On Sunday we’ll be hosting the last open day for 2020. What an interesting and tumultuous year it has been. Including in the world and in the garden.
We’ll forget the whole world thing at the moment, and concentrate on the garden…
In the true fair pattern of the seasons, we had the first half of the year experiencing the worst drought ever recorded in this (and many other) region. It seemed it would never rain enough to right the world! But we had nice steady bits of rain thru the winter, and for us it has carried on coming nicely through the Spring. Whilst one would imagine such a long drought would have had a bad effect on this season’s flowering and production, it seems it is the opposite and everything has been having a bumper season, from the Winter/Spring bulbs to the fruit trees and the roses.
According to the pundits, we’re going to have a warm, wet summer, which is great for the growing, but bad for the fungus and bugs. Despite only a very short period of humidity so far, there is already alarming amounts of downy mildew and blackspot in the roses. Out trundles the sprayer…speaking of which I have a new “fleet” of sprayers, which are sort of trolleys you tow along. A huge improvement on backpacks. No aching shoulders and you can just stop when interrupted by the phone (or possibly when you accidentally spray a treasure with round up) sort the problem, and carry on where you left off. Time will tell whether they’re value for money, but at this stage I’m finding them a wonderful addition.
In the meantime, despite disease, wind and rain, the garden is having its month of splendour. Some things drawing to a close, others still in full flight, and many still waiting in the wings! Basically at this time of year the scent of roses assaults the nostrils on approach (if it’s not too windy and blowing it away!) and one can spend a lot of time looking at things up close…
Please come and enjoy on Sunday.
