Ducklings in the Garden

The May highlight has to be the appearance, on the afternoon of Friday 7th, of a family of  ducklings who took to the pond, probably having hatched that morning.  Unfortunately, the pond was a bit on the low side due to recent lack of rain so Tony and Norman hastily mounted a rescue operation involving a plank and a hosepipe.  Their parents are not the only birds to be nesting in the garden and it’s a reminder that the garden is a great home for wildlife – not because it has been specially created as a ‘wildlife garden’ but because it’s home to wide variety of plants and trees providing food and shelter.  But now that the squirrels have hopped off back to Duncombe Park to have babies, it’s not all gloom and doom in the pesky creature department – mice, pheasants and squirrels will keep up the good work where they left off.  Only the other day, a fellow Triangler erected a stout thicket of thorny twigs over his peas as a deterrent against the pigeons and a support for the growing plants – great idea.  Sadly, he hadn’t counted on the mice playing the old ‘Great Escape’ card – yes, they tunnelled their way in when the guards were distracted and ate all the peas.

The Triangle first came alive on graph paper in the autumn.  Once the serious planting started in April the plan has tended to be governed by what is ready to go in next but the plan was really important in marking out the part of the plot for growing Root veg – in this case Beetroot, Turnips and Radishes – so that it was NOT manured.  If earthy comedy is required, manuring root crops normally results in Baldric-style rude and unusually shaped vegetables.  Great excitement was caused towards the end of April by the sudden appearance of 4 or 5 seedlings.  At first they were thought to be Clarkia but, on further reflection, it was decided that they were either Turnips [ golf ball sized Market Express ] or Radishes [ Sparkler ].  Labels would have been a good idea – must make a note for future reference- but, at the time of sowing on a rather glorious afternoon in mid-April, it was just impossible to decide between the relative aesthetic merits of wood versus slate and plastic was not to be thought of.  And now who’s paying the price?  The poor old Radishes [ or Turnips ] that’s who.  Radishes were a real taste discovery of last year but Nicholas Culpepper has a few words of warning [ or did in the 17^th century ].  Culpepper’s herbal says that Radishes have not much nourishment, provoke urine and are very ‘windy’.  Culpepper has a lot of vegetables down as being ‘Windy’ and one remedy is Thyme.  As it happens, Thyme has been planted in the gravel under the Medlar tree but there are no plans to concoct its juices as yet. 

Having a plan for the triangle is also important to prevent all out War on the vegetable patch.  If the Legume family has to sit near any of the Allium family then there is likely to be a battle which will be won by the onions.  Potatoes don’t really like having Courgettes or Pumpkins as neighbours either but, on a small plot, there is a limit to what you can do to keep all the neighbours happy and, of course, all kinds of veg will grow together on the Triangle and crop rotation will be limited.  Having said that, W Robinson and Son, the company whose seeds produce most of the prize winning giant vegetables you are likely to see, say that they have been raising their giant onions in the same bed for the last 140 years. They recommend the application of Jeyes fluid to remove bacteria and there are some good tips on their website www.mammouthonion.co.uk

A lot of things that would normally be in the ground now are still waiting to get started because of the weather [ a bit like their owner ] but greenhouse sown Red Cabbage, Purple sprouting Broccoli and Sunflowers are going great guns in the cold frames and Tomatoes, Chilli peppers, Butternut Squash and Chrysanthemums are doing well inside.  Some things went in the middle of the Easter holidays because it was a gorgeous day, they were ready and also because there was a free day to do it.  Not being at the garden every day and doing volunteer jobs in the main garden as well means that you have to do what you can when you can and just try not to have too big a backlog.  So there were red and yellow Shallots, Stuttgart Giant  and  Red Baron Onions and some Chives to join the Garlic in the Allium corner and waxy Pink Fir Apple and Osprey Potatoes.  3 Pink Fir Apples are also growing in a broken plastic pot filled with soil and compost from the compost heaps.  Although they need watering regularly, they are there to show that anyone really can grow their own spuds without spending too much money.  In the not too distant past [ last year ] 3 or 4 Anya potatoes, from the supermarket, which had sprouted pretty substantial eyes in the vegetable rack, were successfully grown in a bucket even though they had been planted upside down because someone thought the eyes made the roots!  It all sounds very ramshackle but the potatoes didn’t seem to care, they turned themselves the right way up and tasted just as good.  At the other end of the plot , in went too many Broad Beans [ Aquadulce ] except there is no such thing as too many broad beans when there is such a thing in the world as a Tapas of broad beans and black pudding, some 18^th century Scarlet Flowered Broad Beans, some Feltham’s Peas and some astonishing Hirst Greenshaft Peas.  They’re astonishing because they are bubble gum pink when they are sown – alas, it doesn’t last.  The peas have to be netted because about 2 seconds after germination the pigeon bush telegraph goes out and it’s snack time.  It’s a bit like a Legume Youth club at this end as there are also some old fashioned Sweet peas growing up a cane wigwam.  Half of the Sweet peas were autumn sown in traditional loo roll innards and half were sown inside in March so it will be interesting to see if there is ultimately any difference between them.  Of Broad Beans, Culpepper’s Herbal says they are governed by the planet Venus but are ‘extremely windy meat’.  On the plus side, the water distilled from the flowers is apparently good for getting rid of wrinkles.  Onions are also ‘flatulent or windy’ but are apparently just what you need if you’ve been bitten by a mad dog. It’s the most marvellous bed-time reading.  Mint is growing in a pot [ to keep it from spreading ] buried in the ground [ so it dries out less easily ] but visitors of a nervous disposition beware – it ‘STIRS UP BODILY LUST’.

Talking of which, after watching ‘How to make your own Drugs’ on TV and breathlessly overly fixating on the lovely James Wong, an Echinacea found its way on to the triangle.  They are so gorgeous and so attractive to insects but, as yet, there are no plans to start extracting cold and flu remedies from the roots.  Flowers will be a really important part of the Triangle – for pollination and to attract beneficial insects but also to add colour and to be beautiful as well as useful.  Papaver rhoeas – the traditional Field or Flanders Poppy – seedlings are starting to show dotted about the place and they will hopefully soon be joined by Pot Marigolds and an edible Victorian Nasturtium Empress of India.  When the tulips go over there should be Cornflowers to fill in some of the spaces – the black ones making the most stunning cut flowers.  Ideally the plot will be almost choked with plants and no patch of soil will be left bare.  Things will grow small because they are grown close together or picked early and this will mean more variety and hopefully more taste.  The colder May weather may have brought a temporary slowdown but as soon as there is warmth in the sun again, the weeds and the planting will gallop ahead.

If you enjoy our food please go online  and vote at www.observer.co.uk/foodawards

If you come down to the garden, you are in for a family fun packed afternoon!

To coincide with National Family Week we are inviting parents and children to pack up their picnics and their favourite Teddys to come down to the Walled Garden and have some fun. We have Kate Smith from Little Monkeys to lead a music and dance session with the children and their Teddys. After burning off some energy everyone is encouraged to socialise, enjoy their picnics in the beautiful surroundings of the garden (weather permitting!) and take part in some of the games and activities that will be occuring throughout the garden.

£4 per adult or £5 per family (two adults). Children under 14 years old free

If you would like any further information, please contact Nola on 01439 771427

The following dates are available for booking for the Botanical Illustration Classes with Bridgett Gillespie :

April 20th and 21st

May 11th and 12th

June 21st and 22nd

July 10th and 11th

August 17th and 18th

September 18th and 19th

October 12th and 13th

Please contact Bridgett directly to book your place or for further details, tel. 01439 771272 or email at b.gillespie@totalise.co.uk

Ian, Norman & Stephen

Ian Roger of Roger’s nurseries in Pickering has become a friend of the garden and, upon hearing of the task we had given ourselves, introduced us to Stephen Bean.  Stephen runs a garden design company and has a particular interest in walled gardens.  He paid us a visit in late autumn last year with a view to offering some guidance on how to proceed.  After a tour of the garden, seeing its potential and recognising that we are on the verge of something special, he wanted to be actively involved.  After several visits either alone with his notebook and tape or accompanied by his design colleague, he presented us with an overall plan that would transform the garden over the next four or five years.   The plan comprises a Gravel Garden, Arboretum, Wildflower Meadows, a Clematis and Rose Garden, the extension of the Hot Border up to the Orchid House and a further four new gardens.

 The first priority was to be the entrance area as it is the first place people see when entering the garden and where they form that important First Impression.  An open aspect was decided upon, with oak posts and rope swags to form a barrier and guide visitors through the entrance into the garden itself.  This is to give the garden a cleaner, smarter and tidier look than the original combination of trellis, steel box section threaded with wire and aluminium gates and rails.  Plant Sales benches and associated paraphernalia have been moved away and the whole area has been re-laid with self-binding golden gravel.

 On the other side of the swags, a part of the Orchard Lawn has given way to a Gravel Garden of some 300 square yards which will be unashamedly modelled on, and inspired by,  Beth Chatto’s acclaimed gravel garden which she created on her former car park.  To balance this, the 100 foot Long Border, just outside the Vinehouse,   has also been gravelled which, once planted, should give a pleasing view along the main avenue to the right of the entrance as you come in.  In the gravel itself, permanent paths have been laid to create island beds and to allow visitors to meander through the planting.  Anchor plants, which will give structure throughout the seasons, will consist of Ornamental Trees such as Tibetan Cherry, Snake Bark Maple, Golden leaved Alder alongside 6 feet tall Grasses, Cardoons and Shrub Roses which will give fragrant flowers in summer and colourful hips in autumn.  Clematis will be allowed to scramble through them after the flowers fade.  Vigorous, arching species such as Rosa Moyseii with a height and spread of 10ft will combine with grasses and strategically placed trees on the lawns to create a screen.  The main areas of the garden giving visitors outside the ropes an inviting glimpse of what lies beyond……………  Remaining plants will be Herbaceous perennials including Euphorbias, Irises, Achillias and Eryngiums.

 Figuring prominently, more grasses, herbs and bulbs will provide colour and interest from spring through to autumn.  Meandering paths lead on to the Orchard and White Garden lawns.  These lawns, together with the lawn adjacent to the Physic Garden, which is currently planted with apple trees, will be transformed into Wildflower Meadows.  To avoid spraying off the lawns and starting from scratch, a range of wild grasses and flowers are to be sown later this spring into deep trays.  When they are large enough to fend for themselves they will be cut into 3’’ squares and planted into the lawn as plugs.  This will need to be repeated for several years to create natural drifts as in the wild.  In addition, ornamental trees, something until now lacking in the garden, will be planted in both the White garden lawn and the lawn in front of the Physic garden..This year the grass will be allowed to grow to enable an assessment of what species are currently growing there.  Paths will be mown through to provide walks for visitors.  In the autumn and spring of next year, bulbs will be planted to extend the season.

 Another area where obvious change is taking place is the former Foliage Border, with a hole cut through the golden privet hedge giving access to the lawn directly in front of the Orchid House.  Trees will be planted into the border and, for the 2010 season, it will be sown with a Cornfield Mix.  A grass path leads through the hedge onto the lawn and to, what will be, the 1914 Garden.  This is to be a homage to the 19 gardeners from Helmsley Walled Garden, some of whom enlisted at the outbreak of the 1^st World War and did not return.  The garden is intended to be a Cottage Garden of that time with flowering plants and vegetable varieties that would have been commonly grown here at that time.  Now at the research and planning stage, we hope to start work later this year.

 The Symmetry of the garden allows the two gardens to be mirrored on the lawn area to the left hand side of the Rose and Lavender Border once 30ft of Laurel and the concrete foundations of long gone greenhouses have been removed.

 Overall, an exciting and ambitious plan that will bring much change to the garden.  The creation of new gardens will provide some more intimate spaces and allow a more diverse range of planting and, coupled with the flower meadows and ornamental trees, will greatly enhance the garden and its appeal to visitors.   People identify with this garden.  The most often quoted comment we hear is that this garden has a spirit and an atmosphere of its own and this has remained at the forefront throughout.

Written by Norman Potter, Head Gardener of Helmsley Walled Garden.

A row of Tulips that were planted as deep as they would go in November are at last showing [ with only a few suspicious holes – see the squirrel menace above. ]  The plan was to have those lovely rows of cut flowers that look so right on allotments but on a rather windy day later in mid-March, some leftover Marigold , Poppy and Black Cornflower seed was forcibly broadcast sown instead.    Clarkia is such a gorgeous old cottage garden flower that there had to be room for it somewhere.  The difficulty lies in the fact that if the soil is too rich and fertile then there will be lots of leaves and not a lot of flowers.  The soil in the garden has been cultivated for over 200 years and added to the fact that a memorable day in November last year was spent spreading, and digging in, a generous trailer full of manure, the Clarkia seed was sown more in hope than in expectation.  The other cut flower that has been sown is blue Nigella damascena Miss Jeckyll which, like so many hardy annuals, does much better sown in autumn but just didn’t get sown in time.

 A number of crops – Broad Bean Aquadulce for example – can be autumn sown for an earlier crop but on the triangle, April is when the work starts in earnest as most crops will be sown or planted out, starting with red and yellow shallots and waxy potatoes,  Osprey and Pink Fir Apple.  Hopefully, sowing little and often will extend the harvest but there is something exuberant and abundant about the glut of summer that inevitably demands the purchase and sowing of more tomato seeds.  This year the varieties will be Black Krim from Russia, Brandywine Pink from the USA and small, yellow Sungold

More from Sean, our Haphazard Gardener, next month …………

The inspiration behind this exciting project came from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Landshare scheme – to create a database of unused land to match up potential growing space with potential growers.  The National Trust who are working with the scheme and providing land, aims to create 1000 new allotments by 2012.  We were very lucky to receive help in the form of a grant from the Rediscover Your Hearts Foundation, which allowed us to create new footpaths between the raised beds which helps with access for gardeners with disabilities and also helps to prevent weed growth.

Sunday supplements offer adverts for potato pots and patio blueberries and people are more interested in growing food for themselves whether it’s because of concerns over methods of production, food miles or the fact that if we don’t grow – and eat – our heritage and local varieties, we will end up with an increasingly narrow range of perfectly bland varieties.  So it’s time to champion the knobbly!

We hear that waiting lists for allotments are increasing – the Landshare scheme estimates 100,000 people are looking for a space to grow their own food.  In its own small way, the Helmsley project has been proof of the real desire there is to get stuck in to veg growing.  It was initially thought that the idea might be of interest to one or local people and regular volunteers who would take on 3 or 4 beds and an advert was subsequently placed in the newsagents asking anyone who was interested in joining the scheme to get in touch with the garden.  No-one expected what happened next.  Interest was so great that people had to be restricted to a maximum of 2 beds with several people only having one.  Three volunteers were sent to the triangles on the veg patch as there was no beds left for them and there continues to be a waiting list.

Visitors can look forward to an array of different crops including fruit and flowers and there should be plenty of colour and variety.  Our friends from Welburn Hall School will be working on 2 beds each Tuesday and have already been busy growing garlic and broad beans ready for planting out.  Some people have been working on their beds over the winter and cabbages, daffodils, strawberry plants, rhubarb and garlic can now be seen, to say nothing of the industrious seed-sowing that has been taking place.  As spring heads towards summer, there is sure to be an increase in activity and an opportunity to see lots of different techniques and perhaps even a few tips!

 Four other beds in the vegetable patch, as well as the Vinehouse and a new herb patch, will supply produce for the cafe with any surplus going on sale plus our gorgeous asparagus, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, red and white currants and the produce from our orchard and walls which includes different varieties of plums, apples and pears so there is plenty to look forward to.

 A review of the raised beds, however, would not be complete without answering a few ‘Frequently asked Questions’.  Last year, autumn visitors were intrigued by what appeared to be some kind of ancient folk remedy or an old gardener’s green-fingered secret in the form of a large number of pine cones spread over several of the beds.  The prosaic truth can finally be revealed – we get our manure from the neighbouring riding stables and they had been keeping it under some pine trees – hence the cones.  Another recent curiosity is the strange wooden construction in the Medlar triangle.  It has in fact got lost on the way to the outdoor vineyard and is a cloche to protect a horizontally grown vine – demonstrating an alternative method of cultivation.  Last but not least, many people have asked about the fruit trees on this patch.  They are different varieties of jewel bright Crabapples and a Medlar with its curiously shaped fruit [ think cats’ bottoms if you must ] which needs to be almost rotten before it is made in to a jelly or glaze.

- Written by Sean; Volunteer and Gardener of the Shared Allotment Scheme

We have been awarded with the prize of Overall Category winner for 2009 Yorkshire in Bloom,  within the Country Houses, Estates, Parks and Gardens section…. the award is a Yorkshire Rose Gold Award … wow!

We are so pleased with this result as much of it has been achieved through the love and support of our loyal volunteers. As our supporters will know, Norman, our Senior Gardener, was our only employed gardener this year, working alone but assisted by volunteers in creating some truly amazing improvements to the garden. It is so fabulous to have this recognised in an award of this standing and we thank everyone involved in making this possible (but especially Norman – you are the best!)

In 2010 we have created some new areas which we hope you’ll like. We, like most, have been hit by the severe winter conditions but there is plenty to see in the garden and the new designs will give our regular supporters even more to wonder at.

Your self-guided Yorkshire cycling holiday is a great way to discover a very special part of the world. With SCOOT self-guided cycling tours they help you get the most out of your biking holiday. Take a peek at their What’s Included section – they don’t charge extra for bike or equipment hire, and the tours they have planned are all graded so you can be confident that you will be able to choose the cycling holiday that most matches your experience and interests.

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Thank you!