Summer Update from the Gardens

By Andrew Humphris, Head Gardener

“After recovering from our winter losses and the cold, wet start to the season, we went into a very dry June, and even though we have had a little rain, it remains extremely dry. It is amazing how resilient the garden is, however.

Looking at the blue border in July, it is hard to believe it was planted only in March. The colours have worked particularly well, with the blues, lavenders, greens and whites and Magenta working nicely together.

I have attempted to make a long season of interest here, so now the earlier flowering Salvias are going over the later Agastache and Clematis ‘Cassandra will take over and provide colour until the end of the season. The grasses will also come into their own later in the year, including different Miscanthus and Stipa tenuissima.

The rest of the borders have all filled out well and are at their summer height, but there is still much more to come.

The cut flower beds are all planted, with the Dahlias and Alstroemerias now coming into their own. The annual cut flower bed is producing an excellent show with many different plants and colours that work well with rooms in the house.

The vegetable garden is starting to produce its abundant crops of Carrots, beans, beetroot, spring onions, early potatoes, and broccoli. The currants are also being picked.

I love this time of year when the borders are full and colourful, and the garden is abundant with flowers and vegetables.”