Garden visit: Exbury

Today's gardens visit was not in Sussex but in the New Forest.
These days my work means I spend a great deal more time in Hampshire and Dorset so, I thought, why not take advantage of being nearby some of the most beautiful gardens and countryside?
Exbury, which is packed with rhododendrons and azaleas, is clearly best viewed in the spring and early summer but today I was wowed by the amazing hydrangea gardens and the acers that are beginning to get their autumn colour.
This is what I saw...

Olympic park gardens

On Monday, I ventured as far as London to watch athletes do unimaginable and seemingly impossible things at the Olympic stadium.
I never imagined my trip would result in a garden blog post but the planting of wild-looking gardens around the Olympic park is stunning.
Here are a few snaps I took on my phone.

Cowfold Fair and Flower Show

On Saturday the rain stopped long enough for the good folks of West Sussex to step out and enjoy Cowfold's village fair.
As a closet classic car fan, I was overjoyed to see some cared-for examples of motoring history, including a German Borgward, a Jaguar XK 150 and a pristine Mk1 Ford Escort.
Also in the line-up were a modern Lambourghini and matching white Mazerati, desperately trying to steal the show.

'Rather tempting'

But I digress... The cars aren't the reason you are here so I will tell you instead about the Cowfold Horticultural Society flower and vegetable show.
While everything else at the fair was free, the society charged 50p entry to its marquee containing this year's entries of vegetables, fruit, flowers and flower arrangements.
It was rather tempting to see those strawberries and raspberries so beautifully presented but I managed to resist swiping one.

Rain damage

Given the horrendous weather, including a downpour on the morning of the show, competitors to the flower categories did marvellously to produce any entries at all.
Some of the roses were showing slight signs of rain damage but most were pristine. I did succumb to one temptation during my visit... the plant stall.
I came away with two modest ophiopogon 'black lilyturf' to fill a hole in my little border at home.
My only other purchase of the day was a generous chunk of coffee and walnut cake from the clubhouse canteen.

Gardens Visit: High Beeches

 

The weather this summer has meant that I have not spent much time visiting gardens – instead I have been occupied with helping my own plot survive the deluge. 

I've not been 100% successful.

Although the main rhododendron season is over, there is plenty still to see at HighBeeches so I made a dash around the gardens while there was a break in the clouds.

Majestic cornus 

The wild flower meadow is still in full bloom, along with swathes of persicaria, wild orchids and late flowering rhododendrons, magnolias and azaleas.

My highlight of the garden at this time of the year, however, is the majestic cornus kousa tree which is in full bloom and just starting to turn pink at the top. It is visible from right across the garden and, even after all the rain, is still beautiful.

Gardens visit: Bateman's

The National Trust property at Bateman's will soon be saying goodbye to its head gardener who is retiring this year after more than two decades tending and restoring the grounds of Rudyard Kipling's Sussex hideaway.

This year's weather has not been kind to any gardener in England but the gardens at Bateman's are still looking resplendent.

The apple orchard is faring 100% better than the battered trees in my own garden which, this year, have produced absolutely no fruit whatsoever.
The boughs at Bateman's are already heavy with young fruit, the vegetable gardens are stocked with lettuces, courgettes and soft fruit and the borders are filled with with the colour and smell of Sweet Williams, roses, lavender and honeysuckle.

As ever, I took some photos on my visit.

What a terrible year

Well, I'm now in my third year of growing vegetables and, after thinking I'd cracked it, I'm now feeling pretty despondent.
I'm certainly not alone - even experienced growers I talk to have suffered record failures this year.
I have lost count of how many times I've reseeded various parts of my plot... The salad all failed completely, despite three separate attempts at improving drainage, adding compost, reseeding and offering gentle words of encouragement.
I have two, yes two, carrots growing.
I'm expecting about a dozen sugar snap peas from the four stunted plants that survived the deluge.
The apple blossom was battered off the tree before the bees had a chance to pollinate it.
And out of 12 cucumber plants, the slugs have left me just one.
I can't imagine how I would feel if there was no supermarket to fall back on... Pretty hungry, I guess.
Buoyed by the bumper harvest of my first two years, I mistakenly thought this veg growing lark was a doddle.
Now I've learned some harsh lessons, not least of all to raise some spare, replacement plants in the greenhouse in case it all goes belly up in the garden.
I am now pinning my hopes on my parsnips, which seem to be coming along, and the remaining brassicas which haven't been snapped off in the gales.
I just need to keep those pesky rabbits away.