Harvest - September 2019

I'm writing in mid-October. The majority of the produce of the garden has been harvested, and apples are being juiced. Pumpkins are on the shelves in the apple stores, onions hanging on string, chillis stored in baskets.

But Autumn always starts for me with the arrival of Cyclamen Hederifolium outside the gardens - the pale magenta flowers reaching out of the earth. We first catch a glimpse of them towards the end of summer. Not only do they herald the beginning of a new season, they are also a promise of colour and beauty all year round.

Cyclamen Hederifolium

Fencing

Newly-installed Gate

Early September, and with the gate now installed outside the stableyard, fencing was to be installed in the car park. The former 'Pony Paddock' sits next to a sheep field. By installing the new fencing,  sheep would be able to graze the land to the side of the car parking area and so minimise the necessary maintenance of this area.

Many of the support poles had already been installed during the previous week, but Giles had me digging a large hole for one of the end posts.

Fencing Installation

Juicing

In my absence, apple juicing began in September, and carried on into October. Using traditional equipment and pressing methods, the apple juice produced combines many of the garden's different varieties, including Discovery and Beauty of Bath.

The Colours of Autumn

Autumn is usually associated with dull browns and greens. Although the palette of colours is more limited at this time of year, the fruits of harvest still offer great vibrancy and interest - pale green apples dappled with red; glowing tomatoes; shining purple and brown paper bag onion skins.

Squash 'Crown Prince'

'Gardeners Delight' Tomatoes

The Dahlias also continued to provide a stunning colour contrast well into October.

Dahlia 'Sean C'

A Scent of Whisky

In mid-October, I was tasked with driving the dumper truck to Keepers Cottage. There, I shovelled a heap of bark (some trees had recently been felled), before transporting it to the berry garden. The wood chippings were shovelled around the base of the raspberry plants. This will improve drainage and deter weeds. Steam rose as the moist bark was uncoverred, and a gentle scent - a little like whisky filled the air.

With the clocks about to go back, there will be some cold, wet days ahead in the gardens. But with the change in the seasons comes new interest and activities.

Misty Mornings - October 2018

A blanket of mist hovered across the landscape as I drove towards Norton Conyers. It is the eighteenth of October - days before the clocks go back - and there is a real nip in the air; the first morning of the season where car de-icer has been required! I arrived early and walked towards the house - the crunch of frosted grass underneath my boots. The adjacent fields were atmospheric as sheep continued to graze - seemingly unperturbed by the cold.

Later, the sky cleared and the gardens were bathed in autumnal sunshine, but for now there was work to be done.

With leaves scattered across the drive and courtyard, a clear-up was required before they had the chance to degrade. Leaf-blower, rake and brush were used to gather, and dumper truck and wheelbarrow to convey them to the compost heap.

Clearing Leaves

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The lawns had their final trim of 2018 in late October, after which the machinery was given a little maintenance. A pressure washer was used to clean the lawnmowers, tractor and dumper truck to prevent rusting over the winter. Months of grassy build up and mud were removed. Unfortunately my waterproof boots didn't live up to their promise...

By lunchtime I was already saturated. The lack of wellies was a mistake. But - unfortunately for me, there was more pressure washing to be done in the afternoon (the paving outside the house this time!).

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Yellowing Pear Tree

Dahlias

With the temperature dropping, it was time for the Dahlias to be cut back in preparation for winter storage. The masses of foliage collected held on to glimmers of their summer shades. After depletion over the summer, the compost heap was quickly filling again.

The following week, each plant was easily forked out of the ground before being placed in a labelled crate. The many different varieties are curiously - often amusingly named - 'Chat Noir', 'Sean C', 'Thomas Edison', 'Bishop of Canterbury'.

The afternoon's work was more challenging; the Dahlias in the top border of the garden are not labelled and are mixed in with other plants. Giles' encyclopaedic plant knowledge was required to help identify each variety.
As I labelled up a Dahlia as 'Murky Eye', I sensed Giles' amusement - it is in fact spelt 'Merckii'.

After a full day digging up Dahlias, the Orangery is once again filled with dozens of crates of them - protected from the chill of winter.

Dahlias

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Apple Juice

Apple juice continued to be produced throughout October and into early November - a team effort required to produce the necessary three barrels in a day.

Each batch is a completely unique combination of apple varieties, and so each bottle of Norton Conyers apple juice has its own subtly delicious flavour. 

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The compost heaps rapidly filled with cuttings from this years' growth. 

But the woody stems from the berry plot were taken into the woods to add to habitat piles.

Redcurrants before pruning

On my first day at Norton Conyers, Giles and I installed wooden supports for new plants in the berry plot. But now, some of the older supports - installed by Giles in 1995 - had given way, and so it was time to replace them.

Installing new supports

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It is nearly one month since the first paragraph of this post was written - the fifteenth of November. This time mist overwhelmed the atmosphere on my morning commute. And the temperature was bitter. But, as has become a pattern for the time of year, the sun came out unexpectedly and the temperature rose to give a spring-like feel to this Autumnal air. I wonder for how long we will continue to be pleasantly surprised by the weather?

Pressing On! September 2018

Admittedly, I had been waiting for this moment for some time. But the reality was a little daunting. The 1960s dumper truck would be under my command. The machine is battered, but still sturdy and reliable after decades of service. Giles started the machine, and I drove it towards the woods.

It took a little while to get used to this old engine - the temperamental gearstick, the knack to starting the machine, getting to grips with the (sometimes erratic!) handling - but the feeling when driving it was of liberation and real excitement; this was the dream of my 5 year old self!

Past the house, the pet graveyard and through the meandering woodland, I stopped the machine at the bottom of the slope next to the Ice House.

The Ash tree which had grown atop the Ice House had been felled the previous week. We cleared the leafy debris - building habitat piles, and Giles used his chainsaw to break up the trunk and larger branches. Plum watched on - sitting proudly on the tree stump.

Huge, heavy logs were rolled down the hill and loaded into the dumper truck. I would drive four loads to the wood store on this day, with more to be transferred at a later date. But the Ice House was now ready for restoration. 

The newly, lovingly-restored Ice House

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The plum trees needed their annual maintenance. After some pruning, we looked for the right growth to train upwards and outwards - tying the fresh growth against the wall with tar twine. The trees gave a good crop this year, despite the neighbouring apple trees which tower above them. This process will promote healthy growth next year.

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The remarkable weather this year provided ideal growing conditions for the grapes outside the Orangery - Gargarin Blue. The fruits were harvested in their frosted night-blue bunches, and processed; Giles had brought juicing equipment. The grapes were pulped and then pressed, and a small batch of rich, fragrant juice was made.

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Juicing continued the following week - albeit with a different kind of fruit! Plum and Shandy watched on as different varieties of fallen apples were collected from around the garden. Much of the morning was spent collecting the fruits, and eight or nine full crates were ready for pressing.

The apples were washed, quartered and processed. Two and a half barrels of juice were filled and ready for pasteurisation.

And over the following days, more apples would be collected and stored in the Orangery for future juicing; the smell was intoxicating.

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The paeony beds were now clear of their dead summer growth, and we had forked them over in their entirety the previous week. Compost was even distributed over this patch; a process that is to be repeated every four to five years.

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Whereas juicing apples were windfalls, ladders were needed to fetch apples suitable for storage. Ladders were climbed, and the best apples were picked and passed to a colleague on the ground. The apple store was prepared and the apples were carefully placed - small gaps between - in their varieties. And pumpkins - which had been grown on the compost heaps, and 'cured' in the sun - filled the shelves above.

Autumn really is here.

Autumn Leaves - August 2018

'Discovery' Apples

Autumn crept up on us this year. The transition seemed fast and definite after a summer that seemed at times to be endless.

I first noticed the onset of autumn walking on the Stray in Harrogate in mid August, with the first expiring leaves laying lifelessly on the pavement. Although the temperature remained fairly mild in the subsequent days, the change in the weather following this came rapidly and unexpectedly. 

However, more subtle signs of the change in the seasons were already present in nature, with beautiful Cyclamen Hederifolium growing outside Norton Conyers House, apples falling around the gardens and autumn raspberries ripening.

Cyclamen Hederifolium

Pony Paddock Transformation

The most notable change in the weather came on September 3rd, which started off mild and bright. David, Giles and I were busy making the preparations for a new car park in the disused pony paddock. A digger and steamroller had been hired for this purpose, and we spent the day digging up grass and sandy earthy. 

The shape of a road and pathway was visible by lunchtime; in the afternoon, David and I picked up rakes to spread the Yorkshire stone gravel that Giles moved around with the digger and dumper.

And the clouds descended; rain came and persisted. Waterproof jackets were donned by David and I; Giles sat happily dry in the digger, poking regular fun - 'Is it raining out there?!' This was the first time the sky had truly been darkened, and I now knew summer really was over.

The digger was employed for another two days, and after another delivery of stone chipping and much raking, the car park was completed - ready for a wedding on the 15th September. However, grass seed still needs spreading around the perimeter and Giles aims to transform the adjoining area into a wildflower meadow.

The disused Pony Paddock

The path to the new car park

Before

David and Giles at work digging out the car park

After - grass seed yet to scatter!

Autumn Crops

The last of the runner beans and french beans were gathered towards the end of August, and a plentiful crop of sweetcorn was harvested. This year's growing conditions have favoured the growth of very healthy crops - and grapes, plums, damsons and tomatoes have been amongst other recent success stories.

Onions now hang in the Apple store and pumpkins - grown on the compost heaps - sit in a line on a wall. These images are powerful reminders of the time of year - of wholesome, home-cooked food and cooler, shorter days.

Onions hanging in the Apple Store

Pumpkins lining the walls

Wedding Preparations

Mowing continued on a weekly basis throughout August and into September in preparation for the wedding. Weeding and tidying were prioritised in the weeks leading up to the wedding as a result, with the Yew hedges (Taxus Baccata) trimmed by David and Giles.

The garden remained full of life, colour and structural interest at the time of the wedding.

The erection of the wedding marquee

Ready for the big day!

Norton Conyers Supporting WFGA

Rebecca (Bex) Moore-Yelland works in the gardens at Norton Conyers through the WRAGS (Work and Retrain as a Gardener) Scheme. The scheme is run by WFGA (Womens Farm and Garden Association) for which Rebecca is the regional manager for Yorkshire.

Norton Conyers was pleased to be able to support Rebecca's work for the WFGA at The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in mid September. The beautiful garden created by the WFGA won a Gold Award.

WFGA's Garden at The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show explored 'Pushing the boundaries for access to horticulture'

Into Autumn

As the less favourable weather starts to descend, thoughts now turn to juicing apples, cutting back the summer growth, tidying and making preparations for next year. I wonder what Giles has in store for us next?!

An Apple a Day? - Norton Conyers, 19th March 2018

2018's raspberry supports next to 1995's (left)

Today was a glorious - if brisk start; more snow had fallen at the weekend - the remnants of which still showed themselves in light patches across the garden. My first day in the gardens involved installing huge wooden poles as supports for the new raspberry plants; indeed, Giles later said that one of his first tasks as Head Gardener had been to install raspberry supports in 1995. These poles still stood solid - 23 years later. I looked forward to making my contribution. Today we were to finish the job we started in February using metal wire. The tools - a huge metal hammer, a drill with a huge drill bit and fencing pliers.

We assembled next to the apple trees. Plum was lively this morning. She jumped and barked, taking particular exception to Beth's hands. Giles and I completed the first job - hammering in smaller posts at 45 degree angles to the end posts. The hammer went above my waist when stood on end - it was a big, heavy beast. Giles held the pole and I hammered; my finger promptly got in the way. I concealed my pain - at least until it doubled in size! It's still a little tender as I write this. "I won't do that again." I thought. Well I wouldn't - at least not today. Soon, the supporting poles were all installed. Alyson and Bex marked out the location of the wire with a garden line, and then drilled the holes.

Meanwhile, Beth and I headed to the vegetable garden; an order had been placed by Sir James. There are thin pickings at this time of year, but there was still some wonderful fresh Kale, Leeks and Celeriac. We took them to the Orangery, where they were washed in a bucket of water and trimmed.

Some earlier crops remained in the apple store - we filled up the vegetable box further with potatoes, beetroot and apples.

The view from the top of the Apple Store ladder

A vegetable box for Sir James and Lady Halina

Having filled the box of vegetables, Beth and I returned to the Berry plot. The holes had been drilled and the tensioners installed. Bex and I headed to the Dumper store to retrieve a couple of reels of metal wire; we returned and teamed up to feed it through the poles. The reels had been used before, and were fitted with hundreds of bits of string. My new multi-purpose tool came in use as I used the scissors to remove it. Feeding the wire through the poles was a snug fit. Half way through this task, I discovered that one of the reels of wire was tangled - it took much effort to unravel, and Giles and I were occupied for 10 minutes for this purpose alone. Following installation of the wire, we realised one of the tensioners wouldn't fit properly next to the angled poles when it was tightened. I suggested drilling into the pole to allow further room. Giles did this, and the result was satisfactory. The supports were installed. Following this, Beth and I tied up the raspberry plants with garden twine.

Shandy and Plum accompanied us to our next task of the day. We would cut back the huge, established apple trees. Giles explained that they were towards the end of their lifespan, but would probably last at least another 20 years. Water shoots - or sprouts - were out biggest enemy today; they form when an Apple tree is cut back. In order to discourage this, the shoots had to be cut right back to their base. And there were hundreds of them. We made a start, but it wasn't long before lunchtime.

In the Orangery; a 'Celebrations' box lay on the table. As I sat down, Bex passed the box over to me, along with an envelope. I was intrigued, but couldn't work out what this was about. A birthday cake - baked by the lovely - and multi-talented Bex. Raspberry and honey - it was beautiful, moist and really delicious. And a birthday card too, adorned with a smiling sheep - in reference to last week's adventures. This was signed by all the gardeners too - even Plum and Shandy!!

Given the fact that these apple trees are older trees, it is even more important to cut back weaker branches and shoots to promote better growth and fruits in stronger parts of the tree.

There were four trees to tackle. This took all of us nearly four hours to complete. Tonnes of branches were removed, improving both the aesthetics and the health of the trees. It was an even bigger effort to relocate the waste wood; thinner branches were taken to the woods for habitat piles, whilst the bigger ones were placed in wheelbarrows for firewood. I loaded my car up with them for my woodburning stove! Giles said they would take about a year to be suitable for burning; they are currently airing in my shed. Unfortunately much of the wood had succumbed to rot - the centres were filled with dusty rotten wood and loaded with woodlice. Giles explained this wasn't unusual for trees of this age; despite this they would most likely live reasonably healthily for another 20, 30 or 40 years.

Sawdusty Shandy

View over the Berry Plot

I spent the last hour of work clearing up stray branches; this was satisfying - if slightly exhausting work. But the results were there for all to see - this side of the garden looked neater, healthier and lighter.