What a funny old year 2020 has been for all of us!
With some wonderful weather, although little rain when it mattered and plenty of breeze throughout the season, the black cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic made for a different rhythm for the garden this year. Watching the marvellous Monty Don on the box, he said that October was an important month for all gardeners, as this is the month that we start to plan (and dig, divide, replant and mulch) for next year and the wonderful blooms and sights to be seen then. Scribbling this in the garden shed as the rain rattles the windows so loudly that the sound of Ghillie snoring is almost drowned out, there is little will on the part of the writer (or Labrador) to brave the wind and rain to get out there just yet – but when this is written, with hat, wellies and long garden coat – we start with 2021!
This year’s biggest joy was the time spent working from home and seeing the seasons change. I think that I learnt more about the garden (and those creatures that I share it with) this year than ever before. For sure the biggest disappointment was the cancellation of our NGS opening, and I am ashamed that office life got in the way of pop-up openings this year.
We also made progress with a number of projects –
A garage became an annexe – slowly and painfully as the shut down delayed the lovely Dillan and his chums for want of concrete (yes really!) and much more…
We extended the woodland garden in the bottom meadow, shovelling literally tons of chip onto the area for weed suppression (works well but you still have to weed A LOT) and planted all sorts of lovely things – from tree fern, to multi stemmed silver birch.
Worked on taming what will be the vegetable garden with a smart new shed, a driveway and the removal of a rather sad ash tree, whose roots were also drilled to prepare for the new raised beds that at the moment are in my imagination and on Simon’s work list…
Seeded the little lane at the top of the big garden – I am hoping that we will have a green lane by 2021 – the gravel beneath gives good grounding for cars but gosh, how much nicer does it look!
Have had lovely Dan (the tree man) and his team here cutting back the holm oaks, taking out rotten trees and bringing all that lovely chip.
Went mad with annuals that were grown, I am ashamed to say, not here at Ferns Lodge – but by a plantsman living close to Simon who has propagated everything from sunflowers to daisies of all types.
All in all good progress in 2020 – but of course 2021 will be better! Excitingly, we will DEFO be open for the NGS on the 5th and 6th June and we really hope to see you then and show you all the stuff that has changed at NGS Garden Ferns Lodge as a result of all that work that starts round about NOW! As I hear snoring which means that the rain has stopped!
Contact sue.grant@fernslodge.co.uk.