What a mess Storm Eunice left behind her for NGS Garden Ferns Lodge. A tree from our garden fell across the lane – cut up and chipped by the lovely Dan, our tree man, and his crew. The remainder of the tree then had to be felled.
In the garden, we had more tree fall than even Ghillie could shake a stick at – he truly was the happiest Labrador in the world. Simon and I have spent literally days clearing up the wreckage, putting fences up again and generally trying to make sense of the muddle. Through this, Ghillie has been no help at all – stealing collected sticks from the wheelbarrow and carrying around small trees in his jaws and bumping into everything. And although humans are best, when at speed, a hurtling Labrador with an eight foot tree limb in his mouth certainly hurts on contact!!!
On the upside, we have two loads of our own chip now and spring has most definitely sprung and it is lovely! The birds are in full cry and the bluebells will soon be out. We have snowdrops, campion, daffodils, and some very confused camellias in full flower! Our primroses have multiplied and they are peeping up everywhere and on warmer days the bees are even putting in an appearance!
Storm Eunice has certainly slowed progress and there is LOTS TO DO. With all the rain the water course is fuller than I have seen before, at this time of year, and the ground is sodden but the grass is starting to grow and everywhere you look, lovely things are budding and starting to come to life in time for the new season and our opening on 28th and 29th May for the NGS. We only have 3 months left!
The new top bed is being chipped and the foxgloves overwintered deep in the bottom meadow, to save them from the digger, can then be replanted. We have 10 tons of earth for 2 new lawned areas waiting to arrive when the weather allows. The broad beans are planted out and the pots for the early potatoes are ready for their precious cargo to be planted in the polytunnel. Work on the vegetable garden is underway and a couple of exciting new features are being made ready for fitting in the next 2 months. You will have to come and see us to see what they are all about. We have mulched like crazy in the top garden – taking dozens of wheelbarrow of loamy home made compost to beds to improve the soil for this year. More to do, but well on the way.
The lengthening days are a huge bonus and in a few weeks the early spring flowers will make way for spring flowers and the trees buds will put out leaf and blossom and we’ll be off for another glorious summer at NGS garden Ferns Lodge – can’t wait!
Contact sue.grant@fernslodge.co.uk.