Views around the Grounds and Walled Garden - 28/03/2012.

It was another bright morning and the car temperature guage said it was 7oC at 8.00 a.m. On the way to Wallington it dropped down to 5oC and fields in the shade were showing signs of a ground frost. The sky was blue and the sun was shining as I walked through the property to get to the Walled Garden. Garden Pond was like a mirror and the peace was broken every now and then by the distinctive sound of wood peckers in the trees.

It has been a great week for weather and even at 10.00 a.m. it was too hot to work with a jumper on. My job for today was edging the lawns on the Lower Terrace. In some places a great deal of turf had to be removed to get a good edge and this meant frequent trips to the compost heap.

The Walled Garden was busy with visitors taking advantage of the good weather. The work continues and is well ahead of schedule for the time of year. The recent spell of warm and sunny weather has accelerated growth and plants are thriving and starting to burst into colour - some earlier than usual. 

The following photographs were taken before I started work this morning:

Clock Tower from the Courtyard.

Daffodils in the Courtyard.

China Pond.

Primroses in East Wood.

Garden Pond looking through to Portico Walk.

Mary Pool in the Walled Garden.

Polyanthus.

Daffodils in the Orchard and Nuttery of the Walled Garden.

Cut Flower Border in the Walled Garden.

Red Crown Imperials in the Plum Border.

Inside the Conservatory.

Upper Terrace of the Walled Garden.

Views around the grounds and Walled Garden - 20/03/2012.

The first day of Spring has arrived. The mild winter and warm temperatures of the the recent weeks has allowed the work to be well ahead of schedule and as I walked around the grounds, the grass has been cut since my visit last week.

The daffodils in the courtyard have not yet flowered, but borders around the House have been prepared and weeded for Summer planting. At the House entrance the purple prince tulips we planted are well through and they should give a magnificent display of colour when they flower.

As you walk through the grounds you see examples of all of the work that is carried out here on the property. Beside the gate into East Wood a large tree has been felled. The Walled Garden is now starting to burst into colour and the warm weather certainly fetches out the visitors to this historic property.

I spent my morning around the potting shed tidying up the paths around the nursery and the new biomass boiler. In the afternoon, I swept out the Conservatory and helped to spread pea gravel along the path on the Upper Terrace. it was a warm day but overcast. The sun did appear late in the afternoon.

The following is a selection of photographs taken before I started work this morning:

West side of Courtyard - waiting for daffodils to flower!

View of the House from West Lawn.

South facing border - ready for red - white and blue planting!

House entrance.

View of House from East Lawn.

Griffin Heads on East Lawn.

Griffin Heads and House.

Griffin Heads and House.

Garden Pond looking through to Portico Walk.

Looking through Neptune Gate to Upper Terrace.

Mary Pool.

Walled Garden Planting.

View of Lower Terrace.

Railway Border looking towards the Yew Circle.

Railway Border and Lower Terrace.

Cut Flower Border.

Walled Garden Planting.

Orchard and Nuttery.

Daffodils and Bluebells

Daffodils and Bluebells.

Lower Terrace looking towards the Mary Pool.

Walled Garden Colour.

Views around the grounds and Walled Garden - 14/03/2012.

The weather has remained dry and warm over the last week. Work around the grounds and Walled Garden is gathering pace and this very popular national Trust property is being prepared for Spring and beyond into the gardening year. The Walled Garden has seen the snowdrops come and go and now we are waiting for the bulk of the daffodils to come into flower.

Around the Walled Garden and Grounds, there are small splashes of colour to be seen. There was a small number of visitors today even though the House is open. The decorative stone urns have had their protection against frost removed and we put out four benches - two beside the Mary Pool and two on the Upper Terrace opposite the Conservatory and Peach Houses.

After this we had the job of cutting down a virburnum shrub near to Goldfish Pond. It filled a number of wheelbarrows but ended up on the fire. The wind blown leaves were removed and the ground forked over. Another small job completed but it will provide another area of interest for the visitors when replanting takes place.

The sun came out during the afternoon and we finished off the day by helping the gardeners on the border on the south side of the House, the work being undertaken to prepare the ground for the red, white and blue planting which will celebrate the Queen's Jubilee.

The following photographs were taken before I started work this morning:

Daffodils yet to flower in the Courtyard.

Daffodils yet to flower in East Wood.

China Pond in East Wood.

Moss covered branch in East Wood.

Garden Pond.

Upper Terrace in the Walled Garden.

View of Lower Terrace beside the Mary Pool.

Upper Terrace beside the Conservatory.

Looking back towards the Walled Garden entrance.

Upper Terrace.

The 'Hot Border'.

Virburnum in the Plum Border.

Orchard and Nuttery.

Willow in the Orchard and Nuttery.

Goldfish Pond.

Daffodils.

Daffodils.

Daffodils.

Lichen on a tree in the Plum Border.

Virburnum in the Plum Border.

Lower Terrace of the Walled Garden.

Spring colour.