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 be a battle thanks to a combination of very wet days followed by very sunny days. At around this time in previous years our grass usually begins to yellow which in turn lessens the need to mow so frequently, but the weather conditions leading up to this summer has meant our grass remains green and lush and our mowing schedule hasn’t been able to change all that much at all.

Across the gardens we have begun cutting all the box hedges. This is something we normally do around May time as weather conditions in the late spring are perfect, but this year it has had to be delayed. If you’re cutting box hedging at home, the timing is crucial. If you cut when the weather is too damp, box blight spores can spread really easily, if you do it when it’s too hot, the soft, newly exposed leaves can quite literally scorch in the sun. Aiming for a long stretch of dry but not too hot weather is perfect.

From the middle to the end of August, we’ll begin removing all of the lavender from the Union Flag Garden. Over the course of about 4 weeks, we’ll be removing two beds at a time and covering them with black plastic. The plastic blocks light and water and helps naturally treat the ground of surface-level pests. Whilst we appreciate it won’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the lavender, it does offer a great alternative to chemical treatments.

The lavender is being removed due to its age, if we leave it much longer it won’t flower successfully anymore, so we would rather get out in front of it and replace it before it impacts the appearance and the health of the garden too much. The lavender beds will be empty until March 2025, when new plants will be added ready for spring.

Continuing with our preparation for 2025, we’ll shortly be ordering our bulbs for next spring which will be planted this autumn. We’ll also be narrowing down our selection of roses for next year which will be planted in late winter.

We hope you continue to enjoy the gardens with us this summer, and the many activities and events all going on at Penshurst Place!