Rosendael April 2012 Newsletter
05/02/2012
Well, we knew that weather couldn’t last… At least the veg patch had some much-needed water and some seedlings have been planted out. We have peas, broad beans, parsnip and onions planted out and the next section is being dug over to plant out the more tender veg. This will include an asparagus bed; the seedlings are looking very strong but we will not get a harvest from them for a couple of years at least.
There were some interesting wildlife sightings early in the month; a frog (just one…) spent a day spawning in the tin-bath pond and several bee-flies were seen in Bill’s Bit. These are furry hover-flies that are parasitic on solitary bees and are not often seen in this area.
The grafted apple trees have taken! Mark and Paul’s grafts must have been very professionally done as they have leafed out and are looking very healthy. This is another long-term project but it means that these heritage varieties (Belle de Pontoise, a dessert apple, and Castle Major, a rare cooking apple) will be preserved and perpetuated in a perfect environment. We hope they will fruit within a couple of years.
The big news, of course, is our opening party, which happened on Wednesday the 25th April, the Official Opening of Gardening at Rosendael. The weather was predicted to be awful and the forecasters were not wrong. The rain did hold off for long enough that guests could have a good look around the garden and see the progress for themselves. The Rosendael staff deserves a big thank you for hosting the party and everyone enjoyed themselves meeting old friends and making new ones. Jim McColl formally opened the project and spent a lot of time chatting with the veterans; they hugely appreciated his friendly banter and interest in their projects.
So we are officially up and running and we have had a surge in interest from Rosendael’s resident veterans, with several new referrals this month. Numbers are up and the whole garden is poised to take off when spring happens properly at last and that final frost is past.
Kate and Wilma @ Rosendael
For more photos see gallery for Rosendael
