Trentham Gardens

Now that most of the sowing and planting is done I've time to slope off and visit some gardens. So today I headed off up the A50 to Trentham Gardens near Stoke, which are described by Alan Titchmarsh as one of the UK's must-see gardens. Blimey. They've had some serious money spent on them in recent years so I had high hopes.

The Trentham estate has an interesting history - it was once the country pile of the Duke of Sutherland, who had the house demolished in 1911, one reason being the smell of industrial pollution from the nearby River Trent, which I for one find hilarious. The Gardens were also the site of the infamous Trentham Ballroom (1931-2002) which hosted all the best bands from The Beatles to Pink Floyd. The parkland and lake were laid out by Capability Brown and the original Italianate gardens by Sir Charles Barry in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is now owned by St Modwen Properties PLC and Willi Reitz, the German entrepreneur, and operated as a "leisure destination". I went anyway.

The entrance to the gardens is through the horrendous "shopping village" which doesn't exactly put you in the right frame of mind for what is to come.

The first garden is the Piet Oudolf-designed Rivers of Grass, which is how it sounds. I wasn't impressed at first but when I went back later I started to get my head round it. It probably looks better in autumn. This leads on to the Floral Labyrinth, which apparently looks better in July and August, which might explain why they haven't bothered getting on top of the weeding yet.


The 19th century Italian Gardens were given a complete makeover in 2004 by designer Tom Stuart-Smith "with one of the largest contemporary perennial plantings in Europe". Phew. Some lovely planting combinations I must admit and the area I spent the most time in. What's more I'd timed it right to see the collection of bearded irises.







At the bottom of the gardens by the lake there's a statue of Perseus and Medusa - God knows what that's all about, maybe put there to scare the kiddies, and unmistakably a fine example of the mindset of the 19th century aristocracy.


I suppose the only problem with big public gardens like these is that they don't seem to have any soul. "We've spent all the money on the designers chaps, now here's the maintenance schedule - get on with it." Undoubtedly beautiful in parts, but where's the love? Where's the passion? It's just in the way of things I suppose.

The little show gardens - "for garden inspiration on a domestic scale" - were quite interesting, something for everyone, nice for the kiddies too - just as well after that statue.

I had a wander round the woods and the lake too so I can't say I didn't get my moneys worth.

And the National Trust could learn a thing or two from these corporate boys - tear down those ugly country houses - those symbols of privilege, oppression and exploitation - and spend the money on the gardens. It might upset the American tourists but it would please me no end.

The end is nigh, or not.

So I planted out the brussels sprouts on Saturday, since when the wind has been doing it's damnedest to rip them out again. We've had a little bit of rain but nowhere near enough to do much good. On the other hand there's plenty of flowers to enjoy and at least the rapture didn't happen yet.

Sprouts

Planted out:

In my garden

Cabbaged

The spring cabbage I sowed last August is doing nicely and providing me with plenty of greens...


...which is just as well because the summer cabbages aren't doing well at all. The dry weather has left them stressed and so vulnerable to pests. This lot are being attacked by flea beetles; they'll never make decent plants and will have to come out.

Peas

The early peas haven't liked the dry weather much either. They're only about two-thirds as tall as normal and won't get much taller as they've started to flower now.

Garlic

I planted these last autumn and although I've lost a few to the dreaded white rot on the whole I'm quite pleased with how they're coming along.

Spuds

First and second earlies and maincrop:

Tomatoes

I'm treating these a bit differently this year with a bit of DIY ring culture - I've planted them straight into their growbags and surrounded each plant with a 20cm bottomless pot which I'll top up with compost as they grow.

Phacelia and californian poppies

These have self-seeded from last year and besides looking beautiful the bees are loving them too.

Ox-eye daisies

I'm well pleased with these. I started them off from seed and planted them out in my orchard last year. Now they're flowering a treat. Hopefully they'll seed themselves around and spread too.

Struggling

May Day. Up the workers. April in central England turned out to be the hottest and driest since records began 350 years ago, ie it didn't rain. At all. The sun is blazing and just to rub it in there's a stiff easterly wind doing it's damnedest to desiccate everything in it's path. It's blowing just cold enough for me not to notice the UV taking my skin off. Not good growing weather. The perennials and anything planted out last year with their roots well down in the soil - the broccoli, asparagus and spinach - is doing well enough, so I won't starve. Even the autumn-planted spring cabbage is hearting up nicely without any watering. But anything planted out this spring is struggling - the peas look sorrowful and the cabbage positively pathetic.

9-star perennial broccoli undersown with trefoil.

In my garden

Out in the country

There's been a police helicopter clattering over our neighbourhood today, disturbing the peace and generally making a nuisance of itself, so I escaped up the fields.

April Is The New June

I shouldn't have to be seeking out the shade at this time of year but that's how it's been. Much too hot and still no rain - so much for April showers.

The cherry-plum, plum and pear blossom has been and and gone and the cherry and apple is out now - about two weeks early.

Eating fresh asparagus, spinach and purple-sprouting broccoli.

The first row of peas are planted out and there's plenty of seedlings on the go in the greenhouse and coldframes. All we need now is some rain.

Blossom time

Cherry

Apple

Early peas

Planted out and growing away:

Broccoli

Spring

So, after one of the coldest winters on record it's been the driest March for fifty years, and with temperatures well above average. Very pleasant but also a little ominous.

Out in the countryside the hawthorn is greening up even as the blackthorn is still in blossom.

I've seen red-tailed bumble bees and orange-tipped and peacock butterflies.

And I like the way the elder sneaks into leaf without me noticing (but then I would wouldn't I).