Autumn colours Belvoir Castle

As Martin and I started working at the castle last November the only month of suspense left was October and just look at October -it's something else!  I have never seen colours like it; the Spring Gardens are full of Acer’s so the mixes of reds, oranges and yellows are just magical.

With all the rain this year the trees have produced a large volume of leaves, which they have retained, rather than shedding early, as they do in dry years, consequently we have a wonderful display.  So there was a reason for all that rain!

It’s bulb planting time.  I always think of bulbs as a gardener’s secret weapon.  I find them invaluable for linking the flowering seasons and adding colour when herbaceous flowers are fading.  They are good value and don’t take up too much room.  It is important to remember though, when planting, most bulbs will leave unsightly leaves once their display is over, so always place them behind a plant that will hide this.  

 Allium purple sensation planted amongst Alchemilla mollis

This week we've had loads of help; Kerry has been with us on both days working at a rate of knots, and two volunteers, Jackie and Andrew who have also been tremendous.  Altogether they have planted over 2,500 bulbs!

Last year the squirrels stole most of our tulips – so sadly we have cut back on planting them this year.  I am told if you plant tulips with some cut holly round the bulbs this may deter the squirrels!  We will do a test somewhere and let you know if that works.

Simon and Jeff continue with the hedge cutting.  They have now reached the main gardens where the yew hedge acts as an all-important framework to the rose garden.  This hedge is in need of some re-shaping so there was a lot of looking – standing back – more looking – more standing back – and more looking…. The hedge has to look good from both sides and must have a continuous theme – at the moment it has slopes balls pyramids...   

We’re still looking and still standing back – we came to a decision, we’re going to cut it next week!

couldn't resist adding this one...

Topiary at Belvoir

Several years ago the Duchess planted 14 Yew shrubs either side of a path that leads from the castle to the rose garden.   Today they had their first re-style. 

The First Cut

It takes many years to create good topiary shapes; some of these shapes evolve over a period of time and some are planned within a garden design.  Ideally your shapes should suit their home and environment, so we could have nothing frivolous here.   We decided on the simple shape of a cylinder with a line through the center and a bobble on the top.  The cylinder shape replicates the round turrets of the castle creating continuity between garden and castle.

After the first cut the shapes start to evolve.

As these are evolving structures the work has to be done by eye, this is a trickier task and a lot of time and patience is needed.  More complicated shapes are often grown around metal structures to help keep their shape when clipping.

Anyway I think we can safely say Simon has mastered the beginning of the topiary restyle.  In 3 – 4 years all the middles of the shapes will have filled out and the lines will be sharp and clean.  Yew is one of the most versatile shrubs to clip, even if you trim it back to the wood it will still grow back.  The other gem for topiary is box.

 

If you are thinking about including some topiary in your garden, always remember the logistics of cutting.  If you create shapes that don't need a ladder or scaffolding it will be so much easier to look after them.





In days of old this job would have all have been done by hand shears and with a large team of gardeners.  Nowadays we use machinery that gives a clean cut and has a variety of cutters to suit different jobs.  Both Simon and I have always found Stihl to be the best, as they are so reliable.  Even so I will probably be guilty of wandering up and down now and again with a pair of hand shears.

The first cut at Belvoir Castle

Volunteers at Belvoir

  
Some of the work being carried out......

Volunteers rebuilding the surrounding Castle walls

As you may have seen from previous blogs, over the last few years the BTCV have been doing a fantastic job helping restore some of the walls surrounding Belvoir castle. A lot of these are in quite a state, with years of erosion and saplings, now enormous trees, which have literally grown through the stone work.  

The old stones have to removed, the soil behind dug out, the roots cut back and then the rebuilding starts using the old stones.  It is much harder than it looks as the walls have become misshapen over the years, so it all has to be done by eye.

Steps that have been hidden for years have been unearthed from thickets of nettles, brambles and thorny undergrowth. The volunteers come armed with sturdy sets of gauntlets, and a lot of good humour.  The Spring Gardens are now beginning the show the true beauty of their unique landscape.    There is always more to do as we have only just scratched the surface, but progress is good.

At the end of August the volunteers had a day off from rebuilding walls and gave us a day in the gardens.

The new rockery has been sprayed throughout the summer to keep the weeds at bay; this has done a good job but now the soil needed preparing for spring planting.  So it was fantastic to have 12 people helping me with the task.  It would have taken Martin and I over a week to achieve what the volunteers did in a day.

An army of weeders climbing the steep banks of rockery.

A well earned rest.....














The final result, some pulmonaria, a few narcissi, and a couple of Daphne shrubs, and a clean bed for spring planting.

Part of the smiling team....

We also have volunteers who come on a regular basis and have moved mountains in the gardens close to the castle.  They have helped with everything, from watering the pots, creating a veg garden and looking after the rose garden, all of which look wonderful, and without their help would be a much poorer place.

A really big thank to all our volunteers.

September at the Castle

After months and months of rain, suddenly everything is now starting to look dry!  The pots need watering every day and some of the trees are beginning to look rather autumnal.  But the roses have loved it and come into their own again, not quite as spectacular as the June flush, but pretty good.

The hedges are now well overdue for a cut and as we are behind, we have brought in team 'Tree Taylor'.  Simon and Geoff have helped us many times before and so I know they will do a fabulous job. At Belvoir there is a wide variety of hedges including Beech, Hornbeam, Box, Yew, Holly, and a snaking tapestry hedge to name but a few - so their work is cut out for them.  

Tree Taylor 

                 (I will get some pics of the boys next month!)

They started in the rose garden and look at the difference between 2011 and 2012.  A lot of these hedges are relatively new and still filling out, so next year we will have two cuts, one in May (before the birds start nesting) and again in September, to encourage fuller growth.

This is a Yew hedge in the rose garden which needs to have sharp lines to contrast well with the roses and tie in with the Topiaried box and Portuguese Laurel lollipops.

They also had time to cut the hedge along the drive and take out some unwelcome suckers.  Like we always say, cut the hedge, cut an edge and mow the lawn; you will transform most gardens - it is the frame around the painting.

The Lavender hedge

After the haircut

This is fairly drastic cutting - so lets hope for a mild winter

The top of lavender trimmed

The Lavender is now looking straggly and has grown out of shape, killing the lawn where it overhangs.  I have taken a bit of a gamble and cut quite hard into old wood (which is not recommended).  In days of old they always used to say you had to wait until April to trim.  But in order to keep its shape I find it best to give it a good hair cut now so that it has time to put on growth before the cold winter sets in.  Lavender augustifolia is one of the hardiest and should stand a fair cut - but we never know what the winter will bring, so don't expect miracles if you are being severe.

The fountain has gone green... so I will try a bit more chlorine.

Yellow Wave Phormium with annuals in the summer pots - look how hairy the Yew hedge i
s.. 

August at the Castle

Apologies for the delayed blog.....  Guilty of being totally wrapped up in the Olympics - how inspiring were all those athletes?    

The rose garden is slowly recovering from the downpours of June and July and a few blooms are bravely reappearing.  But the morning we arrived the fountain had packed up.

With many weddings planned from now through to autumn, the fountain is a lovely addition for some great photo shots.  So it was out with the waders, sleeves rolled up and a clothes peg!  As with most ponds, debris collects and filters end up clogged, so it is a good idea to check them regularly.  As you can see the stone looked like new by the time we finished.

The Band Stand  - Belvoir Castle

During out visit this week some volunteers were working in the gardens.  It is always a treat when they come, as usually there are many of them (this time 12) and they get so much done.

Many of the walls surrounding the castle have become dislodged either by torrents of water, or just wear and tear over a period of time.  So dry stone walling was their task, and look what a fantastic job they have done.  

A Big Thank you to all the volunteers.

The Spring Gardens are now in their full glory; the root house that is usually so visible is now nearly hidden from view.  

The heavy rains have given all the new trees planted here in spring a perfect start, and they are all looking very healthy.

Finally, just look at the beautiful hydrangeas showing off their magical blue colour on the acid soil...

July at the Castle

Rain, rain, rain, aaagh!


Even after the Game Fair was cancelled it continued to rain.  Martin and I arrived on Monday morning to find the rose garden decimated.  The fabulous colourful display we left three weeks ago was now just a brown mess mixed with an abundance weeds.

Many of the varieties suffered from something called rose balling.  This is when growing buds are subjected to rain followed by sunshine, the wet outer layer of petals become scorched and crispy. This constricts the bud inside, stops it from opening and gives the bloom a ball-like appearance - which looks horrible.  Luckily it is not fatal, just cut the rose back and be patient.  Most will flower again.


By Tuesday afternoon we had clipped all the box and Portuguese laurel lollipops, deadheaded all the roses, and tackled some of the weeds, when the sun came out for 6 minutes! I raced for the camera!

Portuguese laurel lollipops

At last the pots are starting to look something.....

By the time we made our way down to Spring gardens, the heavens opened again.  The views from the gardens are wonderful, but sadly all we could see were drenched contractors trying to dismantle marquees set up for the Game Fair.


The ground was so wet you can feel your boots squelching every step.  Mowing the lawns has been out of the question.  Most of the team have been strimming as much as they can.


But....... look at the terraces

 Thalictrum rochebruneanum

Sadly the sun refused to make another appearance.