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Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald – Increasing Daylight And Pre-Spring Preparation

Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald…

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

Gardening Pruning Trees Ian Jan2018
Pruning Trees

First of all, Happy New Year! It doesn’t seem too long ago I wrote for the newsletter – We’ve enjoyed the shorter days running up to the Winter Solstice but now we’re reclaiming daylight hours back, week by week, day by day and our busiest time of the year is not far away! Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald – Increasing Daylight And Pre-Spring Preparation”

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Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald – Autumn, Gateway to Winter & Planting Season

Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald…

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

gardening tales

After the clocks have gone back, the temperatures slowly dip and the days grow shorter, I start to cheer. For this is the time the seasons tell me to go home earlier and to rest and relax well! Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales from the Weald – Autumn, Gateway to Winter & Planting Season”

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Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Hedge Cutting And Nesting Birds

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

Cutting Hedges
Cutting Hedges

This month we begin our hedge cutting regime in all of our gardens. Except for the minimal reduction of lateral growth in the summer for access, we haven’t cut since the end of February. This allows the birds to complete their second or even third brood cycles. Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Hedge Cutting And Nesting Birds”

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Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Wild Flower Meadows

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

Oh September the month of melancholy, mists and fruitfulness! Our first swallows have formed migratory flocks and are all away back down south, our martins will travel along too and we are left with a sense of loss but a sense of gain also with the beauty of autumn’s cool mists, fruitfulness and colour.

Autumn gardening
Autumn gardening

We cut our wild flower meadows this month. Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Wild Flower Meadows”

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Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Lammas Festival and Rowan Berries

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

The beginning of August is noted for the ancient Celtic festival of ‘Lammas’ or ‘Lughnasadh’. It is a celebration of the harvest time & the subsequent baking of bread from the first wheat brought in from the fields and the making of traditional corn dollies.

Rowan Berries
Rowan Berries

Seed was kept from the ripened wheat & stored to sow again the following year. Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Lammas Festival and Rowan Berries”

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Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Butterflies and Nectar Plants

Ian is a Gardens Manager living in Crowhurst, working as part of a team in three large country gardens in the Sussex and Kent Weald, where he is passionate about natural gardening.

I always enjoy July in the gardens as by now we can enjoy & savour the life all around us.

Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly

Continue reading “Ian’s Gardening Tales From The Weald – Butterflies and Nectar Plants”