Dig for Victory

RHS exhibition put in place

Despite the heat this week, we got some tidying done in advance of the Open Day on Sunday and today we put the RHS exhibition in place. At the Open Day we will remember the role of the Countess and Gardens in WWI and the men and women of the airbase in WW ...

cutting the long grass

A late first cut

Like others, we are aiming to support the recovery of biodiversity by giving space to nature. In our case this includes leaving areas for wildflowers, which are both lovely to look at and support a huge range of insect species. To do this we delay cutting ...

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What a picture!

We mostly had a lovely day for Essex Gardens Trust‘s Tour and Draw group and they spread around the Gardens, sketching with charcoal. It is inspiring to see what others can do!! Meanwhile, we managed our first big picking of fruit for jellies and ja ...

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Beautiful, even on an overcast day

The Gardens were looking beautiful for the Open Day last weekend, despite it being an overcast day and visitors thoroughly enjoyed the nature activities on offer. Volunteers and Open Thursday visitors this week were treated to warm sunshine. This meant we ...

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Beautiful borders

Just in time for the Open Day on Sunday 27 June, the borders in the walled kitchen garden and the Italian garden are becoming more colourful by the day. The veg beds are also filling up and today we had our first pickings of baby carrots and beetroot, cha ...

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Glorious bugs

At our next Open Day we will celebrate the bugs and other wildlife in the Gardens, with Jono Forgham on hand to lead nature walks and other activities and Essex Bat Group telling all about the bats in the Gardens. Our wildflower banks had snowdrops, then ...

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Kim’s story

At this Sunday’s Open Day, 23 May, we will be remembering the Countess of Warwick’s love of animals and just in time we have put in place an information board about her baby elephant, Kim. A storyteller will weave tales for children and the ch ...

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Smiling in the rain!

It was wet this week – hurrah! And the risk of frosts is now hopefully gone too. With that and all the hard work of volunteers, by the 23 May Open Day the walled kitchen garden should be starting to look a lot fuller. This week Geoff and Carol helpe ...

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Prunus Kansan

When the sun has shone, it has been a lovely week. The rains have refreshed things a little and the blossom is beautiful, including this flowering cherry. There was lots of work this week in the walled kitchen garden. When the frosts finish, we will be on ...

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The new season’s joy

What a joyous Open Day we had on Sunday – the sun shone all day and the Gardens were looking beautiful, with late daffodils and narcissi and early tulips and tree blossom everywhere. We are now looking forward to the rest of the season and next year ...

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Re-opening at last!

This week it was all hands on deck to get the Gardens ready for the first visitors of the season. More grass cutting; edge trimming; weeding; sweeping of the treehouse and paths; transplanting of primroses; and filling of the flower vases. Carolyn spring- ...

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Spring chores

Volunteers worked hard today, tidying the Gardens ready for the first Open Day of the year on 18 April. Maggie and Lesley cleaned the information boards ready for them to be rehung. Primroses now welcome visitors to the Gardens, in the front entrance bed. ...