Autumn at Hidcote
As we move into Autumn the design and structure of the garden comes into focus; with visitors treated to new sights, smells and colours unique to this time of year. The Garden Team are always busy over this period, when most of the hedge-cutting happens as well as clearing herbaceous borders, lifting and dividing perennials, mulching, bulb planting and lawn care work. It's certainly not a quiet time of year. With the change in weather, combined with the seasonal work, most areas of grass will be closed and occasionally there will be alternative routes around other areas of the garden.
Summer in Hidcote garden
Different flowers reach their peak at various periods throughout the summer, creating a river of bloom which will flow through the season. Many of our roses will only flower once in June, so it is the perfect time to make the most of them. Various types of campanulas will flash their pastel colours from early to mid-summer. Towards the end of the season, at least a dozen different cultivars of salvias will spring up and delight the garden.
Taming the Kitchen Garden
Since the beginning of the pandemic our priority has been to maintain the standards in the formal flower gardens, given the effects of furloughing staff and asking volunteers to stay at home. Last year the Kitchen Garden was sown with Crimson Clover, a green manure, that helped to suppress the weeds. This year, we have used some of the ground to encourage plants needed in the garden to ‘bulk up’, however the weeds have enjoyed the clear ground too! Other areas of the Kitchen Garden have been covered with Mypex to reduce the amount of weeding to be done and our annual supply of pumpkins are enjoying the space to sprawl.
Our brilliant volunteers are now able to be at Hidcote more regularly and they are already making headway as the lines of plants are exposed. In the meantime, the insect populations are enjoying the flowers.
Passion for plants
Plant hunting trips around the world made sure that Hidcote had variety, colour and scent throughout the garden. Lawrence Johnston created the garden and was passionate about plants. He went to endless trouble and expense to find unusual varieties that would bring colour, scent, shape and texture to the garden.
He travelled a lot, visiting faraway places like the Alps, South Africa and China. He also exchanged plants with gardeners in far-flung countries from Australia to Japan. He carefully selected only the finest varieties to bring back to Hidcote.
