The Earth's Bounty - Norton Conyers, July 2018

Varied Fortunes in Adverse Conditions

The parched land at Norton Conyers was finally relieved in mid July. Memories of the summer in 1976 had been very much alive in the public conscience, as records were broken week after week. Unfortunately for the gardener, the weather cannot be changed; adverse conditions can stifle and overwhelm. The lawns yellowed, and whilst some plants struggled between waterings, others flourished despite the arid soil:

Passiflora caerulea (Blue passionflower)

Cherry and apple trees were also resolute and unmoved by the lack of rain; both developed healthy fruit during this period.

The Relief of Rain

On a day in which Alan had spent most of the morning watering the vegetable garden, the rain finally came! He had left for home half an hour previously, and I couldn't help but imagine his exasperation at the sheer irony of this. However, the downpour was brief, so the work wasn't in vain after all. However, it was enough to refresh the still and stagnant air.

This was to be the end of the drought; intermittent spells of rain followed over the coming days, with the occasional storm. And remarkable things started to happen...

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The speed of the grass' recovery was something to behold. Mowing had been abandoned for six weeks; the small amount of scruffy growth was left to prevent further damage. Colour quickly started to return to the lawns, and a fortnight after the first rain, it was ready for cutting again. Usual working arrangements fell back into place, with strimming and mowing being completed every Thursday.

However, the success of the vegetable garden was the biggest surprise for me. Whilst the vegetables were religiously and thoroughly soaked during the heatwave, I thought the enduring heat may stymie their success. But a bumper crop prevailed - carrots, cauliflowers, onions, peas and beans to name just a few good crops. 

A barrow full of marrows!! 

The speed of growth in the garden after the drought has been difficult to keep up with. A 'barrow full of marrows' was harvested at the beginning of August - a process to be repeated within two weeks! Similarly, cucumbers growing in the greenhouse were remarkably prolific and fast to grow. 

We have also been blessed with bountiful beetroot - some are now the size of footballs!

The produce at Norton Conyers is well used: it is available to purchase in the orangery and boxes of fruit and vegetables are regularly taken up to the house.

A personal favourite recipe is Gennaro Contaldo's Curly Kale Pizza. It may sound rather suspicious, but it is incredibly tasty, with chilli, garlic, tomatoes, capers, olives and nuts providing the base for the kale topping. Norton Conyers' kale was used, and the pizza was enjoyed in our house on two consecutive evenings!

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This year, Giles planted a variety of salad potato that he has not grown for 40 years; the 'Pink Fir Apple' is an unusually-shaped heritage potato. Blight had started to attack the foliage of a number of the plants; I was tasked with cutting the affected back to the base. Alan and I were to dig up this variety the following week; I was impressed with the flavour and texture of this heritage crop.

Digging up Pink Fir Apples potatoes

Flourishing Willow

At the beginning of August, Giles asked me to cut back the willow hedge adjacent to the greenhouse; I thought back to one of my first days in the garden in early March, where all of the gardeners were involved in pruning and pollarding the previous years' growth. That same hedge had grown with vigour in the intervening months, and now towered above and impeded the pathways to the side. I was struck by the willow's sheer vim and vigour.

Pollarded Willow in March

The same Willow in August

A Time to Reflect

Months of hard work and patience have been rewarded over recent weeks. Whilst work in the gardens never ends, there is a deep sense of satisfaction gained through successfully growing - and harvesting - the earth's bounty.

It is incredible to think of the development of the gardens - both manmade and natural - since I started working at Norton Conyers in February. 

Kevin Woods builders have been on site over the last few weeks; their work consists of restoration and repair - preserving and respecting the past, with a keen eye on posterity.

And this reflects the work in the gardens too - assisting nature, and building on generations of hard work, whilst seeking new opportunities for development and improvement.

Apple trees in March

August

Jewels in an Arid Land - Norton Conyers, Summer 2018

I write in mid July. The record-breaking weather continues; it is the longest and hottest heatwave in the UK since 1976. The country has basked in sunshine, and both sport and weather have dominated the headlines. The weather ran in tandem with the country's growing hopes for the England football team in the World Cup; rain (briefly) came the day after their defeat in the semi-final to Croatia.

Many people are enjoying the novelty of the enduring hot weather. But for the gardener it is a headache and a challenge.

June began warm but unremarkable - Norton Conyers' NGS opening gardens was held on a disappointingly dull day, and we looked set for a typically British summer. Grass was mown every week - a task taking up much of every Thursday - and there was still plenty of other work to be done - hoeing is one of Giles' favourite tasks to delegate.
Driving the tractor for the first time was a particular highlight of mine...

Mowing the lawn outside the house

However, the month progressed with the mercury rising and growing intervals between rain. Much time was spent hoeing the dry topsoil across much of the gardens; weeds are peskily persistent. With large fruit and vegetable plots, and freshly planted borders, watering was the most vital part of our work. Watering in a garden the size of Norton Conyers' takes up a lot of time - especially given the days between work here, where a really good soaking of the earth is required to ensure plants are able to survive in the heat.

The watering paid off - the majority of the plants in the garden have still been able to thrive despite the prolonged heat. There is a remarkably healthy crop of vegetables and fruit, and nothing to suggest the harsh climes in which they have grown.

Cows

Towards the end of June I arrived at Norton Conyers - early as usual to drop my Mum off at work en route - and set out to explore the grounds before Giles opened the garden gates. A relatively cool, but bright and clear start - perfect photographic conditions. I walked towards the house, and then along the external perimeter of the walls. Cows - sometimes heard from inside the gardens - grazed in their herd. I walked along and took pictures of the main border in its summer prime through the gate. I took my time taking shots, but had no sense of what was happening behind me...

I turned - the cows had spotted me and were heading my way in their herd. I stood and took photographs of the creatures as they advanced.  No more than 20ft separated me from them across the ha-ha as they gazed, questioning the reason for my presence - was I a bringer of food?!

Strimming

The day's work began, and I set about hoeing borders. The temperature rose rapidly, and after lunch Giles set me to work with a strimmer on the overgrown land outside the house. Having topped up the fuel and equipped myself with harness, protective helmet and visor, I ambled out of the courtyard and towards the house. Although Alyson had been employed with this task for some time before me, there was still much to keep me busy. In the full sun I soon began to tire. Nettles and goose grass tangled as the base of the machine spun, meaning my efforts were regularly frustrated, and bits of projected debris smarted against my skin. A stop-start job, but one which I managed to finish just in time for lunch; by which time I was hot and achy - my forehead shiny with beads of sweat.
Much more land would be strimmed over the coming weeks, but due to the weather, no one was to be employed doing this job for more than a couple of hours in a single day.

Rosa Iceberg - a favourite of Sir James - outside the Orangery.

Odd-jobs

As the month progressed and dryness began to take hold, the grass - growing at an ever-slowing rate - was left alone. This freed up much time - in other circumstances, time is a luxury to the gardener. But Giles had a declining list of jobs to do given the arid weather. When watering and hoeing were in hand, odd jobs included thinning out pears, weeding around the house and trimming bushes - all worthwhile but not pressing priorities.

Fruit

However, this time would soon be needed as the 'fruits' of our labour were beginning to ripen. I stepped into the peach house in the last week of June - the sweet and intoxicating scent filling the room. The fruits had been thinned out just a few weeks previously, and so I remarked at the fast progress that had been made since then. Given the plethora of ripened fruits, we were able to take some home for ourselves. I baked four in the oven and added cream - divine!

A peach, ripe for the picking

Redcurrants hide themselves amongst the leaves - waiting to be discovered. I had found them a week or so previously - small, white, unappealing. However, on this occasion I found perfectly-formed, glistening ruby jewels. I was struck by nature's enduring tenacity in conditions so unfavourable to life. It's our job as gardeners to assist the natural process, but the relentlessness of the weather could not prevent these plants from producing the largest, reddest currants I had ever seen.

As raspberries and loganberries ripened, along with some of the straggling redcurrants, a glut of fresh fruit was available. I cast my mind back to my first day in the gardens when I helped Giles to install huge wooden supports for the new raspberry plants; on this June day I stood admiring four months of nature's hard work.

Redcurrants hanging like threaded beads

Ripening loganberries

A few coach-parties visited during this period, and we had fruit punnets picked in anticipation; peaches and apple juice ready for purchase.









Arid Land

June turned into July, and - like much of the rest of the country - the effect of weeks of dry, hot weather had yellowed the lawns. The lack of mowing and uneven growth added to the untidiness. This was a shame given the magnificence of the rest of the garden. But there was no practical way of preventing nature's course in this instance. We just had to wait for the rain to come.

Further tractor driving was to come at the beginning of July, as the meadow outside the house was to be mown for the first time in the season. The length of the growth demanded a slow tractor speed - another time-consuming job. I swapped to start clearing up with rake and pitchfork, and several dumper loads of grass were taken into the woods. I was told that the dryness of the grass made this an easier job than in previous years - just as well given the heat! The whole team was involved in this operation, and a convivial atmosphere was enjoyed before lunch.

Alan - dumper commander

Lunch time!

 


















The Vegetable Patch

The vegetable patch is a wonderful sight right now. Earlier this week, huge cauliflowers were picked; I enjoyed some in a home-made vegetarian lasagne today along with peas and courgettes also from the garden. The brassicas sprawl and the onions and beetroots sit proudly in their beds. Not everything has been a success though - our experimentation with Soya plants this year will be chalked up in the 'experience' category (it was largely destroyed by pigeons), and a row of  beetroot didn't grow at all (we think the freshly planted seeds may have been hoed over by mistake...). But overall, we are all delighted with a very healthy crop and another successful year - so far at Norton Conyers - success indeed given the harsh growing conditions. We will enjoy the fat of the land for weeks to come.

Spring into Summer & NGS - Norton Conyers, 2018

Spring into Summer & NGS - Norton Conyers, 2018

Iris croatica

What has struck me most whilst working at Norton Conyers has been the rapid speed of change. Giles is keen to ensure all work is completed efficiently, and this shows in the garden's maintenance and progress. However, the speed with which nature works is even more surprising. 

It has given me a heightened awareness of the passage of time: the brief yet stunning flowering of the irises; the blossom - falling as quickly as it blooms; the rapid growth of willow. Somehow it has made every moment of my time in the gardens more precious - everything needs to be absorbed and appreciated in the moment, as the beauty shifts fleetingly from species to species.

All of this change is hard to keep up with! As Giles often says, there is always so much we could do!

Pride is taken in all of the work we undertake and the progress we make working two days a week is quite remarkable. I suppose there is a certain charm in the fact that the garden is always a work in progress. Any 'perfect' garden is fleetingly so. However, perfection always exists in some capacity, and can be found in individual species at certain moments in time.

Papaver orientale 'Victoria Louise'

Whilst writing this, I am reminded of a book by Jon McGregor, 'If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things'. Perhaps that is what I hope to achieve with my blog to an extent - bring to life those moments that cannot be repeated or replicated, and that can be so easily missed.

The vegetable garden began to take shape in May, as brassicas, beans, root vegetables, cauliflowers and spinach were planted. The strawberries had been introduced in April as the paths were completed. Much watering was required due to the hot May weather.

Grass

Pressure mounted in mid May to have the gardens ready for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) Charity opening. But the grass doesn't stop growing for anything! The huge main green in the walled gardens had to be mown in its entirety by the push mower. The bag stayed on to collect cuttings too - this was a time-consuming process, but worth the effort; it was satisfying to see games being played on the pristine lawn on the open day itself.

NGS Open Gardens

The day for the charity opening of the gardens arrived (June 3rd), and as I pulled my car into the temporary car park (normally known as the paddock), there was little sense of the busyness that was to come. The weather was unremarkable - overcast, but dry - and so the forecast for the whole atmosphere of the day itself also seemed fairly unremarkable.

Rosa banksea ‘lutea’ outside the Orangery 

I stood by the gate in a fluorescent yellow jacket and looked down the winding drive adjacent to the house. As 2pm (the opening time) approached, cars begun to slowly meander their way towards me. As they approached I waved them towards the car park.

By 2.40, nearly 100 people had passed through the gates. Monty Don had given the NGS a mention on Gardeners World on the Friday; it appears his plug was a success!

Bex ushered the cars into neat lines, as Steve (Bex's husband) and volunteer Sue manned the gate. Meanwhile, Giles and Emma sold plants outside the orangery; inside, Carol (Giles' wife), Beth and her two boys served tea and cake. Resident artist David's wife, Becky, had set up games on the lawn (and a miniature golf course around the peonies) There was much to do and see for the £6 entry fee. 

David's completed 'Wandering Aengus'

I was soon employed to help Hazel (a volunteer I hadn't yet met) in the washing-up area in the Bothy. A fast turnaround on the crockery was required to keep up with the demand for tea and cake!

A blooming Peony

Hazel had set up a book stall in the neighbouring room, but with an honesty 'basket' in place, her services were in greater demand in the catering department!

Despite the luke-warm weather, the atmosphere was first rate - relaxed and convivial. With the garden at its best, and areas to be enjoyed by all ages, the day proved to be a tremendous success.

But no one worked harder than Mr and Mrs G! Carol had spent five days baking cakes, whilst Giles had brought and set up garden furniture, games and tables and chairs for the day. 

Takings for the NGS were substantial and the money from plant and tea and cake sales went towards the upkeep of the gardens. A successful day, enjoyed by all! But the hard work in the gardens continues...

Up the Garden Paths, Norton Conyers, Spring 2018

Up the Garden Paths, Norton Conyers, Spring 2018

I write this a few weeks after the completion of the paths which now stretch across the vegetable garden. It is the most significant structural change that has taken place at Norton Conyers since I began my gardening career in February.

As 'ground was broken' on the new paths in late March, I was quite naive to the processes and efforts that would be involved. 

After the Easter weekend, Giles, Alan and I ventured over to the vegetable path with spades in hand. Work had already started the previous week when I had been allocated work elsewhere - some planks had already been installed, meaning that some boundaries were already in place. Giles gave us our instructions; and so the digging commenced. The good news for us was that the earth did not need transporting. Instead, it could be shovelled to the side; it was required to raise the level of the lower end of the vegetable garden. 

Beginnings

The vegetable patch is on a slope. It was therefore difficult to judge a 'true' level. Much of the work was done by eye initially and finished off with the aid of a spirit level; optical illusions were created because of the slope, and it was therefore difficult to work without a more scientific aid. 

Alan and I worked hard, and soon looked forward to our tea break. Despite this, Alan commented that he was surprised by the soft consistency of the earth - it was of a relatively even texture, and there were few stones to get in the way of our spades. 'I suppose we have three hundred years of cultivation to thank for that!' Our work was easier than it might otherwise have been.

Peach Blossom

Digging took up much of the day, and a 'path' of sorts started to come into being. 

Alan installing a stake

When the ground was cleared of earth, and levelling finished, we started on a new section. Giles joined us to install the planks. A garden line was used, and the planks were put into place on the perimeters. A pole was used to 'start off' the holes for the wooden stakes, and a sledgehammer to drive them into the earth. And the planks were then nailed into the stakes. This process was repeated at even intervals, and before long the structure of the path was in place. I think I risk making this sound like an easy task; the reality was an extremely painstaking process, with precise measurements required. Even a slight bowing of the wood could lead to a bigger (and more visible) problem further down the line. This required checks and alterations to be made at every stage of the process.

Bex joined us in the afternoon to help out; as did Shandy and Plum. Shandy took particular delight in laying down on the pile of wooden stakes.

To finish off this part of the process, the ends of the path were curved by Giles; planks were partially sawn into at intervals to enable the planks to be bent.

This whole process was to be repeated for another two working days.

Completed Path Boundaries

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Filling In

And so, the earth was cleared; now we needed to fill it in! This required rubble. As I have previously described, Giles is an extremely resourceful man; if he can avoid spending money, he will. Beth and Bex brought rubble from building projects at home - this was a great start. 

Much unused concrete lay in the area adjacent to the courtyard. Old pig troughs needed breaking up; I was employed to do this with a sledgehammer - a very tough job which required patience and determination in equal measure. It also required intermittent breaks; Giles had just the idea for my 'breaks' - shovelling manure!!

Alan had previously borrowed a jackhammer from Giles to clear the concrete patio in front of his house. Alan and I set out in Giles' van to pick up the rubble; we filled the van twice. On each occasion, the dumper waited for us to fill it in the courtyard. The rubble was then spread along the paths, and - if necessary - broken up even further. This process was repeated many times with rubble from other sources - including Giles' own home.

The laden dumper

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Dahlias

I must have shown my growing weariness, as - a few weeks into the path building - Giles asked me to help with the planting of dahlias; this proved to be a welcome change after weeks of digging and hammering, and it was good to do some actual gardening! The dahlias had been brought into the orangery over winter; now was the time to break them up, repot and label them. I was surprised by the sheer number of different varieties.

Potted Dahlias

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The top path in the vegetable garden hadn't been filled by this point; in the afternoon Giles asked me to dig a trench in order for the tap (which was installed on my first day in the gardens) to be relocated into the middle of the garden; Giles plans to install a barrel here to make an attractive centrepiece. As the trench was dug, the clouds gathered. And the rain drove down. Upon finishing the trench, Giles helped me to lay the rest of the piping and move the tap into place. We finished the day soggy and sodden.

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As the final sections of path were filled in with rubble, Giles took delivery of a truck load of road chippings. This would provide the top surface of the paths - another cost-effective yet practical and attractive solution from Giles.

Once again, the trusty old dumper was repeatedly filled and driven to the vegetable garden. The chippings were then shovelled and raked to create a neat, even surface.

The final result was incredibly satisfying. We were all glad to have finished such a physically demanding job, and were now ready to start using the paths to manage the vegetable plots.

The completed path, May 2018

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Giles still has ideas up his sleeve for the future development of the paths. Not only is a barrel to be sourced and placed in the paths' intersection; next year Giles plans to install cobbles into the path's ends. The cobbles will be a hardy, attractive addition to the paths.

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Wandering Aengus

The building of the paths coincided with the completion of David's wooden sculpture, 'Wandering Aengus'. Using the massive stump of a (long-dead) Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon), David carved the figure as the gardeners worked away on the paths. It featured in his most recent exhibition 'Finished Unfinished' at his Ripon Gallery. However, as the name of the exhibition suggests, 'Aengus' - who is inspired by the eponymous poem by William Yeats - is still a work in progress... just like the path come to think of it!

April Miracles - Norton Conyers, April 2018

April Miracles - Norton Conyers, April 2018

The gap between this post and the last wasn’t intentional. Sorry if anyone(!) has been waiting for the next instalment. I’m glad to report that this post will give you a good summary of the intervening weeks and bring us up to date. 
However, I also think it’s quite appropriate. The last month has seen the biggest transformation I have seen in the gardens, and surely the biggest transformation of the year.

April brought the full British spectrum of weather - we had snow, rain, a heatwave; indeed it was like a year unto itself.



Perhaps this weather was the ‘perfect mix’ for healthy Spring growth; as I write, the gardens are flourishing, and growth has been incredibly rapid. 

Peach Blossom

The lawns are now being mowed once a week, and visitors are appearing regularly.
So, the weather and the flora have both undergone almost miraculous transformations. But the biggest achievement for the workers at Norton Conyers this month was the transformation of the physical space in the vegetable garden. Giles had a masterplan for new paths to be installed in this space. He isn’t one for sharing his plans however, and keeps us on our toes!!
In late March, Giles ventured off in his van, and returned with huge planks of wood and stakes. I was fairly tired, having turned manure grass for much of the day, but Giles and I shared the job of hauling them from the middle garden gate to the vegetable garden. We laid them at intervals. Perhaps I wasn’t listening properly, but I vaguely remember Giles saying something about path building at this point; up until then I thought we would be creating borders…
A series of blogs are on the way detailing the building of these paths, which, all being well could still be here in a century or so. One thing Giles is certain of - no one will ever move the foundations we laid!!

Easter in Edinburgh

The end of March also saw my first break from the gardens; the last Tuesday I ventured up to Edinburgh, and the gardens allowed us a day off for Easter Monday!
I didn’t get away from gardening, however. We stayed with my Aunty in Burntisland, and relaid a huge section of turf in her back garden; this needed doing due to a trampoline installed by previous owners which had ruined the grass! Being in the area, I had obligatory Whiskies and explored the wonderful city of Edinburgh. However, The Royal Botanical Gardens were new to me, and I was truly blown away. Both the scale and magnificence of the gardens were worth the Harrogate to Edinburgh journey alone. Perhaps it was the Spring air? The grandeur of the plants in the glass house? Well perhaps it was a mixture of both of these, but it was undoubtedly the dedication and careful conservation of thoughtful, inspired and forward-thinking gardeners and architects. The gardens deserve a post of their own; watch this space!

The Victorian Glass House at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

Rallying Shandy

Shandy had been a bit off-colour a few times over the last few months; who could blame her after the miserable winter we’ve had in the UK? But April saw the 15-year-old rallying and youthful once again. Plum had been left to her own resources on a few occasions this year, but now her mentor returned refreshed and ready to show her how it’s done. The rabbits of Norton Conyers shuddered.

Shandy and Plum having a (well-earned!) break from catching rabbits

Markenfield Hall

Towards the end of March, Giles recruited me for a day at Markenfield Hall - another blog here too!! Both Norton Conyers and Markenfield both have a unique, enchanting and historic beauty, unspoiled by hoards of visitors. Markenfield Hall is a 14th Century manor house 3 miles south of Ripon. It has been wonderfully conserved, preserved and restored. Even more remote than Norton Conyers, Markenfield really is off the beaten track - it is a little paradise of its own. The surrounding moat adds to its unique charm.

Mowing at Markenfield

Mowing and Hoeing

Having laboured hard on the paths for much of April, Giles gave me a break and sent me to pot up the Dahlias with Bex and Alyson. Having sledgehammered, lifted, hammered and dug my way through April, I was glad for a change. ‘Don’t get used to it, though!’ were Giles droll words as he left us to get on with it! Giles is never short of wit.

Dahliutopia

The Dahlias don’t survive the winter; they were dug up from the borders in November and stored in racking in the Orangery. Alyson operated the computer to write and print off labels for the different varieties, and we all worked as a team to break up the tubers, before potting them in fresh compost. This was a full day’s work!
Grass cutting and hoeing finished off April at Norton Conyers (both nearly finished me off!). I still haven’t progressed to the level of ‘sit on mower operator yet’, so my job involved mowing the edges and smaller areas. A big job! Despite the recommended 10,000 steps, the stepcount recorded by my iPhone reached 33,000 after a full day mowing the lawn!

Green Fingers

‘I find hoeing quite therapeutic’, remarked Giles as he passed me in the circular border near the entrance to the walled garden. I agreed - but later would revise this - ‘to an extent!!’

April was the most varied and satisfying yet, but I have a feeling there are even better things to come in these remarkable gardens.