3.23
Our Gardens in March: Blooms and Maintenance
In Bloom Now Snowdrops: Church Terrace Hellebores: Church Terrace Daffodils: Church Terrace, Orchard, Nut Garden, Lime Walk & Coronation Walk Winter H...
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28.2.23
Our Gardens in February: Blooms and Maintenance
Already In Bloom Snowdrops: Church Terrace Hellebores: Tower Bed & Church Terrace Hazel catkins: Nut Garden Crocus: Paved Garden Next To Bloom...
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1.11.22
Our Gardens in November: Blooms and Maintenance
In Bloom Ordinarily, we wouldn't expect to report on what's in bloom around the gardens at this time of year but, as mentioned below, there is so much colo...
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10.10.22
Our Gardens in October: Blooms and Maintenance
Already in bloom Blue & Yellow Border: Still showing good colour and form. Jubilee Walk: Still abundant colour which should last well into Octobe...
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1.9.22
Our Gardens in September: Blooms and Maintenance
Visit Soon to See Rudbeckias Apples in the Orchard (help yourself to windfalls but please leave the fruit that’s still on the tree, on the tree!) Wist...
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8.8.22
Our Gardens in August: Blooms and Maintenance
Visit Soon To See Wisteria second flush Italian Garden Roses Flag Garden Roses Granda Floria in Magnolia Garden (the biggest flowers in the Gardens!)...
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1.7.22
Our Gardens in July: Blooms and Maintenance
July already?! We're now in the full swing of summer and the Gardens are looking spectacular for it! We have had plenty of rain in the run up to this summer,...
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1.6.22
Our Gardens in June: Blooms and Maintenance
Warmer days have now arrived and the Gardens are full of vivid colour, a range of texture and the sounds of birds and bees flying overhead. The grass is growing quickly (...
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11.2.22
Head Gardener's Notes: Winter/ Spring 2022
Fingers crossed this will be a more normal gardening year! It has been quite cold this February and the frost has made itself known, though it hasn’t p...
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30.3.21
Head Gardener's Notes: Spring 2021
It’s been a long time since my last Head Gardener’s notes after a rather tumultuous year, and the team and I are really looking forward to welcoming our visit...
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7.2.20
Head Gardener's Notes: Winter 2020
2020 has felt a little like spring at times, with unusually mild temperatures, birds singing and a feeling of being further into the year…before a hard frost comes...
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20.11.19
Head Gardener's Notes: Autumn 2019
The leaves this autumn have decided to all come off the trees at the same time. We had drifts of them along the lime walk and even though the walled garden does not have...
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28.7.19
Head Gardener's Notes: Summer 2019
As I write this summer’s Head Gardener’s Notes, it’s 35 degrees in the garden and we are working hard to keep the greenhouses under 40 degrees; should t...
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14.5.19
Head Gardener's Notes: Spring 2019
This year spring is a challenge, with unseasonably hot days followed by colder nights with frost. We have seen damage to the wisteria, roses and box hedges, but not enoug...
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31.1.19
Head Gardener's Notes: Winter 2018/19
Its -3 in the garden as I’m writing this with a hard frost and snow on the ground, and whilst in the last week the Snowdrops that have bloomed on Church Terrace hav...
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15.9.18
Head Gardener's Notes: Autumn 2018
At this time of year, the hedges in the walled garden become the focus of our work. With a mile of yew hedging separating the 11 acres into garden rooms, it takes us six...
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15.7.18
Head Gardener's Notes: Summer 2018
It’s hot, very hot. With little rain at the start of the summer and none forecast for weeks, the gardens are looking particularly dry. The grass is brown, and the b...
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9.4.18
Head Gardener's Notes: Spring 2018
We’ve had a bit of a wash-out spring so far, and though the daffodils persevered through the worst of the mist, it’s a shame they weren’t seen under ful...
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28.1.18
Head Gardener's Notes: Winter 2017/18
Winter is the time of year when we tackle the more intrusive tasks in the garden, meaning we limit our use of big (and often loud!) machinery during the open season. &nbs...
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23.8.17
Head Gardener's Notes: Autumn 2017
Autumn is in the air, with mist rising from the Medway as we come into the garden in the early morning, but hopefully summer is not completely over. The Blue and Yellow b...
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5.5.17
Head Gardener's Notes: Summer 2017
What an amazing spring we have had; warm sunny days, superb floral displays and a lot of new planting and seed sowing throughout the garden. It has been wonderful, though...
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17.2.17
Head Gardener's Notes: Spring 2017
I am sure you can see that we have, as usual, been very busy in the garden this winter. It is nice to have had some decent cold weather to help kill off some of the probl...
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