Our Gardens: Early Summer 2025

Having experienced one of the driest Springs on record, it has been a major challenge to keep old and new plantings fully watered and in good condition. The long dry spell also meant that some of the planting schemes were delayed until we could be certain of some rain to help them establish.

We held our annual Vegetable Gardens workshop in May, which was fully booked. If you missed out, we are planning more garden workshops later this year, so watch this space!

We are also very excited about our Glorious Gardens weekend on 7th and 8th June. With demonstrations, displays, activities, live music, and garden tours all weekend, it promises to be our biggest and best Glorious Gardens weekend yet. Do come along and join in.

New developments and highlights

• 1,000 Cosmos have been planted in the Italian Garden
• The lavender beds have been replanted in the Flag Garden, the completion of a seven-year renewal project
• As I write this, the peonies are about to flower – fingers crossed for a beautiful display!
• The warm weather has accelerated the flowering of some of the roses, particularly the climbing roses and Rose ‘Tall Story’ on the South Lawn. June will see the rest of the roses open and the herbaceous beds fully come into flower

Current jobs

• The small box hedges will get their first prune in dry weather to prevent the Box blight spores from spreading
• Feeding the peony border, the roses, and the flower borders
• The maintenance schedule is in full swing now, in preparation for Glorious Gardens weekend, comprising hoeing, mowing, edging and lots and lots of weeding…!
• Also, planning the planting schedule for next year as we begin to see what is going well this year

Top Tip!

Without wishing to tempt fate, for watering during a hosepipe ban, or just to conserve water, consider using soaker hoses such as those we use in the Jubilee border and the Blue and Yellow border. These can hugely reduce water use and will also deliver water to the roots of the plants where it is needed most. They can reduce water use by up to 80%, saving money and a valuable resource. Best of all, soaker hoses, if connected to a timer, are typically exempt from hosepipe bans because they are considered water-efficient.