What a scorcher of a week it has been. It really lifts your spirits when the weather is dry and fine and a bonus when the sun shines. Garden teams have been busy planting around the garden making the most of the beautiful weather.
The volunteers have been following us by mulching the areas planted up. Mulching is great and very worth while as it helps to retain moisture reducing drying out especially during hot weather we have been experiencing and most importantly helps to stop weed seedlings germinating, very worth while exercise if you have a lot of bare earth. We have been mulching with a strulch mulch which is finely double chopped straw, but has very little nutrient value. However it can be used as a soil conditioner when incorporated, helping to improve the soil structure, it is available commercially. You would think it would blow around in windy conditions but it is surprisingly dense hence its useful properties and looks good aesthetically around the Tea house by the Tea pot, the Nemesia ‘Wisley vanilla' really do shine against the mulch and give a pleasant aroma while you are feasting on your tea and cake!
New this year we are having a Caribbean island on the whale border. Plantings consist of bananas, cannas, Tetrapanax all adding to this sub tropical planting theme. Surrounding the island will be a sea meadow of cornflowers to enhance this.
This week we have had a maze specialist on site cutting a ‘Maze' in the turf sited next to Bettys, which looks great fun for one and all to enjoy, if your feeling adventurous and wish to ‘a maze' yourself then come and give it ago!
This weekend sees the event of 'Under the Sun' with a whole raft of activities taking place including Games on the lawn, Collages decorating giant sunflowers, and sunflower planting. Visiting on Sunday we have even more fun as ‘Mike's adorable donkeys' are on site giving rides around South Field as well as the ‘Sunshine show'.
Come and enjoy the sunshine with us at Harlow Carr and let's make it a scorcher!
Tom White