Making Veddw 7: The Veg Plot In its lost glory

Now, at some point we visited Barnsley House, Rosemary Verey’s garden. Charles was much taken with the potager. Which is a fancy name for a veg garden made on very formal lines and designed to be attractive as well as functional. The paths at Barnsley House were far too narrow, so that you sort of tiptoed around, but we got the idea.

Poles?

Poles?

So, we are currently looking at two rows of poles. And wondering whether to keep them…..

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Good plants, Bad plants

Good plants, Bad plants

There have been some winners and losers this summer in the plant population, and not much to do with the weather…

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Down with weeding: how living with weeds can make us better gardeners.

Down with weeding: how living with weeds can make us better gardeners.

How many of us love the outdoor housework known as weeding? Is this why we turn eagerly to the gardening pages every week – to discover what boring chores we should be tackling? Unfortunately, for many garden housework haters like myself, our efforts, or lack of, may be on very public display (unlike the state of our bathrooms, for example). The gardens to which we are all exposed in magazines, RHS shows and on television don’t help.

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Best garden in Monmouthshire? Hill House, Glascoed,

Best garden in Monmouthshire? Hill House, Glascoed,

You’d expect one of my favourite gardens of anywhere to be a friend’s garden: partiality may be unavoidable. But my pleasure is based on more than that – this is just a truly good garden and it will be open, perhaps for the last time, in July this year.  

And yes, Veddw is only half an hour away.

So, what’s so good? ….

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May pictures

May pictures

I know all you really really want are pictures to look at. So here, celebrating our opening on the 3rd of June (Sunday afternoons 2-5 -our last year!) are some Veddw pictures….

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Making Veddw Book?

Making Veddw Book?

“We’re wondering about doing a book, about Veddw, which will (if we can persuade a publisher) include some of the history of making it. We’re wondering if that would be interesting?”

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Just plant pictures, January

Just plant pictures, January

Hellebores. Those are the stars of the show at this time of year for me, all of them, seedlings, well bred ones, all of them. Especially in pots indoors – no bending!

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Catching up – or chopping down.

Catching up – or chopping down.

“Useful for breaking up those clods of earth that do not break down in the frost as promised by lying garden writers. Or bashing the soil off the rootball of something you’ve dug up and want to dispose of. That sort of thing…”

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Playing with Plants

Playing with Plants

“We went off to the local Builder’s Merchant and ordered some scaffolding boards, and the internet provided us with some threaded rods and nuts.”

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Reflections

Reflections

“I love it when it’s faded a little and I add a refresher dose. Gradually a darker inky black spreads across the pool, reviving and restoring the drama all over again.

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Thoughts on Opening a Garden and being Criticised.

Thoughts on Opening a Garden and being Criticised.

We closed the garden this week, with great relief. It's knackering opening it, but necessary since it helps pay for its development and maintenance. Sadly, someone had not enjoyed their visit - see above. This is on Google - if you google 'Veddw' that is what you will...

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