Within the garden walls at Stoneywell

Asparagus update time and I can hardly contain my excitement to tell you that out of three crowns we have an incredible three plants that look like they could well be asparagus. Whether they’ll appear in a barrow in the stable yard next year, who knows, but encouraging times. I’ll continue to keep you posted.

Meanwhile a faded Polar Bear in the garden can only mean one thing it’s August and the end of Rhododendron season at Stoneywell (there’s one called Polar Bear - it’s white).  While the asparagus keeps on giving, the rhododendrons are collectively having a well earned break before their likely return in maybe 4 months or so. The colours in the garden are more subtle this time of year, but there is a great variety of colourful hues, especially in combination of the Acers and the like, which are lovely and calming.

It is not just a bit of leaf colour on show though, as one of our new developments from our garden interpretation project will show next time you’re here.  We now have a cutting display table, still looking very colourful mainly with flowers, and hopefully with some accurate names attached to keep you informed as to what to look out for.  In the last two weeks we’ve had dainty harebells from the meadows, Inula Magnifica, the bluest hydrangeas you’ve ever seen, Lysimachia ‘Firecracker’ and Clethroides, Agapanthus and many more besides.

Another installation as part of our new garden interpretation work is that you will now also see a few ceramic stoneware plant labels on rhododendrons, lovingly handcrafted by Laura Baxter, the artist who we’ve worked closely with for the garden interpretation project.

At the moment as we’re in peak produce picking period from the kitchen garden; and we thank anyone for any donations made over the past couple of months.  We’ve seen a few more successes inside the walls this year compared to the last, which is always encouraging and I’m confident next year we’ll be even better off.  Of particular note, the globe artichokes have been a welcome and apparently “splendid” addition offering something a little different to the norm, as well as a striking appearance growing high above the rest.  Nice to know we’ll be seeing them again next year as well, being perennial.  Then there’s the beans!  Three different sorts, who even knew there were that many varieties??  I’ll most definitely be an advocate of the copper ring surround to keep out the slugs from now on; there can be no excuse for pellets surely?  You can expect a very blingy kitchen garden next year indeed, a bit more pricey but one application to last all year and to be used again and again and again  - definately a no brainer.