yew hedge 2 Oct 2020

Perfect harmony

We like to think we form good teams at the Gardens… and here Tony, Martin and Roy are working in perfect harmony to level the soil around the base of the new yew hedge, ready for grass seeding by Richard. Sue is confident that the new hedge, which r ...

town twinning

Dunmow twinners

Dunmow-Dourdan Town Twinning Association stalwarts enjoyed a socially distanced picnic at the Gardens this week in perfect weather. Hopefully in 2021 they will once again be able to entertain their guests from the mediaeval capital of Hurepoix in the Ile- ...

20200910_144641

Officially autumn!

It was a glorious day for the Trust’s AGM at the Gardens, sunny and warm. But it’s definitely autumn – the fungi are springing up and the pumpkins are ripening. And of course the Easton Countess apples are ripening, as we get ready for t ...

dav

Cutting out deadwood

The Philadelphus patch near Laburnam walk is said to have been planted by the Countess of Warwick and today was given tlc, so that it can provide a better show of flowers in June next year than they managed this year. The plants’ dead wood was remov ...

20200827_134653

A tidy champion

Ian, Phil and Ben have tidied up around our County Champion Acer Cappadocicum, also known as a Cappadocian Maple. These trees were originally native in Asia, from central Turkey through the Himalayas to South Western China. Ours is on the fringe of the Ga ...

20200822_081519

Stocking up

What a lovely Open Day we had last Sunday – we welcomed many first time visitors to the Gardens as well as regulars and the rain held off till nearly closing time. The Woodland Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust volunteers enjoyed talking to visitors to ...

veg 030720

Veg aplenty

It was so lovely to greet our first visitors to the Gardens since lockdown eased and to have a good selection of veg on offer for them. Our volunteers enjoyed the opportunity to chat to the visitors as they explored the Gardens. Maybe the sun will also sh ...

20200625_120402

The battle against box moths

Box tree caterpillars can eat their way through all the leaves on box bushes/trees and there can be 2 or 3 caterpillar hatchings a year. The moths were first reported in Britain in 2007 and are now widespread in London and the South East, so we have been ...

20200611_135526

Trims all round this week!

The prunus lusitanica (Portuguese laurel) in the Italian garden were simultaneously trimmed today by Steve, John, Martin and Sam. I don’t think Sue gave marks out of ten for their efforts at clipping to umbrella shape!! After a little light rain, th ...

bdr

Next up: pseudo acacias

The trees in the Gardens are looking beautiful and not yet suffering from the drought. We have three or four white and pink Robinia pseudoacacias, which don’t always flower but are this year. The indian horsechestnut is also in flower, while the ran ...

bty

Hot, hot, hot

It was 28 degrees at times on Thursday and it felt it! We had volunteers back working in the Gardens, with a full set of Covid 19 risk mitigation measures in place. So we spread out across the Gardens to start getting back on top of more of the basic main ...