Welcome to My August Blog
This August we have seen some pretty good weather; although the rain has been appearing here and there – this is great for the garden, so no complaints from us!
There have been a few focuses through the month including the Walled Garden. We’ve been clearing overgrown borders and started to re-plant them with a beautiful selection of new shrubs which provide year round interest, and planting bulbs ready for next spring.
Wildlife Watch
At Ashdown Park, as you would expect, we have a lot of woodlands, did you know however that we have approximately 35 acres designated as a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI) by Natural England. This area of unique ancient woodland is home to rare plant species including the Hard Fern (photographed on the right), Wood Sorrel and a range of mosses and liverworts. It is also has a number of different eco-systems with small streams and bog land areas. As it is protected, the SSSI is a quiet area; with minimum human input to help manage it, it is common to spot the larger wildlife here, including wild Ashdown deer.
Plant of the Month
'Dahlias'
The Dahlia can not help but impress with its vast range of flower shape and colours. It provides colour right up to the first frosts of the year and varies in size, from petite and compact - perfect for containers, to larger varieties ideal to fill your borders.
They are easy to propagate using soft tip cuttings, and will root in a jar of water! In sheltered parts of the UK the tubers ( an underground outgrowth of the stem) can be left in the ground if covered with some mulch over winter, otherwise, they will need to be lifted and dried: you can start them off again in the spring in some moist compost.
Garden Tips
1. Carry on feeding and dead heading hanging baskets and containers.
2. Pick your apples and pears before the birds get to them or they drop, should twist off easily.
3. Start planting spring bulbs for an early display.
4. Cut back and clean up plant borders
5. Although there has been rain, do keep an eye daily on your baskets and containers to ensure they do not dry out. The best time to water is in the early morning and the evening, avoid watering in the midday sun.
Happy Gardening
Kevin Sweet
Estate Manager