Winter Approaches at Torosay

It was very satisfying last week to be able to get in what will probably be the final mowing of the lawns for the season. We were also able to give some of the lawns a scarifying, I don't think this had been done on the walled garden for many a year.After two passes we had taken off more thatch than we have in green mowing's all season and the bad news was that it all had to be raked up by hand.

Eventually after allowing a whole growing season as a stale seedbed for weeds to come and then be dispatched, we have now started to plant the beds that we built around the entrance area last winter. It has been quite a tricky area to plan as it cannot be protected from rabbits or deer, some of the things that we are trying are foxgloves, Hellebores, Euphorbias, Bergenia and Geranium macrorrhizum. We are trying a few shrubs as well Rhodo's and Escallonia, it seems that the smellier or aromatic the foliage the less they like it, I'll keep you posted! One thing that I know from experience is that tough leaves and prickles don't work I've seen Hollies Berberis and Roses all devastated by deer.

Planting has also been started in the Primeval Dell including tree ferns (acquired from Logan Botanic Gardens) Cycads, Wollemi Pine, Woodwardia fern and our own bog oak tree discovered on the estate, planted vertically it looks quite spooky almost black with a very rough surface. Planting in this area will be ongoing as and when we acquire more ancient plants.

We have also managed to do some planting in the very far corner of the garden known as Roberts Corner. This is an area that was rescued from wild raspberries and a very aggressive colony of wasps last summer, it did contain a few hybrid Rhododendrons that have improved immensely in the last year since they have been unshackled and by the look of their heavy budding should flower profusely next spring. It seemed appropriate that we should marry them up with some of the many species and hybrid deciduous Azaleas that have been sitting around in the nursery area for the last 18 months.

Still lots to look forward to we start autumn leaf sweeping next week...

Any volunteers ?