This week in the garden has largely been about catching up after some truly extraordinary weather — something gardeners everywhere will relate to. We’ve been incredibly grateful for the return of cooler temperatures and much-needed rain.
The last few weeks have been challenging for both gardeners and plants. Temperatures swung dramatically from lows of 3°C at night and highs of 12°C during the day, to 23°C at night and 33°C during the day within the space of a week — an almost unheard-of 30-degree shift. Unsurprisingly, many plants struggled with these extremes, but we're finally seeing them begin to recover and put on fresh growth.
On the harvesting front, we're enjoying an abundance of lettuce, strawberries and mangetout, alongside some more unusual crops including salsify buds and tatsoi.
Today's focus has been digging in green manures and planting out the last of our beans and cucurbits. The extreme heat made planting impossible for a period, meaning many young plants remained in their pots much longer than we would normally like. With cooler conditions now returning, we're able to get them settled into the ground.
Wildlife in the garden continues to thrive. We've noticed large numbers of aphids, but encouragingly there are also healthy populations of ladybirds and sparrows helping to keep them under control. Around the pond, we're seeing swarms of dragonflies and mayflies, bringing plenty of life and movement to the garden as summer begins to unfold.
We also harvested our beautiful Apothecary roses this week (pictured), which are now being carefully dried for use in herbal teas in the kitchen. The harvest has already inspired some seasonal creations, including a fragrant rose and strawberry syrup.
Meanwhile, the garden and meadows are looking spectacular and changing by the day. Poppies, lavender, alliums and countless other flowers are now coming into bloom, creating a rich tapestry of colour and supporting an abundance of pollinators. It's a particularly wonderful time to visit, with something new to discover every day.
