Beneath the Surface - Norton Conyers, 26th February 2018

Beneath the Surface - Norton Conyers, 26th February 2018 

Rhubarb (Rheum) Roots

As I write, the snow is falling - and lots of it too. The inclement forecast this week has thrown most of the country into a frenzy, with temperatures in some areas expected to reach -9. The ‘Beast of the East’, as it is now known is causing quite a stir. We don’t seem to deal with bad weather well in this country. But the gardener has to be made of sterner stuff - there is no getting away from the weather in our profession!

So, it was on a bitter February Monday that my third gardening instalment began…

With a few extra layers today and hat and scarf, I met Giles in the courtyard; Plum bounced out - no sign of Shandy today though. She was off colour after a hard-day’s hunting the previous day, so was left at home to recuperate - just as well in this weather! Plum was ‘top dog’ for the day, and sported Shandy’s Christmas jumper to prove it. She wasn’t so sure about it though - nipping at the fabric, and enjoying a good roll on mossy ground.

Back to the fruit garden this morning. Blueberries (Vaccinium) grow in acidic soil. The pH of Norton Conyers’ soil is around 6.5 so Giles brought bags of mulch from his local woods to increase the acidity. This was worked into the earth, and then a layer laid on top. This year, we’re also experimenting with Lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-ideae), but being an expensive plant, and notoriously difficult to grow Giles is giving a couple of these a trial run this year to see if they establish themselves. If they do, it may be a couple of years before they bear fruit; we will wait and  see! 

Next, we returned to finish off the border preparations. Relocating, splitting and removing plants, before adding compost. A final layer of compost was then scattered over the entire border. Two loads from  Giles’ dumper were required for this task alone! Plum stayed close to Giles for most of the day; she seemed a little lost without Shandy, and alarmingly close to the moving dumper at times, but Giles kept a careful, knowing eye on his dog. It is clear that Plum is learning her boundaries within the garden. It won’t be long until the tacit relationship that exists between Shandy and Giles is shared with little Plum.

As we went about this work, Lady Helina appeared, well wrapped up. She expressed her admiration that we were working in such cold conditions - and cheerfully so too: ’I don’t know how you do it!’. But by this time I felt almost comfortable enough to take off my hat and jacket; it quickly became apparent that I would rarely feel too cold as a gardener, and that most weather conditions can be overcome with the right clothing! 

Lady Helina showed us a photograph taken in the Orangery, that displayed a small electric blue shape. There is no apparent explanation for it; Lady Helina was told that it could be ‘an earth spirit’. I’m not superstitious myself, but agree with Lady Helina’s assertion that the garden has a very spiritual feel to it. There is a certain air of mystery that is difficult to quantify or pin down. The ancient, yet pristine beautifully trimmed Yew hedges (Taxus Baccata) hold a unique link to past ages. I wonder what secrets they could reveal about the garden?

A welcome tea break arrived as I began to feel a little discomfort in my back. Into the Orangery bounded Plum with a freshly-hunted squirrel, which she proceeded to crunch and tear eagerly - this proved a (fairly grim) distraction from our tea. It was at this point that I met a new volunteer, Alan, who had joined the team today; he was at work patching up the driveway.  

Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers (Helianthus tuberosus)

Next, Rebecca and I tackled a Rhubarb (Rheum) border in front of the wheelbarrow shed. Older plants were taken out - being at the end of their lifecycle, along with seeded rhubarb plants and weeds. Newer plants were relocated too. I was struck by the colour (stripes of yellow and orange), texture (soft, spongy wood) and sheer volume of the rhubarb roots.

Then back to the vegetable borders for the  final task of the day. The Jerusalem Artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) were to be dug up in preparation for turfing over the area later in the year. The relatively small area belied the scale of the task. The plants are incredibly prolific; hundreds of tubers were dug up, with larger ones being kept for eating - they make a fine soup - or replanting, and smaller ones being discarded.

And so the tools were returned to the apple store, another full day’s work over.

Today, I found great fascination in finding what lies beneath the surface; it could be said that there is another garden to be discovered under the soil.