Goltho Gardens

Easter Chicks

2011-04-28T18:59:00.002+01:00

Here are our new additions to the Goltho Team they have been very popular over the last Bank Holidays, they had their photograph taken more times than the plants garden.

We have been really busy trying to catch up with weeding and potting up this was due to the weather in the winter delaying us and now the really good weather bringing customers to buy new plants after losing so many in the severe cold in December.

I hate to say it but we really need some rain, the ground is like concrete, when I look back at the old blogs it is something I am always asking for.

Annual Fillers

2011-03-28T18:11:00.002+01:00

Oops have not been very good at blogging. I can only say that I have been weeding or potting up in the garden for what seems like 24 hr 7 days a week so did not have time to switch the computer on.

It is getting quite dry at the moment, we worry about the weather too much really, the plants that have survived the winter seem to be happy enough.

I have mowed the lawn twice now, and the grass is looking much better, it suffered quite badly in the winter with all the snow on it.

We have planted several pots of annual seeds this year to help with the filling in that will be left from plants that did not make it through the winter. Amaranthus, Cleome and Leonorus all will help as they make quite big plants as the year goes on.

February Fill Dyke

2011-02-19T13:28:00.002Z

The Open Days for the NGS went by without any fuss or trouble and everyone thought the garden looked good, so what was I worrying about? We obviously did not have too many people as I had asked the powers that be to not advertise it as I personally thought it was not far enough on for viewing.

Have planted my tomato seeds, there is nothing like your own fresh tomatoes straight from either the garden or the polytunnel, this year we are growing 6 different varieties, two are the cherry type which are known here as snacking tomatoes as everyone who goes in the tunnel just picks a handful and wanders off with them.

It is poring with rain at the moment so gardening has ground to a halt today, can not even do anything in the nursery yet,

Monet's Influence

2011-02-10T16:22:00.003Z

This is a picture of my poor old weeping willow. I read somewhere that Monet pollarded his every three years and so what is good enough for him is good enough for me. This is the third time we have done this and it always surprises me how much it grows in a very short time, it will be 'weeping' again before the end of summer.

The weather is holding me up again at the moment, I was getting on quite well with the weeding although there is still some cutting back to do I will hopefully get it done before next Thursday and Friday when we have two charity days for the NGS - not really advertising them as the garden is a bit behind.

All behind at Goltho

2011-01-28T19:04:00.002Z

I am now gardening in earnest, trying to catch up the time that was lost before Christmas I am about 6 weeks behind with cutting back and general tiding. If you are thinking of coming around the garden please bare this in mind as I do not think the garden is up to its usual standard.

Snowdrops are coming out so if this warmer weather keeps up they will be out in force very soon. Hellebores range from very nearly out to just coming though the ground, Daffodils are showing their heads but will be a few weeks yet before they are showing any colour.

New Year at Goltho

2011-01-20T13:27:00.002Z

I t has certainly been a 'proper' winter this year, with temperatures down to -18 at times here in Lincolnshire I hope it has got rid of plenty of pests and diseases.

I am desperately trying to get some gardening done but the elements are clearly against me doing any, did a little last week and it felt really good getting out their again after all the excesses of Christmas and New Year.

Had a quick walk around today trying to keep off the grass as it is frozen solid at the moment, the snowdrops after last weeks warmer weather have come on in leaps and bounds, some are even out!!

Goltho Winter Closure

2010-12-18T13:13:00.002Z

We are still open until Sunday 19 December but I was really surprised to see two customers walking around the garden this morning, it did look lovely but really cold -4. They did go into the teashop for a lovely hot chocolate to warm them up after their stroll.
I was hoping to get plenty of work done in the garden before Christmas ready for us re-opening at the beginning of February and as last year we have two charity days for the NGS on 17 & 18 February hope it is better this year than last.
Well again Happy Christmas to all our customers, friends and family see you in the New Year.

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-14T10:34:00.003Z

Things are progressing very slowly on the new Teashop as the weather keeps on holding up the work, I suppose they have a point that -18 is too cold to be stood on a roof! Work has started again this week but snow is forcast for Thursday onwards so it will in all probability grind to a halt yet again.

I have not done anything in the garden for a couple of weeks at least as it covered with snow, the only one to enjoy it is Raffy the dog and Matthew my young nephew seen in the photograph 'helping' to clear the way in to the carpark.

The sloe gin and blackberry whiskey which is delicous and well worth doing are both now bottled and standing ready for the Christmas onslaught. I would like to wish a Merry Christmas and hopefully a prosperous New Year to one and all.

A Bargain at Goltho Gardens

2010-11-08T14:43:00.003Z

It is wet and windy today and blowing all the leaves down, this Autumn has been the best we have ever had with the colours of the leaves on the trees, shrubs and even the herbaceous perennials being exceptional.
It has gone very quiet here and as from November 1 the price to go around the garden is a bargain at £2.00 and there is still plenty to see. I am being kept busy at the moment with leaves that are falling all over the grass and cutting back keeps being put back as it seems such a shame to clear away plants that are still looking lovely, either with late flowers or coloured up foliage.

Birds, Berries and Blackberries

2010-10-29T15:03:00.004+01:00

Here is a photograph of the new Teashop that was started a couple of weeks ago and will be finished ready for next season.

It is blowing a gale today so will probably have blown all the leaves of the trees, but what a crop berries we have this Autumn. It must be because the summer was so good that all the seed and berries have ripened well - the birds will have a good winter this year as they fill up on all the hedgerow faire. Talking of which this year I have made some Blackberry whiskey for the Christmas season to go with the Sloe gin I make each year as it always gets finished up. I even made two lots last year and still it all went. Hic!!

Still Spring Cleaning

2010-10-22T17:07:00.003+01:00

We are busy at the moment clearing up the stock area at the back of the tunnel, getting rid of the old pots that have nothing in, cutting back all the Spring plants and anything else that has finished. It has given us loads more room so when this is finished we can begin to split the herbacous plants and get them ready for next season. I really love doing this as it makes me think of next year and what it will bring.
The Autumn colours are still glorious as the weather has been kind and not brought down all the leaves yet, although there do seem alot when I am mowing!!
I walked around the garden today with some family visiting from Kent and you can definately see where the frost has affected the hostas and other delicate leaved plants.

Building Work Commences

2010-10-11T17:13:00.003+01:00

It is quite exciting here at the moment as we have started work taking the roof off what is to be the new Teashop which will hopefully be ready to be opened by next season (March/April). Lesley is pleased as this means when it is finished she will get her house back and no longer have it all in her conservatory and dining room.
The bed and breakfast here at Goltho Gardens is going well and we have had several guests already and have not even advertised yet. They have all been really delighted with their rooms and say they are returning soon, we look forward to welcoming them again and all our guests to come.

Autumn Tints

2010-09-28T18:20:00.002+01:00

Summer has finished with avengence this last week, with Wednesday and Thursday being lovely warm days to the weekend being really cold and dropping about 7 or 8 degrees. This has brought out some of the Autumn tints in the shrubs and trees, bring them back into the foreground after months of being green they are all colouring up really well. Some to look out for are the Euonymus they have gone either bright red or pink depending on the variety, also the berberis are always a dependable shrub for colouring up, if like me you are on neutral soil.

Winter Warmers

2010-09-13T15:30:00.002+01:00

This week we have been sorting out the pots ready for the winter and next spring, we have found that if you have one good pot and then put in liners with a sucession of different bulbs eg early daffodils followed by tulips and then on to summer plantings this works very well.
The cyclamen are looking fabulous at the moment, I forget how spectacular they are and each year they come up no matter what the weather and they are spreading and seeding themselves nicely.
I have picked my blackberries to make some blackberry whiskey ready for Christmas, as last year we drank all the sloe gin and most of the rosehip vodka that I had made. I have also picked some elderberries to make some cough syrup, although the recipe says that it good for an evening drink The sloes are not ready yet so sloe gin at little later.

Autumn Bliss

2010-08-31T17:49:00.002+01:00

It has started to feel very autumnal just recently, this is maybe because the michaelmas daisies are starting to come out, only just mind you. Autumn is one of my most favourite times, I know June is the time gardens look at their best, but I still prefer September and October.
We are loaded down with tomatoes this year which is a good thing as the vegetable garden has not gone well this season the weather has been against it, I only hope the winter brassicas made an effort now it has cooled down abit.
I am hoping to put a few plants in the garden this week as the ground is now quite moist but still warm and they will start to get roots down before winter arrives.

House Proud at Goltho Gardens

2010-08-17T16:45:00.003+01:00

We have a bad case of whitefly in the vegetable garden this year, as you walk in clouds of them fly up off our poor old brassicas, unfortunately there is little that can be done to get rid of them, we have even had the vacuum cleaner out trying to suck them up! They have really enjoyed the warm, dry weather that we have had this year. The vegetables in general have not done too well because it has been so dry and it has been jolly hard work getting what we have, the tomatoes are now gearing up to full crop protential and also the courgettes, that most reliable of vegetables. We have planted another crop of french beans and some peas for later as we are a little concerned we will not have any brassicas if the whitefly have anything to do with it. Ahh well that is gardening!!

Garden Revives

2010-08-11T18:15:00.002+01:00

We have had a couple of plant saving down pours of rain and now the garden is starting to revive, it is looking good for August with the Praire border in full flower and the roses gearing up for a second go. A rabbit has managed to get past the fencing that we have all round the garden and take up residence somewhere in the garden and has taken a nibble or two at a couple of the new michealmas daisies in the Autumn border, but most of them are starting to fatten their buds ready for next month.
The ponds are still ridiculously low, with the poor fish just about managing to stay under water, we have started to feed the large Koi in the lower pond and now they come up every day, it is so good to see them regularly.

Dry Times at Goltho

2010-08-03T17:55:00.002+01:00

I have not published anything recently as it has been so dry that nothing has been happening, I have eventually cut back all the old geraniums, astrantias and other early flowering perennials as it would be too late if I waited any longer, but they have 'sulked' as it was so hot and with not a drop of rain they did not want to grow again.
We have a strict no watering policy here at Goltho Gardens, but we have had to back down from my principles as some of my shrubs have badly drooped. We have got the quad and trailor out and bucketed water on to these poor things as we would have lost them. There is still no rain forcast, what a year!!!
We have finished the new bathroom so are ready now to receive guests for Bed and Breakfast,
we have two double bedrooms available.

Rain at Last

2010-07-12T18:56:00.002+01:00

At last it is raining whether we will have enough is anybodies guess, it is so dry here that although we have a no watering policy I am seriously contemplating doing just that, The poor plants are looking all dry and withered, but if this rain carries on all night it will start to make amends.
As the weather has been so hot I have not been so busy in the garden just could not take the heat so have been potting up and pricking out at least that is all caught up with.

Help for Heroes

2010-06-29T19:02:00.002+01:00

We had our Help for Heroes annual event on Thurday and what an evening we had, the weather was perfect, the garden looked stunning and the company was excellent what more can be said
other that we raised a goodly sum too for this very worthy charity.
The weather continues to be hot which means the roses are not lasting long and my poor French student has to go out each morning to dead head them and anything else that is finishing. We had 8mm of rainfall last night which was very welcome as we were again dry as a bone and the lawn was starting to go brown, hopeful of more at the end of the week!

Midsummer Madness

2010-06-21T19:50:00.002+01:00

The weather has been all over the place - on Saturday it was so cold I had on my fleece and a jumper and today it has been really warm, the forcast for the rest of the week is also good, so our Help for Heroes Midsummer Evening should be a roaring success.
Our new french student arrived on Monday her name is Domitille and she is working very hard, we are hoping she will show us how to play boules as we have had a set for several years and not used them.
The roses are looking absolutely fantastic this season they must have enjoyed being cut back drastically in the Autumn and we have sprayed them for blackspot this year it has made a great deal of difference. I will cut the rest of the old growth out again this Autumn and they will be like new!!!

Summer at Goltho

2010-06-09T06:37:00.002+01:00

It has been a really busy week with booked visits in during the day and in the evening, the weather has been very kind and been warm and sunny just how you would imagine an English summer should be but usually isn't.
Market Rasen had its annual Gardeners Fair last weekend and Goltho Gardens had a stall, this is the third year I have been there so it was nice to catch up with old friends and a chance to chat and make some new ones.
This weekend coming we have a group of classic cars calling in to the teashop for lunch on their way to a local show, so if you are here on Sunday 13 around 12.00pm you will be able to see them in the carpark, they are wonderful to see and a credit to their owners.
We are holding our Midsummer Madness in aid of that worthy charity Help for Heroes again this year, on June 24 at 7.00pm so anyone wanting tickets had better get a move on as not many left.

Charity begins at Goltho

2010-06-02T07:05:00.006+01:00

We have been very busy this last weekend as we had a Charity Open Day and for the first time a Craft Fair both on Sunday, it went really well with lots of visitors only the wind was the unfortunate problem with stall holders struggling to put up gazebos. I think if we do another we will have it in the big barn!

The garden looks very lush at the moment, which is a miracle as it is extremely dry and the small amount of rain we have had has been dried up again by the wind. The roses are very nearly out and looking good from the 'haircut' that they had last Autumn. They were in need of a some severe pruning and general TLC.

I have posted a picture of the Wisteria which is looking absolutely wonderful at the moment.

Apple Pie Beds

2010-05-17T19:39:00.003+01:00

We must have been busy as I have missed two weeks blog tut tut.

The lawn at Goltho takes a lot of ware and tear with the amount of people walking on it all the time and to keep it in good order, this month we have treated it with a broad leaved weed killer to get rid of some of the weeds, this made it look really bad with the weeds popping up and looking curled up and wizend. We then cut it and for two weeks scarified it we then gave it a feed, it certainly looks alot better. When we get a decent amount of rain we will then spike which will airate it but it is a bit too hard at the moment to do so.
The pond is alive with tadpoles I think we have all of them in the world as it is a seething mass of little black wriggling bodies all different sizes, no doubt the fish are eating some but I think we will have plenty of frogs this year.
Here at Goltho we go to great lengths to make sure we get plenty of apples in the orchard and the recent frosty weather has not been a problem to us, out we go at 9.00pm to 'tuck up' of little orchard by covering them with duvet covers to prevent the frost spoiling the flower buds and ruining the harvest.

New Arrivals

2010-04-27T06:56:00.003+01:00

In the garden this week we have new arrivals the first being the frogs spawn, it has hatched and now there are tadpoles all swimming around in the pond, trying to keep away from the fish who would like to eat them. The other arrivals are some more silky chicks, they were very difficult to photograph as they kept trying to hide underneath one another. They were supposed to go under a broody mum but she got fed up with waiting and went back out with all her friends.

It has been a slow start in the nursery this year due I suppose to the weather, but this last weekend it was alot busier now the plants in our gardens are starting to grow it shows what has been lost after the cold winter but it is nice to see our plants going to new homes either as replacements or something new.

Rain stops Play

2010-04-19T15:42:00.002+01:00

The weather is certainly all over the place, really hot Saturday and Sunday, but raining today I can not say I am sorry as the ground was starting to get abit hard where I was working so it will now be a little more workable. Weeding is going slowly, I seem to be really up against it this year but no doubt it will all get done.

Work on the garage is still on going, it is felt and battens next so nearly there, not today though because the rain has stopped play. The new shower that is for Bed and Breakfast guests has benefitted from the bad weather, and is now moving on towards tiling, so if you are looking for some where to stay later in the year we will be able to accomodate you!

Daffodil Spectacular

2010-04-14T06:34:00.002+01:00

Work at Goltho is once again progessing on the garages, the last bay is now having its roof re- tiled. This was started last year and the first two bays look really good and even have cars in them, this last one is the largest and in the worst condition but once done we will be looking quite tidy.
As I walk round the garden at the moment it is very yellow as all the daffodils are out at the same time. We have over the years planted several hundred possibly thousands of different ones to have a lovely continutity of flowering, but this year they are looking quite spectacular. Yellow is the colour of the motif of Goltho Gardens as Goltho means ' where the marigolds grow' the marigolds is this case being marsh marigolds or Caltha and so we have plenty planted around the ponds and they too are just coming out.
Weeding is progressing slowly in the garden and I do find it difficult to know whether to work in the garden or keep potting up for the nursery, this time of year is very hectic!!

Nursery Beds

2010-04-06T16:49:00.003+01:00

It was have decided to tidy up the nursery beds this year. We have a system of capillary matting covered in a thin black plastic with holes in, this is to aid watering by retaining water in the matting and the plant roots then grow down and take up the water from the matting, but unfortunately it is a case of the theory is better than the practise as there is still plenty of watering to be done.
The black plastic was torn and flapped about in the wind so we have replaced it with a thicker one and covered it in pea gravel it looks really good and now it is being covered with newly potted plants from the stock area.
I must confess that I have not been in the garden this week as the weather has been so awful rain, wind and even sleet, typical Easter weather. I looked back at my blog for this time last year and we wanted rain as it was really dry.

Home Alone

2010-03-30T19:23:00.003+01:00

It has been heads down and grafting all the way this last week getting ready for Easter. I have managed to get out in the garden on a few days to carry on weeding but at a weak moment a couple of months ago I allowed Mum and Dad to book two weeks away on holiday this month so most of my time has been spent in the poly tunnel potting up and looking after the nursery and even on a good day customers.
Easter is early this year but even so looking at the weather forcast just the same old cold weather that we always get. We are not as far on as we usually are for this holiday, but we have a quite a few nice plants now in the nursery all growing on well, looking for a new home.
I have cut the grass again and some of the mole damage is now starting to blend in, thank goodness, although I am sure that is another hill popping up over there!!!

Post Holiday Digs

2010-03-17T17:34:00.005Z

This week it is back to the grind after our holiday we are putting in a new fence across the car park, you might think it is to hide all the piles of sand, gravel and hardcore, but it is actually to give us a little more room in the stock area. As I buy more plants on my travels to other gardens and nurseries I then split them all up to make several plants for the garden and then when they have made a large enough display, I put some in the Goltho nursery.
The fence had been really hard work as we have had to punch through the concrete then dig an 18 in hole through the hardcore, but we have got all the posts in now just got to put the panels up, hurray!!
Last Saturday and Sunday was Discover Lincolnshire weekend run by Lincolnshire Tourism and we were very busy for the time of year and we had loads of new customers who 'Discovered' us for the first time.

Goltho Gardens at Niagara Falls

2010-03-12T15:28:00.002Z

This looks like the Goltho Gardens staff outing. It is actually myself and my two daughters Kirsty and Emma on our holiday to Canada, Sean took the photograph I thought I would put this in as there is so little happening still in the garden at the moment.
We have got our first daffodils out they are supposed to be a very early variety and are usually out at the end of December begining of January. The snowdrops are looking lovely now and some of the hellebores are finally out.
I have spent this last week in the tunnel trying to pot some plants up ready for selling over Mothers Day and then Easter, some days the pots never thawed out which made things very difficult. I have it on good authoritythough that Spring is starting Wednesday next week. As long as it does not snow!!

Snowdrops where for art thou?

2010-02-23T21:36:00.004Z

We had two open days last week on Thursday and Friday on behalf on the National Garden Scheme (NGS) the plants in the garden are so far behind that we felt we could not charge an entrance fee so it was just donations to the charity. Is Spring ever going to get here? I do not think it is just us I think it is country wide, when it does finally warm up it is going to be just one big colourful explosion.
We are having our family holiday at the moment and have picked Canada this year, it is like home from home, in fact Manchester airport had more snow when we left than when we arrived in Toronto. It will be straight back to work when we get back, but after catching 6 moles this last month hopefully we will now have a lawn, the weather should be warming up and the grass growing (with luck not the weeds), so the first cut could be imminent.

Water Gardening!

2010-02-05T16:56:00.003Z

I must say I feel abit of a fraud at the moment writing a gardening blog, as every day I look out of the window and it is either raining and we are very wet or frozen solid. We have managed to cary on doing some semi pollarding in the Nut Walk. The hazel trees need thining but we do not want to totally loose the height by completely cutting them to the floor so just taking out any old and knobbly bits.
We are now open again and it is nice to see a few people braving the winter weather to visit Lesley in the Tea Shop. As yet not too much to see in the garden as the snowdrops have just stopped and even the aconites are only just popping through, they are usually well out by now.
I have to say a very big thank you to all the lads on the island of Masira which is just off the coast of Oman they have collected a large sum for our on going charity 'Help for Heroes' Well done and thanks again.

Heavenly Hellebores

2010-01-18T16:05:00.003Z

The snow has finally gone but according to the weathermen more is on its way - oh good, I think we have had enough now. I have got into the garden for the first time this year, the sun was shining it was lovely to be outside again. I cut back all the Hellebores and fed them, some were even flowering but most were just starting to peep through the ground, they have slowed down considerably since we have had this cold weather. A few early snowdrops are flowering but the majority are still coming through so a few weeks yet until we see the sheets of white throughout Lincolnshire that make you think of Spring and the better weather.
The seed packing for the Hardy Plant Society will probably finish this week so will be able to get out into the garden more often - lovely!
Do not forget we will be opening again of 3rd February so get those wellies out.

Its Snow Joke Anymore

2010-01-07T17:03:00.003Z

Not alot happening here at the moment, apart from looking at seed catalogues, watching the birds on the bird table and generally wandering around the house. I really need to get out into the garden and start to do abit of weeding and cutting down, but can not, the snow is lovely to look at but we have had enough now!!
Lesley and I have been asked to go in to BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Sunday to do a question and answer stint as the usual person has double booked, so listen out for us - hope nobody asks any hard questions, our usual 2 minutes slot is also on so we are getting full coverage.
Have started a twitter page 'Golthogardener' so if you are a tweeter give me a tweet - not really sure what I am doing so please help out.

Walking in Winter Wonderland

2009-12-22T15:29:00.003Z

Christmas is nearly upon us and for one of the first times I am about ready. Last year we had 23 for Christmas dinner and not one of them went around the garden to get 'out of the way'. This year we only have 11 (thank goodness) so not so much cooking and washing up to be done, a more leisurely time can be had by all.

The garden is covered in snow at the moment but still looks beautiful - cold but elegant and I can not see the weeds, which never stop growing. Snowdrops will still be peeping through despite the weather at the moment. I can also see a new mole hill sprouting each morning in the middle of the lawn as of today their are 7 all in a line, so that is going to make an almighty mess to clear up.

Christmas Faire

2009-12-07T14:30:00.003Z

Christmas is now coming up very rapidly and in the Goltho tearooms, Lesley has a special seasonal menu for December until we close on the 13th. I have had a sneeky try and it is absolutely delicious, so if you are thinking of going hurry up and get booked in!!

The garden is now so wet I am having difficulty finding anywhere to work on it, even the herbacous borders which are really free draining are sodden with all the rain we have had. It seems strange to think only a few weeks ago I was praying for rain, now as ever we have too much. We have snowdrops peeking through the soil, and even some early daffodils, everything is so early due I suppose to there being no frosts as such yet, but January is to come!!!!

Chain Saw Pruning

2009-11-18T18:59:00.002Z

I am really busy at the moment with the HPS Seed distribution which does take up nearly every spare moment, but saying that I did get out into the garden on Sunday the weather was absolutely lovely and we got quite alot of 'pruning' with the chain saw done. It is a not a tool to be taken lightly as it can do enormous damage, but as we needed to take lop some branches off trees that were hanging down too low it was just the 'man for the job'. It was so good also to get out into the garden and the fresh air after being stuck inside for what seems like weeks but was infact only days.

Lesley in the vegetable garden has taken up all the raspberry canes as we had a bad attack of mosaic virus which affects them with a marbling of the leaves and a lack of raspberries. We have got a new variety that is supposed to be virtually disease resistant.

Festive Hedgerow Faire

2009-11-01T11:01:00.003Z

On day last week on my morning walk with the dog I collected some hedgerow rosehips and sloes to make some Christmas Faire. I now have 'brewing' in the cupboard some rosehip vodka and some sloe gin. The recipes are easily found by looking on the internet and are very easy to do. The vodka at the moment looks like homemade tomato ketchup but closer to Christmas I will strain it through first some muslin then a coffee filter. I must confess that I have had a little 'try' and it is pretty good already. The sloe gin is in an old milk carton and I regularly shake them both to get the flavours mixed. Well I need something to look forward to at Christmas so it is not all cooking.

Autumn Colour

2009-10-12T15:57:00.003+01:00

We are noticing that the nights are really starting to draw in now and after about 3.00 in the afternoon it is turning quite cool and together with the dry September that we have had this is whipping up the Autumn colours a treat.

I love this time of the year, looking back over what we have done in the garden and what, as always is still left to do. The good thing about gardening is that there is always another year to do what you missed, forgot or just did not have time!!

Michelmas Day

2009-09-29T19:01:00.002+01:00

This weekend I escaped from Goltho and went to Worcestershire on a gardening weekend. I mainly wanted to go because one of the gardens to visit was Old Court nursery and garden and it holds the national collection of Michelmas Daisies or Asters and I wanted a few more for our Autumn border after its revamp earlier in the year. They were absolutely stunning and we were spoiled for choice, but as we got them out of the car when we arrived home we were really pleased with the ones we had chosen, they looked even better now they were away from all the others in the nursery, so look out for them in our nursery next year!!

Heroes & Roses

2009-09-23T17:15:00.004+01:00

The rose garden has been a bit neglected over the last couple of years, so this week with a helping hand from Jason, we have been tackling it. Most of the roses needed an extensive 'prune' and now we can see right across, through the rose garden to the hazel walk. We also had to do a little arborial work as the plum tree in the middle has given up the ghost and is rotten, we have chain sawed the unsafe limbs off, as part of it fell off this morning, luckily Jason was underneath it to save the roses!!
We are praying for rain as it is so dry the garden is like dust, and some plants are certainly drooping. I suppose when it does eventually rain it will not stop. It certainly seems to be all or nothing these days.

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

2009-09-15T09:04:00.003+01:00

Oops forgot to post a blog last week, we were busy cutting the Wild Flower Meadow, while the weather was still good. We were later than the usual August this year as we were waiting for the Purple Spotted Orchid to finally dropped its seed, it is really tiny and there are thousands of seeds on each one, so hopefully we will have alot more of them in years to come!
It is hard work cutting the meadow, it has to be scythed first by hand and then raked into piles to be picked up and taken away, then we get the mower out (we are getting to the easier bit) and mow it. We rake it again with the scarifier for the lawn this gets up a lot of the thatch from in the bottom, levels out any mole hills and other lumpy bits and then it is cut again really low, nearly scalping it. It looks really yellow and sickly but within two weeks it is green over and growing away like mad, we carry on mowing it as low as possible until the end of the season. In January the first signs of the early daffodil start to show so no more mowing then it is the Cammassias, the Fritilaria meleagris and then the grasses and wild flowers.

Team Goltho

2009-09-01T05:33:00.002+01:00

This week we welcomed two new volunteers to the Goltho Gardens team. Sue Strickland who is from Lincoln, married and has two sons but is willing to give is half a day every other week and Jason Daff who has just finished horticultural college at Pershore who will be here every Wednesday, we are now a mighty team!!
In the garden we are waiting for the Purple Spotted orchid in the Wild Flower meadow to drop its seed and then we can get it cut, it is starting to look really messy and it will be good to get it tidied. The Cyclamen under the Silver Birches are now starting to flower and are again looking spectacular there are just more each year.

Misty Cuttings

2009-08-24T20:49:00.004+01:00

One of the first photographs that was posted on here was of our new greenhouse, which at the time was filled with seedlings but its main purpose was to house our mist propagator. This is used to do all our cuttings. It is a wooden tray with sides that is lined first with sand and then has a heated cable laid on it and then that is covered with sand and then there is a layer of peat, the cuttings are placed in the peat and over the top is a mist sprayer which keeps the leaves moist and hopefully after two to three weeks we can take out rooted cuttings. I am please to say we have now got saleable plants in the nursery!!

Moth Trap

2009-08-17T22:09:00.002+01:00

Courgette Cornucopia were the words on everyones lips this week, Lesley had mentioned it on Radio Lincolnshire last Sunday and an article in the Lincolnshire Echo on Saturday complete with photograph were all that were needed for people to come along and see what to do with them, we sold out of any spare courgettes everyday so it must have inspired customers to go home and have a go!!
We also had the Butterfly Conservation people back to put up a moth trap on Saturday night they arrived about 8.45pm and set it up, there was a really bright light and a box with a funnel that the moths fell into. My poor Dad was volunteered to get up at 3.00am to cover over the box (to stop the sun warming it up) and at 9.30am it was opened to find out what we had caught.
We recorded 30 different species amongst these were a Poplar Hawk Moth, Goldspot, Mother of Pearl and a Magpie just to name a few. I am now looking on the internet for instructions on how to make a 'Moth Trap' for myself.

Hedging our Bets

2009-08-10T19:24:00.002+01:00

August is the month to cut your hedge if you want it to look good all winter, so here at Goltho Gardens we are busy doing just that. We have finished the yew hedges along the back of the herbacous borders and around the paeonia garden, it was the peony and iris garden but the irisies got shaded out and are in the process of being changed to clematis. We have four obelisks in there awaiting their climbers.
Do not forget that this week we have our courgette cornucopia in the teashop, with Lesley doing demonstrations and handing out gorgeous recipes to try at home.

Season of Mellow Fruitfulness

2009-08-04T08:18:00.003+01:00

Autumn is on its way, we are now in August and it is starting to feel really 'backendish'. We have begun our own harvest, last week I said we were eating courgettes like mad but the fruit garden this year has so far been very prolific. The blackcurrents and the gooseberries were laden and Lesley has been busy making cakes and jams with alot of the produce, she has also made some piccalilli from our own vegetables so call in and buy some it will be ready in time for Christmas.
We have eaten our first apples this week, the Discovery are always the first to be ready and there is a steady stream into the orchard to 'scrump' one. The plums are just starting to turn dark pink instead of green, and the cherries have all been harvested. All the surfeit of fruit is going in the freezer ready for use during the Winter.

Jack and the Beanstalk

2009-07-28T09:18:00.007+01:00

As promised here is a photograph of Jack the newest member of the Goltho Gardens team. Isn't he cute!!

The weather has been much better this week and this has made the vegetables come on like mad so we are eating runner beans and courgettes most days. Tomatoes are starting to ripen nicely also and we are all looking daily at the Discovery apples as they are the first to be ready.

In the garden the crocosmias are all starting to come out the first ones being C.'Lucifer' and the type C. masoniorum. the later one are starting to show colour, these are some of my favourite plants at this time of the year -they are so easy and no trouble.

All Quiet at Goltho

2009-07-20T19:07:00.002+01:00

We have had a miserable week this week at Goltho with the weather being really overcast and raining at the most inconvenient times, and it was quiet in the garden and nursery also. This was most likely as the weathermen kept giving severe weather forcasts so nobody wanted to risk a soaking. Plenty of potting up has got done and general tidying up of old pots, we have sorted our bulb list for Autumn but not much happened on the gardening front

Today I had a new hat on as I had been asked to judge Wragby in Bloom - what an honour!! I found it very difficult as all the exhibitors were excellent, but after walking around Wragby several times I finally made my decision.

Cooking with Flowers

2009-07-14T18:48:00.002+01:00

We have been really busy this last week, with only one day off - no rest for the wicked!! Our French student went home on Friday, so now I have to do all the potting up myself, but we send her all our best wishes and hope she succeeds with everything she wants to do.

The Teashop was bursting at the seams every 2.00 O clock this week when Lesley was putting on her 'Cooking with Flowers' demonstration, everyone had a sample of dandelion honey on some toast and Lesley also made some little scones flavoured with marigolds these all went down really well. Lavender cake and also orange and marigold cake were some of the delicious treats people could buy to have with their cup of tea or coffee during this week and I must say I never got a look in they sold out nearly quicker than Lesley could make them. Never mind maybe I will have better luck next time.

Oo La La

2009-07-06T20:26:00.003+01:00

We have a temporary member to the Goltho Gardens team this week with the arrival of Julie Meynet-Meunier on Monday. She is a horticultural student from Bellevaux in France and just staying with us for two weeks, luckily for us, her English is very good as our French is awful. Julie has been helping with the weeding in the nursery and stock area and doing plenty of potting up. We are also going to interview her for our Sunday spot on BBC Radio Lincolnshire so listen out for that!

We have all just about gone into melt down this week with the really hot weather, which unfortunately has affected the roses - they have not lasted long and have now nearly finished. Such a shame, they were glorious. Once again we are praying for rain, we gardeners are never happy.

Champagne and Canapes

2009-06-30T09:40:00.002+01:00

Early last week was all about getting ready for Wednesday night, our Charity 'do'. The weather all week had been hot and sunny but by 6.15pm the clouds came over and the temperature dropped. This did not put anyone off and about 40 people wandered around the garden with glasses of champagne, nibbling on canapes. The scent of the roses wafted gently around eveywhere you went creating a lovely atmosphere. A big thank you to everyone who came you were all very generous and we collected plenty for Help for Heroes.

Mass Exodus from Goltho

2009-06-23T08:22:00.002+01:00

For several weeks we have been watching the tadpoles in the ponds at Goltho first hatching and then growing in size and shape until they were tiny little frogs. Then earlier this week we had a torrential down pour, the rain just bucketed down we had 19mm in an hour and when it had finished all the little frogs climbed out covering the ground all around the pond so you could not walk for fear of standing on them and disappeared.

The new arbour is now finished and the Wisteria now draped elegantly over it instead of on our blue builders tower. The block paving is to be started in the very near future. We are trying to get all little jobs finished for Wednesday night for our Mid Summer Madness evening. Fingers crossed for good weather!!

Butterfly Conservation Week

2009-06-15T18:57:00.002+01:00

This week at Goltho, we had the local butterfly conservation volunteers here to chat to visitors about creating areas to attract butterflies into their own gardens. They brought several species of moths to observe and study, including different hawk moths amongst others. We also quizzed the volunteers on two types of resident caterpillars in the garden. These were identified as Mullein moth and a Vapourer moth.

We were at Petwood Hotel on Sunday 14 June for a plant fair, it was very pleasant to hear from new people that had heard about us. Our fame is spreading!

Roses, Butterflies & Bees

2009-06-09T05:54:00.002+01:00

The whole garden at Goltho is looking good at the moment, most of the roses are out in full bloom and the scent as you wander around this romantic area nearly knocks you out, they are just dripping from the trees and arches. It has been an exceptional year for blossom even as you drive around the county the hedgerows are full of lovely flowers.

The wild flower meadow is also in its prime with the buttercups and dog daisies out, the hard-heads are coming up to flower and we also have a small group of naturalising orchids, it is great just strolling along the winding path. The meadow is an important part of the garden as it encourages butterflies and bees which seem to be in a decline at the moment and this week Wednesday June 10 to Sunday June 14 we are encouraging people to create their own butterfly haven so come along and have a chat with our local Butterfly Society who will be here to answer any questions.

Last days of May

2009-06-01T22:45:00.002+01:00

Another busy week and no rest for the wicked here, as it was a Bank Holiday on Monday we were open and had a booking for a large party on Tuesday so there has been no days off for the Goltho team.

This last weekend we had a stall at the popular Market Rasen Plant Fair, there were plenty of other stalls to browse through and in the Festival Hall there were crafts and food vendors to look at. We were very busy selling plants that I have potted up through the Winter and early Spring so will have plenty of stocking up to do. I got to talk to alot of new customers and also plenty of 'old friends' which is always fun.

Tickets for our forthcoming event 'Midsummer Magic' on June 24 at 7.00pm are starting to sell like hot cakes this last couple of days further details of this can be found on the web site.

More Changes at Goltho

2009-05-25T04:19:00.002+01:00

It has been a busy week this week, we have 'tidied' up the entrance area by putting down some more gravel and some pots. In September we will finish this off by continuing the gravel and putting in a Thyme area.

We had another Charity Day on Sunday for the National Garden Scheme, again it was a very successful day with about 100 visitors to the garden. The weather was perfect - warm, sunny and not a breathe of wind, the garden looked absolutely lovely.

We have started a new bed in the car park to put a tree and some shrubs in for shade and to break up the hugh area. We hired a mechanical breaker, but once we got started the concrete was so thick and hard it isnow smaller than we had first thought. Unfortunately we did not get it finished so had to 'park' our transit van in the hole to stop anybody driving in it.

As it is a Bank Holiday this week and then we have a coach party in Tuesday we have no days off - no rest for the wicked!!

Pots of Thyme

2009-05-18T22:15:00.002+01:00

It has been a busy week here at Goltho, but not with visitors. The weather has been the main factor with gale force winds and lashings of rain so not even the keenest of gardeners wanted to come and look around the garden. I can not blame them!! We have been busy getting all the planters planted up ready to go out around the garden for the beginning of June after all possiblity of frosts has passed.

A new bed has also been planted up near the Tea Rooms, it is quite shady so good fun choosing a variety of shrubs to go in it, a few we chose were a varigated Sambucus, a lovely dark red Berberis and a new small growing green Cotinus called 'Young Lady' scattered amongst these are Hellebores for late winter interest.

We have a new comer to the Goltho team by the way of Jack a 9 week old poodle puppy - he is soooo cute. Photo to follow.

Chainsaw Sculpting at Goltho

2009-05-11T07:24:00.003+01:00

It has been very noisy at Goltho Gardens this weekend as we had a woodturning and chain saw exhibition by local tree surgeon James Kendal and some of his team. This proved to be very popular, plenty of people came to watch and bought some of the products that they had turned or sculpted, we are already thinking of doing it again next year and maybe including some willow weaving and other relevant crafts.

Rachel from Oak PR has been this week to start the filming for the BBC, we are doing a weekly slot on local Radio Lincolnshire this is to compliment our slot on the Sunday Gardening Show with Sue Taylor so will soon be famous ha ha.

Charity Open Day

2009-05-05T08:42:00.003+01:00

We had our first charity Open Day for this season on Sunday it was for St Johns Ambulance, but we woke that morning to a really windy and cold day so some disappointment after the lovely hot weather in April. It was a slow start in the morning but we eventually had 140 visitors to the garden and had alot of nice comments with people looking forward to coming back later in the season to see the garden in its full glory. May looks like being a very busy month as we have lots of bookings, but it is raining at this moment in time so can not get the grass cut - ahhh.

We are scouring books and magazines at the moment to get some ideas for the entrance into the garden as it is abit scruffy, so watch this space!!

Rain at last

2009-04-27T17:15:00.002+01:00

I have just come in from the garden, I was chipping the last of the hedge trimmings and am absolutely drenched, but must not moan we have been praying for rain for about a month now. We will now be able to carry on with the weeding which had come to a halt last week as it was just too hard. I have to say that now we are open 5 days a week it is much more difficult to keep the garden in order and get everthing done, but the nursery is in much better order and potting up is nearly all finished.
The path that was started just before we open in February is now finished and goes all the way to the Tea Rooms now, the brick wall is going up nicely beside it, hoping to have something for the Wisteria to climb up soon instead of the blue scaffold tower it is on now!!
Our second lot of chicks all hatched safely, we have managed to put them under a silkie that had gone broody, they look really cute!!

Work progresses at Goltho

2009-04-23T04:50:00.002+01:00

We have been so busy after the opening at Easter that we have missed a week on our blog spot. The garden is looking great, but could now do with at bit of rain here in Lincolnshire as we have unforgiving land, sodden in winter and now concrete hard as it has dried.
The chickens are laying like mad so it is boiled eggs for breakfast, poached for lunch and omlettes for tea at the moment, but if you are calling in to see us you can buy some in the Tea Rooms. We have been asked by Radio Lincolnshire to do a video link to their web site of ' Whats going on at Goltho' so look out for that, a nice companion to our Sunday spot on the Sue Taylor show. Well better get back to the weeding as it never stops.

Preperations for Easter opening

2009-04-06T19:45:00.005+01:00

As the reopening at Easter is just round the corner, this week the team are weeding in the garden and potting up for the nursery. In the new greenhouse the seedlings and tomato plants are growing on well, within the next month they will be ready for potting on for selling.
This Easter Sunday will see Goltho's first Easter egg hunt, where children of all ages will find hidden items in the garden through a secret clue sheet. This is a great chance to mix our two favourite things, plants and chocolate!

Above you can see our new greenhouse and Raffy.

Autumn Garden

2009-03-30T20:19:00.005+01:00

With the Autumn garden being one of the first borders planted up, after 10 years it was starting to look tired and needed refreshing.
So this week, the team has taken out all the herbaceous plants, manured and rotavated. We then split up and replanted them. This border will be looking it's best from September onwards. You see (from clockwise) Ken, Sean and Marie working.