Summer has almost passed me by and, oddly, I haven't posted any photos of The Priory since the spring. So as a belated companion piece to my recent tour of The Old Forge, here's a look at The Priory during July - if only two months late. We'll start off in the car-park, again, … Continue reading A Garden Tour: The Priory In July
Flower borders
The Tropical Border – 4th Year
When I started the tropical border in 2012, it was hardly deserving of the name but a year later it looked more the part. And by 2014 many of the plants were enormous and the bed did have a whiff of tropicality about it. This year it has continued to mature and, on the whole, … Continue reading The Tropical Border – 4th Year
The Tropical Border And How I Learned To Hate Soaker Hose
Like last year, I gambled on a fine spring by planting up the tropical border early. In mid-April, to a comb-and-tissue-paper fanfare, I dug up the big red banana (Ensete maurelii) from its winter-greenhouse-home and wheeled it into position. And then I did the same for the 'small' one. Each year I add a deep … Continue reading The Tropical Border And How I Learned To Hate Soaker Hose
The Garden in Flower
My summer kicks off with the release of Margaret's cows from the sheds. I was on holiday on the big day, and for the first time in several years, I missed all the pent-up excitement, the expectation, the arging and barging, the galloping, the frenetic leaping into the air and bellows resounding across the valley. … Continue reading The Garden in Flower
September Days
After a hot, dry September the garden is tired. The meadow is spent; spring and summer wild flowers are over and have set seed. It will be mowed next week. But there is still some colour at the Priory - although any remaining flowers in the kidney beds have had scant help from me recently. … Continue reading September Days
The Tropical Border – 2nd Year
With the first hint of autumn, the garden is looking decidedly tired in places but the tropical border at least is putting on a show. It doesn't come into its own until quite late in the season and during this hot, dry Sussex summer it has needed almost daily watering. I added plenty of well-rotted … Continue reading The Tropical Border – 2nd Year
The Gardens In July
We cut the beech hedging last Monday - the hottest day in the UK for seven years. I normally cut it in early August but by then there will be a houseful of guests so I thought I'd get the job done now. Wielding heavy petrol cutters and long-reach trimmers was slow, exhausting work in … Continue reading The Gardens In July
The Anxious Gardener 