Weekly catch up with garden & propagation

Propagation Team

Well, this week's been wetter than an otter's pocket! Even those precious, seldom moments of the winter's white sun were marred as the world blew into a hoolie! And yet, work must go on, so here's what we've been up to over in the growing department.

Emily's been busy sowing Stipa tenuissima. Em brushes fistfulls of Mexican fearthergrass atop a sieve, which she moves over a plug tray in a similar likeness to dusting icing sugar onto a sponge cake. This results in several plants rooting in each plug, which can later be seperated. The example Emily's showing in the photo is a single plug holding TEN individual S. tenuissima! Ay, caramba!

Emily also plugged up some Centranthus ruber 'Atrococcineus'. Commonly called red valerian, but seldom seen is this striking form with long heads of brilliant red starry flowers. It's certainly one to look out for! Em then showed me the progress of the pegged fronds of Woodwardia prolifera, and wow! Bulbils galore!

Miya has been hard at it, lifting, splitting and potting several of our damp and marginal loving iris. One of these was Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata', a handsome form of our native yellow flag, which grows in marshy ground or shallow water. It will also grow in rich, retentive soil. In early spring the newly emerging fans of leaves are pale butter-yellow. This remains for several weeks, deepening as the leaves mature, until by June they are green.

Sean and Annie have been making plans and preparations for the Gardeners' World Spring Fair, where we will be exhibiting a garden, as well as selling many of our plants. The fair runs from the 1st to the 3rd of May at Beaulieu, Hampshire. We are very much looking forward to it!

The rest of the team have been looking after our stock and picking and packing your orders, which we are all so grateful for. As always, thank you for bringing a part of Beth's garden into yours.

Rob.

Garden Team

We’re slowly making our way through the Gravel Garden, a small team this week - just myself and Scott, means everything takes a little longer. We have had all weathers this week rain, sunshine and freezing cold winds. Layered up like two Michelin men, me and Scott have been cutting back, raking and weeding the top half of the Gravel Garden.

It feels like a milestone to reach the top bed, after which we turn back around and work our way through the four remaining beds. We can see the end of the Gravel Garden and look forward to changing task and work in the Reservoir Garden next.

This weeks instagram will be my appreciation post to the garden team, who make working outdoors in all weathers a joy, I couldn’t do this job if it wasn’t for my lovely little team! Scott is kindness personified, always there to give a helping hand and so welcoming with all our interns who come and work with us throughout the year. Cathy brings so much joy and warmth to the team, she makes us all laugh and has an incredible plant knowledge that she’s happy to share. Our newest team member Mattie, trainee for the year, has an incredible curiosity which is great for all of us as it keeps us on our best game and inspires us to learn more. Together we complete each other and form a fantastic little team, I look forward to having the whole gang back next week and get lots of gardening done! 

Malin