With now less than a month to go we have all but completed the projects that we set ourselves.  The under gardener has been perfecting the Arbour Seating area and I will post pictures as soon as the final touches are in place.  I am about to lift all the daffs from one area of the woodland garden to create an area of stumps, hostas and ferns.  With a problem here of ground elda, much better than last year but still some left I am going to cover the area with membrane having treated for the last of the ground elder and then plant through the membrane.  We are off to a plant sale in Saturday and I am hopeful in being able to buy the plants that I shall need to complete this area.  With this done we just have to keep the place tidy and our finger crossed for the weather. 

I have a "rolling" list of things to do before we open to the public, one day it feels as though everything is under control and the next day it is not.  It is raining right now but there is plenty to do in the greenhouse and I am just putting off doing anything today as I am getting a little tired but I know as soon as I get stuck in a new lease of energy will crop up.  I have sourced a real barrel from a local firm that make cider and I have said I will collect it next week.  It is to go by the garage to collect rain water.  The one side already has a water butt, which is plastic and not on show, quite serviceable but not very good to look at, this will look good and will be on show.  That is after we have drilled some holes in it and the down pipe of the guttering.  The under gardener was quite disappointed that the barrel did not come full! 

During the warm spell one of the jobs I have completed is the complete stripping out and cleaning of the greenhouse.  This takes a LONG time. I always get soaked when cleaning the window and taking everything in and then putting it all back is quite a job.  I am pleased that it is only twice a year.  I decided to put the shading up at the same time and this has turned out to be a good move.  You can see the results on the Spring page.   The "holding pens" at the side of the greenhouse also came in for a good tidy and now are stacked with the plants which we will be offering for sale on our open day. Well I am off now to do the hanging baskets, all the plants have grown on well and it is a job I so enjoy doing, especially in a clean greenhouse!

I am sitting in the under gardener's study and I cannot believe the difference in the garden that I can see from the window.  The Beech hedge which did not have anything but brown leaves on it a week ago is now a wonderful shade of green.  All the Alliums are standing tall and I spent a good deal of time yesterday staking things to make sure that they do not topple over.  I am rather pleased with myself for doing this as each year I leave it just a little too late and something flops onto something else and I could kick myself, but not this year.  I got some rough cut steaks from a local supplier and painted them all the same shade of blue/green so that they look good as they protrude above the plants ( not my idea, got it from Gardener's World! ). Better go and finish the job.  See you!

It is a wonderful morning and I have just been walking round the garden with the Dobie inspecting the work we did yesterday.  The lawns were cut and edged and lawn sand applied and the orchard was also cut and all relevant areas strimmed and made tidy. It really looks good with the trees now well on their way to full glory but it was the fragrance of the lilac, the coronilla with its yellow flowers and wonderful fragrance and the Viburnum Juddii all doing their thing. Now I think I had better go and finish clearing our the green house and cleaning the glass.  Oh joy.

It is Bank Holiday Monday and there is the most enormous pile of bark chipping at the top of the drive.  On Friday we had the Cherry Trees pruned, I watched with some horror as a couple of young men did this job, one on the ground and one swinging in the branches cutting as directed by his colleague.  The company come several times in the year to tidy up the trees and clip some of the hedges that we cannot do ourselves and on this visit they brought the bank chippings which is destine for around the whips that were planted just two years ago around the edges of the kitchen garden and the rest will be put under the newish beach hedge and the path through the woodland garden.  I am writing this now as I am trying to put off a job that I am not looking forward to.  Wish me luck!