With the May bank holiday behind us, our NGS garden Ferns Lodge opening, on the 5th and 6th June, is now getting dangerously close! Cold weather and little rain have been less than helpful but as I settle down to write this blog, the rain is coursing down the window panes – thank goodness!
Despite all, progress has certainly been made. Ghillie and Caterpillar have watched as frantic weeding, grass seeding, planting and chipping have gone on. We have levelled the vegetable area and it is grass seeded so we hope for great things. NGS garden Ferns Lodge is home to many pigeons and I think that they have invited their relatives to come along for a good feed of grass seed here. If you see any pigeons walking very slowly (they are all far too full of seed to actually attempt flying) they will definitely have been here in the past week. Rain cures all and we are hoping that this will encourage the seed to germinate and that the ground will turn that magical delicate green as the grass appears as if by magic.
We also have a working polytunnel. Despite all the odds it is now clothed in plastic and home to tomato plants, French beans and shortly to be joined by cucumber, watermelon and emergency plants for the garden opening – needed to fill in gaps created by Ghillie’s digs and my bad management. It is VERY EXCITING.
The fallen branch of the Monterey pine now has wisteria, climbing rose, jasmine, honeysuckle, clematis and sweet peas planted and we hope that they will make the climb and create a riot of colour on the branch in due course – we’ll see.
The compost heap has been turned – so vast that Dan used his digger. Talking of Dan, his wall is cleaned up and the hardcore is in, ready for bricks to be laid to make an area for pots.
We will be selling plants and they are potted and composted, and talking of that, I am now the owner of a frightening number of compostable cups and plates which are all the go in NGS gardens this year to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. I am therefore relying on you all to turn up and eat cake and drink tea as they must all be used!
Between cutting grass, tidying all parts of the garden, tidying up pots and beds, we are definitely on our way, and whilst there is a lifetime’s more to do, the top garden around the house is filling out well and the garden in restoration, provided you are wearing rose coloured glasses, might this year, almost pass for something approaching a garden. Come and see for yourself… and be prepared to drink tea and eat cake…!
Contact sue.grant@fernslodge.co.uk.