JULY 2007
We had an open day.....
Well, we went ahead on 17th June and held our first open day. I can only begin to describe the month of self-doubt that preceded the event. "it will rain all day", "no-one will come", "the garden is a tip and always will be", the village will laugh at us", "someone will slip on goose pooh and sue us into bankruptcy" - and, above all "WE'LL NEVER BE READY IN TIME!!!!!"
Well, we were ready, just. The geese were confined to quarters so no pooh was around to be slipped on. It rained, for about an hour, lightly and refreshingly in the middle of a warm, balmy afternoon, and since the night before I was kept awake by torrents of stair rods lashing the windows and by 9 o'clock that evening we were revelling under a gazebo to the tune of more torrents of rain, I think we were lucky. People did come, in a steady stream all day. The garden was a tip, but much less of one than normally, and some bits looked quite nice - and in any case we had the excuses ready with lots of information and signs about how it was a garden for wildlife.
The garden is as ready as it will ever be....... 
This married quite well with James and Mrs. Bell's garden opposite, also open for the day and raising over £40 towards the church restoration fund (most of you won't know, but Bankfoot Church burnt down a few years ago). Our different styles of gardening and varying garden features ensured there was something for everyone.
 Next door's lovely rock garden and terrace.
There was a stained glass studio to interest folk in Main Street at Artisan Stained Glass, and embroidery just down the way at Katya Embroidery, while we had pottery from Joy who lives up the way on sale in the polytunnel. I think everyone involved made something on the day, and what's more it was fun!
Thankfully the weather was good enough - just - to allow us to go ahead with Herbal Teas and Home Baking on the Lawn (LAWN????? ok, then, grass etc). My daughter Rowan and the intrepid Mandy (HALLO MANDY!!!!!) from next door are to be praised for their baking, waitressing and general organising of this side of the event, which raised £34.50 for one of our favourite charities, Bees for Development. (I only hope Mandy's mum, Rose, has forgiven me for her nettle tea and will lend out her daughter should we daft enough to do this again!)
Other Happenings
Apart from the usual weekly attendance at markets, sending off plant orders and the treadmill of potting up, potting on and taking cuttings, not much has happened. The open day actually has forced me to get on top of things in the nursery and the garden, and the month of almost non-stop rain we have endured in June and now the start of July too, is now forcing me to catch up with the website and other administrative things.
I have acquired some new plants to be propagated and added eventually to the stock list. Available now is Passiflora caerulea, the medicinal blue Passion Flower, and native Heartsease - miniature pansies with very pretty and variable faces, edible and medicinal. Thanks to one of my customers, Dave, for these, and also the Musk Mallows and Calamintha grandiflora, which hopefully will be propagated by next year. I came home one day to find a Large Boulder of Clay with green things sticking out of it - this was a clump of Orange Hawkweed, or Hens and Chickens - a lovely native plant donated by Susan and Andrew, thanks pals! These are also ready now. Kirsty left a bag of creeping pennyroyal on the doorstep one day (I only had the upright form before), and someone else - Barbara I think - left a bag of Ginger mint. A few weeks ago a parcel arrived from Portsmouth, containing a rather exciting plant called Stevia rebouldiana - the Sweet Herb of Paraguay. This was from Calum, another customer who made the trek north for my last workshop (I love the way my customers help stock the nursery!). Apparently Stevia is a serious contender to replace sugar cane (honestly one leaf gives you a great sugar rush) in South America, a development which is being resisted by the US and other cane-growing countries..... strangely enough, they've banned it....
 Heartsease, Allenheads 
On a short break to Northumberland (where I imagined lots of men in short skirts and armour while clambering over miles of Hadrian's Wall) we visited Chesters Walled Garden and another nursery, and came home with a new mint - variegated buddleia mint, with green and yellow leaves, a balm of gilead, and something else which I've forgotten. Thoroughly recommend Chesters - both the garden which is wonderful, and the Roman fort, especially the bath house. Oh, and the cafe next to the filling station. While we're about it giving plugs, try breakfast in the Allendale Tea Rooms - and please take a walk upriver and see if you can identify for me the big Eupatorium with huge heart shaped leaves by the adit entrance. I see I'm losing you so I'll shut up.
 This Eupatorium, I mean !
Of the four chicks that hatched in May, three survived, and all poultry doing well given the muddy, wet conditions they have been forced to endure this month. We had loads of butterflies earlier in the spring, but they seem to have been largely washed away - this painted lady obviously loved the Welsh Onions though just as much as bumblebees do!
WORKSHOP 21ST JULY
If you have missed the plugs for this workshop elsewhere on this site, just to remind you that "Using Herbs - Creatively and Subversively!" will run on Saturday 21st July at Bankfoot Church Hall. The venue is 5 minutes from our place, and the garden will form part of the educational experience - oh dear, better do some more weeding! Seriously, there will be practical tasks, demonstrations, and lots to talk about, and a herb-dominated lunch will be provided. Do come along!
(And if it's too short notice, then get organised for the "Edible Wild Food" workshop on October 20th!) (The rain might've stopped by then too.)
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