What a very different summer to last!  Very dry although we have had some useful rain late last month. The heat was very intense in July (33c) and some plants were scorched. The Tulip trees particularly disliked the hot dry weather as did the Alberta spruce. With lots of mulching and well prepared soil many herbaceous plants and shrubs will withstand some extreme heat. We have watered some parts of the garden (just once) concentrating mostly on the herbaceous borders in the inner gardens.

August will be very colourful in the hot border with the bright red Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and the bronze orange ‘David Howard’, mahogany red Helenium ‘Rubinzwerg’.  The Jocelin border contains old fashioned favourites planted in a contemporary style including the deep rich crimson pink rose ‘Darcey Bussell’, dark violet blue Agapanthus ‘Northern Star, the feather grass Stipa tenuissima and silver Artemesia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis reliably spreading and forming  clumps.

The Wells border contains lots of colour like reddish purple Lythrum ‘Dropmore Purple’ and increasingly structure too from the cardoons. The Astrantia were cut back last month and will provide lots of fresh foliage and colour again during August.

The Community Garden is full of tasty produce from sweetcorn to potatoes and French beans to lettuce and tomatoes, all managed by Jo our Community Gardener and lots of amazing volunteers. There are lots of flowers which are regularly cut and bunched up beautifully by our volunteers and sold by the shop. Flowers are also arranged in the Palace, brightening the entrance porch and hallway.

James Cross, Head Gardener