Apley Walled Garden – temperatures there reach 48 degrees

Gooseberries

Glasshouse renovation

Swarm of bees moved to a plum tree

Temperatures in Apley Walled Garden reached 48 degrees on Tuesday which must make Phil’s physical gardening work very hard. Lucky he’s got hose pipes & sprinklers everywhere !

Late last night, I spotted an email from Phil updating me with what’s coming up to Apley Farm Shop this week: Apache & International kidney potatoes, purple & green artichokes, broad beans, spinach, beetroot, basil, lemon, spring onions, white & red cooking onions, cucumbers, lettuces (Little Gem, New Fire Red, Roxy, Saladin, Lolla Rossa), calabrese, radish, garlic, sugar snap peas, pea tendrils, thyme, coriander, borage flowers, nasturtium flowers, viola flowers, calendula flowers, mint, baby leeks, fennel bulbs, red currants, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, Tayberries & the first pickings of courgettes.

Some of the Sugar Snap peas have been given to the Apley butcher for his stir fry packs & the Hundred House Hotel (Norton) has had around 4-5kg. The Creamery Café had fresh calabrese on the menu for Sunday lunch yesterday. Phil has lifted & dried off the 600 bulbs of purple garlic, some of which Gavin will smoke & sell in the Farm Shop as smoked garlic.

Regularly, our Marketing Assistant Lauren, our Head Chef Martin & our Farm Shop supervisor go to see our Head Gardener Phil Allen in Apley Walled Garden, to ensure there is a strong link between what’s being produced there, what’s being cooked in the Creamery Café & what’s being sold in the Farm Shop – plus for course, how it’s all being marketed. From one of their recent such visits, Lauren sent me this photo of our visiting swarm of bees which had eventually moved from the Sweet William flowers to one of the plum trees.

The renovation of the glasshouse built in the 1920s will hopefully be finished by August, which will enable Phil to continue to produce salad crops throughout the winter months. Our own Apley Estate property team have been working on the woodwork & metalwork. The glazing is being done by a contractor.

I also spotted a great report on Trip Advisor after the last Walled Garden tour given by Phil. He’s very personable & enjoys sharing his wide gardening knowledge. Please note the gardens are strictly private at all times. All tours are private & must be pre-booked through Apley Farm Shop office, 01952 730 345, option 6. Contact details must be provided in advance of all those wishing to join a private tour.

Garden dates for your diary: The next Apley Walled Garden Beginners’ Gardening course is on Wednesday 29 July. To book your place, just email marketingassistant@apleyfarmshop.co.uk or call the office (option 6) on 01952 730 345. The last 3 beginners’ gardening courses this year will then be on Wed 26 August, Wed 23 September & Wed 28 October. The Apley Harvest Food Festival will be on Saturday 26 Sept – a feast in every sense. Wed 14 October is the last part of the Apley Walled Garden Three season gardening course.