It was a little budding rose,
Round like a fairy globe,
And shyly did its leaves unclose
Hid in their mossy robe,
But sweet was the slight and spicy smell
It breathed from its heart invisible.
Emily Jane Bronte
Well! This has been the month of the rose. Of course, lots of plants have been giving wonderful displays: the foxgloves, the poppies, fuchsias, marguerites, pansies, pelargoniums and lilies, to name but a few, but never-mind all those; it's the roses that have won first prize in the blossom stakes.
Our new rose, called Crocus (a pretty standard presented to the Museum by David Austin Roses in commemoration of Charlotte's bicentenary) is already in full flower. The bud took on a pinky-peach colour then, as it opened, it became cream and now, fully open, it is a lovely creamy white with a sweet perfume. Well done Geoff!! Crocus was his first choice and, being small but bold, it does have something of Charlotte about it. We hope you will not forget to enjoy it when you are next in the heather garden − it stands just to the left of the statue.
Other garden news. I'm happy to say that the lawn is now fully recovered and sets off the flowerbeds well. New additions to the garden include some bold blue delphiniums, also another variety, a delicate white which has more of a spray shape than a column. We have some new pink foxgloves that I'm really hoping will seed themselves as I do love foxgloves, and some white and yellow marguerites which should look good in years to come when they have grown into nice big clumps.
Sunday, 24th July we held our annual plant swap. Geoff and I potted up lots of cuttings and seedlings from the garden hoping that people would come along with a plant from their own garden to exchange for one of ours. Geoff's wife Chris (our photographer) was also there to help and to serve our home made drinks and biscuits.
Next Month we will report on how the stall went (fingers crossed for a fine day). Any left- over plants will be placed, together with a donations box, in the Parsonage garden available for visitors to help themselves certainly throughout August or until all have been taken.
OH! And last of all, don't forget to water and feed your tubs and hanging baskets. They will thank you with extra weeks of bloom.
Jenny.
read more