Welcome to My July blog
July is a wonderful vibrant month, with the weather we’ve experienced – a lot of sunshine, mixed with rain, everything in the garden is growing with such abundance it has been a race to keep under control! Worth it though as the plants are looking simply amazing, the grasses are lush and the natural habitat is bustling with happy, healthy wildlife.
You may recall recently I wrote about the new paving along our terrace, this is now getting well used and really does set the main lawns off well! If you haven’t seen it in person yet, you must come and enjoy a refreshing drink and admire the view, it’s so relaxing.
Wildlife Watch:
On a slightly different topic, I often get asked about the wildlife around the grounds and what time / where are the best areas to go too for a chance of seeing something, so I thought I’d share my response with you:
It is all around us, if you are patient and quiet you will have a good chance of seeing something of interest everywhere, including wild deer and rabbits, many of this years' young are now feeling bold so you might be lucky and see some very cute babies! My favourite areas for wildlife spotting, however, includes ‘the top fields’, which are the other side of the Driving Range, about a 15 minutes walk from the main hotel and well worth it as there are also some great views.
Plant of the Month
'Begonia Semperfloren'
Also known as the Fibrous Rooted Begonia, it is a glorious plant with vibrant flowers and different leaf colouration. The Begonia Semperfloren’s flowers are edible and can be used in salads and cocktails. They are easy to grow and will do well in containers or borders, planted in full sun and partial shade.
Going into August, here are my Gardening Tips
1. Use a lawn fertiliser on grassed areas to give the grass a boost.
2. Carry on feeding baskets and containers and dead head as required.
3. Keep hedges clipped, it is better to remove a ‘little but often’ to avoid bare patches.
4. Now is a good time to take soft tipped cuttings of your favourite shrubs and plants.
5. Keep borders weeded to avoid competition for nutrients and moisture in the soil.
Happy Gardening
Kevin Sweet
Estate Manager, Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club