Well, since writing my last blog in August, Rococo has successfully completed its big move from its long-term operational base of the beautiful Coach House to a new, and temporary area which has turned out to be quite charming. The move was orchestrated by our multi-talented Garden Director, Dominic Hamilton and using his 2 week plan it worked brilliantly. We now have a refreshing new welcome desk and outdoor café area with bunting, festoon lighting and seasonal flowers while they last.
We still have more to do though, so I ask that you please excuse some of the areas that are not yet dressed and looking their best.
Our café output has had to be reduced too but Rob, our ace chef is serving the ever-popular hot drinks and cakes, a selection of cold sandwiches, as well as delicious soup and locally made pies with a homemade coleslaw using fresh ingredients from the Garden.
This move from the Coach House absorbed work time from every department of Rococo, and the Garden team are still playing a bit of catch up with some of their garden chores, so when you pop by, you may have to excuse a few more weeds than you may normally see. We are on it though, and hope that everything will be up to the tip top condition that you’re used to very soon.
As well as moving to a new area, we also welcome Exedra Nurseries to the fold. Situated directly opposite us, Julie and Steve have set up a fresh new nursery full of a wide selection of happy and healthy plants and a gorgeous shop full of gardening sundries and quality tools. Don’t miss it on your next visit.
I’m pleased to inform you that our arrangement with Maryanne Preserves continues almost seamlessly, and we now have a really wonderful selection of jams and chutneys from the Garden with new varieties being made every week. These include Greengage Jam, Redcurrant Jelly and a Greengage and Apple Chutney. They are a brilliant gift, and I’ve already filled my boots with a few ready for Christmas presents… is it too soon for that ‘c’ word?!
It’s now time in the Garden to think about the autumnal harvests. Recently we stripped our luscious hop poles of hops ready for a new batch of beer, that, fingers crossed, will be ready for sale over Christmas. (There’s that ‘c’ word again.) We harvested an impressive 12kg of Magnum and nearly 6kgs of the Fuggles variety which will soon be off to be brewed.
We are also planning to pick our apples soon, which have done so well this year, after last year’s flop following the horribly frosty April. As always, we will be sending them off to be pressed, but we also have another plan up our sleeves! We hope this season we will be able to add our very own cider to the extremely popular beer that we produce. In fact, we plan to visit a local cider maker next week and, fingers crossed will be sending 50% of our apples in his direction. Watch this cidery space!!
Now for some sadder news. This time last year I blogged about our wonderful vines, their grapes, and the eventual pressing of what equated to 31 bottles of wine (still yet to be tested and decided on its sale value!!). I say 31 bottles because last year the birds got to our grapes before we did and there weren’t very many left for us but, we felt that there was a lesson to be learnt – net the vines before the grapes are ripe. So, this year that is exactly what we did, or so we thought. Unfortunately, the local Rococo birdlife are cleverer and hungrier than we first thought, and they still got to our grapes! Another lesson to be learnt – birds are sneaky grape burglars; we must net more thoroughly.
As well as the birds, we found cases of botrytis in some of the bunches, a fungus that affects wine grapes as well as other plant species. It occurs when the fruit doesn’t get enough light and air, so as well as netting we need to better on our summer pruning to allow more air flow through the vines. Many lessons learnt!
To conclude, we will not be pressing any grapes this year. It’s such a shame, and the garden team are gutted, but we will learn and do better next year.
Speaking of pests: a quick update on our deer problem. Since my last blog, it seems as if the deer have gone off courgettes leaves and stems and allowed our courgettes to grow and produce fruit which was a joy and made a delicious soup for the cafe. But they still won’t let us grow any leafy greens and the bean bed is simply a travesty. On my last count there were just 3 French beans, and I ate one of those as I passed, so just the 2 beans actually, maybe next year will be a different story?
As well as autumn harvests, it’s also time for some serious hedge trimming. All the hedges have suddenly become quite hairy and in need of a fresh trim, and this includes the maze. One of the most satisfying jobs in the Garden, the maze needs to be cut perfectly level even though it was planted on a slope. A tricky task but incredibly pleasing to complete.
The meadow has had a fresh trim too. Once the grasses and wild flowers have finished and gone to seed the meadow and orchard can be mown. This involves the hire of a flail mower: an incredibly loud and heavy machine that makes light work of even the most stubbornly thick and long grasses. It seems such a shame but once it’s complete these areas look as neat as a pin and the apple trees stand out and proud throughout them.
It’s that time of the year when the summer flowers go to seed too and it’s time to start collecting them for next year. It’s good practice as plants that have done well in your garden and therefore the microclimate that your garden creates, produce seeds that will also do well in your garden. As well as feeling slightly and smugly self-sufficient, it also saves money, and who doesn’t need a bit of that as this winter approaches. This year so far, we have saved seeds from our enormous sunflowers, who in fact, were grown from last years saved seeds, a favourite of mine: Tagetes ‘burning embers’, along with Calendula ‘apricot pygmy’ and Helenium ‘autumnale’. If you don’t already do this at home, give it a try.
And lastly, October half term will be upon us before we know it and Rococo have another kids trail planned that promises to be awesome – The Big Bat Trail, find details here.