If you look carefully at this wonderfully out of focus photo you can see the blight. We have fought it for years. All over the garden. And we have been removing it from all over the garden. This year, after a drought, we got much pouring rain and the worst blight we had ever seen.
So finally it had to go. Another sad day – I planted the hedge myself many years ago and loved it.
This is a good time to introduce Angus, who has replaced Jeff and has been doing sterling work for us now for over a year.
Here’s a better picture of Angus, just by way of hello. He’s the one on the right, and yes, he does often look this cheerful despite the stuff we throw at him to do. Here you can see that he’s been cutting holes in our yew hedge and chopping it ruthlessly back until it all looks a mess.
And yesterday Angus removed the entire hedge including digging up the roots.
Meanwhile Charles burnt it all; a dramatic farewell.
And today Charles is clearing the trench:
You can see the original wall, which predates us, has re-appeared. Charles now intends to replace the wavy hedge with a wavy wall, on top of that old wall.
And at this point, finishing this post, I am conscious that I always knew that Charles’s mother would be reading these accounts of the garden, a garden she was very fond of. And gave generously to. But she died recently, so I’m missing a vital member of my audience. Here she is, in her own garden.
Sorry for your Box Blight. It’s making the rounds here in Kentucky. Will surely make a mess of a lot of gardens if it worsens. Also, my sympathies for the loss of Charles’ mother. What a beautiful smile.
Thanks Allen. It is a sad time. Xx
Probably not a very helpful comment but we’ve got the Box Moth Caterpillar on site near you now – about 4 miles away near Itton, so I’m done with Box. Sorry to hear anyway! Planted a parterre hedge of Euonymus microphyllus recently so we’ll see how that does. Glad you managed to find a good gardener anyway!
Thanks – it’s kind of reassuring to have getting rid of box as a good thing confirmed. I’m looking forward to having an unblightable wall instead (maybe it will fall down?) but hope the Euonymous does well. Worth noting.
Thanks – it’s kind of reassuring to have getting rid of box as a good thing confirmed. I’m looking forward to having an unblightable wall instead (maybe it will fall down?) but hope the Euonymous does well. Worth noting.
How lucky you are to have an Angus – looks like worth his weight in gold. A gift to you to go some way towards compensating for the sad losses. And so it goes….
He is and we are very grateful for Angus!
Delighted that this draft of clear cold mountain stream water is still here. I enjoyed M Keane and Bosco della Ragnaia
Glad to hear that – and to hear from you!