June 2009

Success and disappointment have been the feature of the Palace gardens this month.

The weather has made the usual exuberant display of sweat peas unlikely this year. I don’t know what has gone wrong but they started well and then decided to fade and die. To save embarrassment one section has been removed and we will pretend it didn’t exist.....until trying again next year. The hanging baskets have also been a trial. Because we have no heated greenhouse, to push them on, we rely on the ambient weather which has been cool except for the last week. The baskets are way behind what we would normally expect at this time but ,with a bit of heat and feeding, they should rally and may well last further into autumn than they normally do.The beech hedge surrounding the herb garden has also rallied. It was subjected to some fairly harsh treatment over the winter to cut it back 3ft or so. Many were the doubters that it would recover.....but it has and by next season it should be much tighter and more manageable.

Success has come in the form of many of the herbaceous plants. Slow to get going this year they have caught up well with the 10ft delphiniums in the herb garden taking pride of place. The roses have come on, also, and are beginning to bloom strongly and, of course, give off their lovely scent. Campanula, geranium, papaver, iris, allium and primula are all in splendid colour. It really is a time to enjoy the variety that the garden has to offer. As June finally warmed up we have had heavy thunder showers as well and that means one thing, grass and weeds begin to grow with a vengeance. The top lawn has really benefited from the better weather and looks a fine sight, the putting green also looks well and is providing a fair challenge to the many guests who try to tame its slopes. It is now cut at 5mm which, when dry, means it’s very fast. Miss the hole and the ball is gone and it’s often a long put back UP to the hole.

Warm weather is forecast for the next while (if you are one of those who take any notice of the forecasters) so the gardens will be a fine place for a stroll or a seat. Come along and enjoy what they have to offer while summer lasts. Innes