31st August.  Climbers are restocked and there has been a partial restock of shrubs.

Most of the bulbs are now in an ready for sale. These are mostly loose bulbs so you can check the quality and buy what you want.

There is a small sale of surplus stock and discontinued lines including some bargain Bay Tree stems for just £10. Grow your own standard bay.

The first winter flowering pansies will be out for sale at the weekend. There is not much flower on them yet but the quality is especially good thanks to the very cool conditions which keep them compact.

 

With an unheard of 75mm + of rain, yes 3 ins, the soil is moist and planting is easy. This is a really good time to get plants rooting away and getting established. Make the most of what feels like it may be a very long autumn.

 

Finally, the last day of Tea in the Garden takes place on Sunday, 1.30 to 4.00. Last time the good people of Benhall baked 17 cakes which were all eaten. Don’t miss your slice on Sunday! Sit by the pond and watch our new multicoloured shubunkin cruise round the crystal waters.

 

22nd July, 2010. New stock of 28 varieties of hardy hybrid Clematis are ready. These fine plants are all in flower. Price £9.60. Full list coming soon. They include early, late and viticella varieties.

There is still a reasonable range of plants for topping up containers, pots and hanging baskets. These include 4 large geraniums for £10.

 

2nd June 2010. The wisteria on the pergola are in full blooms and the scent fills the air. Reassuringly, there was a wonderful hum of bees as they worked on the flowers. The bedding plant season is late and there are good stocks of nearly all the bedding plants.  The perennials have been restocked again today.

 

22nd May - Begonias will be ready in one week’s time. Our sales area is now filled with all the plants listed on our veg, pack plants and tender perennial lists see Plant Lists in PDF format. Our final batch of tomatoes are ready and there are limited numbers of some varieties.

Perennials are all restocked and looking good, though with the extreme cold earlier in the month, flowering is a little late.

 

IIn the garden, Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ is a mass of flower almost 25 feet tall, with a thread of Clematis montana ‘Tetrarose’ growing through it. Tom Powell has returned to us as a gardener. With no nursery distractions, this will allow us to raise the standard of the garden and ensure that work on the replanted perennial borders is followed through.

 

We are getting frequent deliveries of garden furniture - lightweight steel seats in traditional designs. These are proving very poplular and supplement our range of cast iron.

 

1st May - Most tender perennials are out for sale now. A new batch of tomatoes including Heritage varieties is ready.

Still need a bit of warmer weather before the following are ready:

Large flowered begonias

Peppers

New Guinea hybrid Impatiens.

 

Most hardy perennials are out for sale now and looking good - very compact due to dry weather and bright sunshine.

 

Potted bulbs have almost finished.

 

Migrant birds singing round the garden: Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Cuckoo has been heard and a very possible wood warbler (also heard at Blaxhall).