Blog 1: Gardening on the edge
From Ed Ikin, Head Gardener of Nymans in West Sussex
It’s finally here. After several false dawns, we have a proper drought summer, the first since 2006. At times like these, you realise just what a knife edge we garden on.
Give a classical English country garden regular, but not excessive, rainfall and mannered summer sunshine, ideally not exceeding 25oC, and it thrives. Any variation on this - excessive heat, prolonged dryness or heavy storms – and we quickly enter a world of stress and worry, our plants no longer appearing ‘fit’ for the site.
These are stressful times for Nymans too. But not that stressful. Good soil and enlightened management stretching back a century have given us a robust site and doughty plants not prepared to give up after a couple of dry weeks. Our lawns, never watered in living memory are still green not brown, and our roses and herbaceous perennials have yet to ask for water.
The big challenge lies with the Summer Borders. This homage to high horticulture, a densely planted patchwork of 6500 annuals, is the heart of our summer display, deeply ingrained in the affections of tens of thousands of visitors. How do we satisfy them while reconciling our reluctance to water? We push our bedding to the limit whilst maximising the potential within the soil. Organic matter and root enhancing fungi are added and then the game of patience begins. Can we avoid watering today? Can we wait another 24 hours? What are the moisture levels deep in the soil where the roots are? We know that annual bedding is robust: Dr Tijana Blanusa’s ongoing work at Reading University shows that when annual are given minimal water, they don’t die, they grow differently. Leaner, wirier, tougher, more resilient and yet still willing to flower. Right now, our watering intervals are 10 days apart.
The summer may challenge us further, but Nymans’ fundamental characteristics – a well-chosen site, full of well-chosen plants, will see us through.
Thoughtful Gardening by Ed Ikin (National Trust Books £14.99) is a user friendly, clearly written guide to ‘green’ gardening. Novice gardeners will learn all the essentials from this but there are lots of nuggets for the more experienced gardener too. AG