I have been looking forward to June to see our newly planted roses in the new walled garden flower for the first time. Planted last July, they are all now fulsome shrubs, spilling over with flower and leaf of such beauty and abundance that all I can do is to simply bask in their grace. This is their time – the wonderful Mme ‘Alfred Carriere’ – pretty cupped creamy-white blooms tinged with pink bringing us unalloyed happiness. ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ with bright pink flowers with the most glorious scent, ‘Queen of Sweden’ – (pictured) the most lovely soft pink – ‘Tuscany Superb’ ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ – the names dance with romance and I must admit when I was choosing which roses to grow in this new garden, I was seduced by the sounds of them as well as what they look like. I love roses – albas, gallicas, damasks, mosses and the wild roses that grow in our hedgerows here – all exceptionally beautiful. And at this point in the year, they are as perfect as they can be.
I have not long been in from the garden where I have been on my knees hidden amongst the grey glaucas leaves of our globe artichokes weeding. But I am completely happy – bending down in the under-layer. In the walled kitchen garden the hoe does ninety per cent of the weeding and we run it through the soil every few days in dry weather but hand weeding is the only answer for weeds growing in-between plants where you have to concentrate carefully and work with clever fingers so as not to pull out a tiny treasure. It’s completely satisfying and a vital part of caring for this garden.
Something so simple but giving us such floral joy is the meadow running alongside our driveway, which now at the beginning of June, is bursting with buttercups, making the whole field shimmer buttery yellow. This is the meadow buttercup, Ranunculus acris. I love the thought that if I was transported back here in 1390 – the date of the house – there would have been buttercups flowering in the same meadow here. Buttercups do very well on this part of the meadow as it is damp and the buttercup is only really happy in damp soil where they are pollinated by bees who can easily get at the nectar and pollen with their open flat flowers.
Just a reminder that we are opening the garden here on Sunday June 14th 1-5pm. Pre-booking only – you can book tickets here.
Kate Elliott came to Columbine Hall in 1997 when she was sixteen. She is now head gardener but also helps with managing the property generally and in conducting guided tours.