In Hope of a Proper Handsome Day

We’ve had somewhat contrasting weather at the Betley Court Gardens this week. Monday morning brought sharp heavy showers in the morning, but by the afternoon it was perfect gardening weather – glorious blue skies and warm sunshine. There have been gale force winds yesterday, and unsettled weather forecast for the next couple of weeks. I spoke to Mike (MD ScaffoldingServices), who’s overseeing the construction of our temporary roof, as he checked various weather apps on his mobile phone.

Our ever increasing scaffold tower

He’s trying to judge when a period of clement weather will settle over Betley Court so they can plan the safe installation of the roofing sheet. Yesterday was definately not the day! However, it’s all very exciting, knowing that the house will be covered, because then we can start planning the next stage of the rebuild. On Monday, a drone was sent up to inspect and record the progress of the scaffolding and I can’t wait to see the video from a bird’s eye view. I wonder what our resident lime tree crows made of it all.

View from the south

There’s a lot activity around the grounds too, hidden by the massive shadow of our wrapped building. Steven, our work experience student from Reaseheath College is with us for a fortnight*. I’ve made a long list of jobs for him to help with, and on Monday, he planted up manger-type baskets with flowers for the forecourt. Hopefully, as the flowers grow, they’ll cheer the place up a bit. We’ve cut back the dead straggly bits on the formal beds, so that area looks so much tidier.

Steven busy gardening in the forecourt

We also planted the flowering cherry trees gifted to us by the Betley Womens Instistute. They've been planted as a pair at the entrance to the paddock from the lawn. That way, they'll mark the entrance, and they will be seen from the house when they flower in May.

Planting the cherry trees from Betley WI

Steven executed an excellent 'figure of eight' tree tie

Digging the holes was fun. Steven found a compacted strata of pea pebbles lay under the turf where we'd decided to plant the cherry trees. We broke it up with a garden fork to excavate the soil. I wondered whether this was the route of the old gravel path in an earlier era, marked on William Emes's design. Nigel wondered if it was the bottom of the ha-ha that prior to William Barron's 1865 redesign of the gardens, separated the pleasure grounds of the house from the pasture of the farm. It could be where decorative gravel was dumped when Barron's Italian parterre went out of style and was removed. Or it could be none of these reasons. It's lost in the midsts of time now.

Repairs to the formal path

Between heavy showers, Shane’s cracking on with repairing the long formal path that runs from the car park to the gazebo. He’s installed new edging on the car park side, and the restored laurel hedge is now becoming a useful pedestrian barrier. Even although it’s not finished yet, it is looking smart. Shane and Melvyn have also installed a surface water drain, along the concreted area by the garages. Very timely, given the sharp showers we’ve been having.

The new surface water drain

Regular readers will remember a few years ago, Nigel and I were invited to a recording of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time (GQT) when they were the guests of the Dorothy Clive Gardens [recording available here]. Nigel had the opportunity to ask the team if it would be possible to propagate new plants from our ancient Halesia carolina. This was largely because I was too much of a chicken to speak on the radio, so I put his name on my question! Anyway, the team gave us advice on taking air cuttings, and last May – a little too late in the season really – I prepared the air cuttings, and began the waiting game to see if they’d take. In October, Shane and I potted some on. We also took  hardwood cuttings, and potted up a side shoot that had developed roots. The pots were stored by the little potting shed to over winter. It’ll either work or it won’t, we thought at the time.

One of the new Halesia carolinas, just starting to come into bud.

I had a good look at them yesterday, and low and behold, tiny green buds are appearing! I’ll grow them on in pots for a while, before planting them out. It will be lovely to plant one in a position where the pretty little snowbell flowers can be appreciated. We also now have a replacement for the inevitable time when the Halesia carolina finally fails. I recommend taking cuttings to anyone, just for the pleasure and satisfaction when it works and they take – and of course, adding to your number of plants by spending nothing but time.

Steven cutting back in the borders.

Incidentally, the title of this week’s post comes from a story my sister told me, about a customer who called to place an order at the wood yard where she works in Devon. The customer commented on the day’s weather, which was glorious and sunny for February. In a broad Devon accent, he proclaimed it a ‘proper handsome day!’ which she adored. Well, for the next few weeks, all of us at Betley Court will be scanning the horizon (and our phone apps) for signs of a proper handsome day so the temporary roof can be finished. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Snowdrops (Galanthus)

All best wishes

Ladybird Su

*In accordance with current COVID19 restrictions, Steven has made a private arrangement with us to continue his work experinece with us while Reaseheath College is open to students online only. We have put the appropriate measures in place and undertaken the required Risk Assessment for everyone working in the gardens.