Hidden Easter Chocolate?

Someone asked us at the weekend whether we had put a trail of chocolate in the garden.  "Not knowingly", we responded.  They enquired as to the intense chocolate scent spread through the terraces and up even as far as the mail pond.

Puzzled, we went to investigate.  And after a little searching the source of this scent, which was indeed an intense chocolate vanilla toffee, as strong as if it were being melted on the hob just next to you, was this Azara, a charming large shrub / small tree which we cosset every winter as it isn't very hardy, but which I'd never actually noticed flowering before.  Pungent stuff.

Meanwhile, the box trees are also flowering - more delicate in scent by a lovely woodiness mixed in with the sweetness.

Elsewhere in the garden it's the magnolia, rosemary lilies and spring flowers that are showing off, but it's always nice to let the trees get in on the act too!

Summer Round-up

It was a really busy year, and we decided to take the summer off from blogging to allow us to get some other projects underway (details of those to follow). But now we’ll be back to regular updates here on the blog. You may also like to check out our Facebook Page.

Garden Borders

This year has seen the redevelopment of a further set of borders as we continue our four year project to bring the softer, floral elements of Harold Peto’s garden up to the quality which his buildings now deserve.

Working with garden designer Alison Jenkins, the annual border from last year (which was an emergency measure owing to a late winter!) has been replaced by the planned perennial border. And following a prolonged summer, it came into its own bringing colour right through to the end of October.

Next year it should be even better as the hardier, slower growing plants will have established themselves properly.

Iford Arts - Cloister Centenary Season

This year was the 100th Anniversary of Harold Peto’s Cloister, a remarkable building from 1914 in the 12th Century style, which today houses our performances of opera, jazz and other events.

This year the season was entirely Italian in style. Productions included the charming love story of Puccini’s La Rondine, Donizetti’s comedy La Fille du Regiment (reworked brilliantly by Jeff Clarke to be set in a troop of Californian bikers) and an emotionally intense production of Monteverdi’s Ulysses. Keep an eye out for next year’s programme or sign up to the mailing list on the Iford Arts Website.

Wisteria Season - all year!

A most unusually dry, warm summer, ensured that the wisteria flowered not once or twice, but sporadically all through the summer, only losing its last flowers on the First of October.  Who knows whether this will be repeated next year, but we can only hope!

Hydro Plant Update

The downside of a great summer is that there's no water in the river from which to make electricity - so the Hydro Plant has been almost completely dormant for 5 months.  In recent weeks we have got it turning again and now we are back, thankfully, to generating some meaningful power.  We will still probably manage to make this an average year (the first quarter was jolly wet, after all), but it's a relief to have it running nevertheless.

Visitor Numbers

We found ourselves on television earlier in the year, as the garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes asked the BBC to film his Chelsea Flower Show introduction here, which was very kind of him!  As a result we saw more visitors to the garden in June than in recent years, and a much larger number of 'pilgrims' who had travelled from across the country specifically to visit the garden.  

It is always humbling to be reminded of the meaning and value which people place in the gardens here which we seek to maintain true to Mr Peto's ethos.

Tea Room Success

Iford's Housekeeper, Sarah (The Crafty Housekeeper), made a great impression this year in the tearoom with a new range of cakes and tasty bites.  The Rocky Road was a particular favourite and one member of the family (yours truly) had to start exercising more as a result.

Other Events

Butterfly Day 2014 was a roaring success; various charity walks and sponsored events came through; our tiny caravan site has welcomed a small number of rallies and casual visitors; we hosted three motocross events; it was a busy year on the farm dealing with new cattle housing; we removed our crop of Miscanthus which was under-performing for various reasons; repairs to the cloister became urgent as was suffering some ground instability under one corner; and this morning the 350 runners on the annual "Over the Hills Race" forded the river and ran the half mile up the drive on their 8 mile cross country run.

Roll on the winter!  I wonder what it will bring.

Garden update - wisteria

The wisteria is really showing off.  It's out in force on the front of the house, on the casita and by the central entablature of the terrace.

  

Welcome, Autumn!

The evenings are drawing in now that the equinox is passed, and whilst the birds may still be singing and the Indian summer sun breaking gently through the mists, the mellow fruitfulness requires some pruning.  Mark, our fruit tree expert has been putting the cordon trees to bed for the year.  The oldest apples in the kitchen garden pre-date Harold Peto by quite some stretch, but they battle on (mostly).

 Meanwhile, the last of the floral colour in the garden is holding out, while we wait for the trees to change their wardrobe for the 'fall'.

 

 But the trees aren't far behind... so don't forget that Iford is still open on Sundays in October.

Spring / Summer Collection

This year the wisteria has been simply remarkable, and it continues to be so.  

 

Perhaps this is due to the late chill through March and April, which set the plants back and seems to have intensified the flowering.  Thankfully there was no frost to kill the buds - always a threat in late spring.

 Here are some images of the wisteria so far and if you haven't visited us yet, this coming week is the prime time for the wisteria in 2013.

 

 

Historic Replant update - filling out...

 Phase 1 of the replant is now filling out with the warmer weather.

Warm evening sun in the garden

There are few occasions that I can recall the scent of wisteria and summer blossom being so overpoweringly irresistible; a true force of nature.  Today in the 25 degree warmth of a truly perfect day, we were enveloped by floral scents wafting right through the house, into the tearoom, throughout the garden and valley.

Half an hour ago, to take advantage of such a rare evening, I went out to hear the evening concert from the songbirds and to take some photographs to share with the world (some a bit 'contrasty', I'm afraid - haven't much time to sort that out today).  I hope you had a lovely day wherever you are, and if you didn't perhaps you can borrow a piece of our lovely day.

Wisteria Watch - May 13 2012

A mixed bag on the wisteria front.  Those plants which were in exposed locations suffered a significant set-back from the frost in early April.  In most cases they are having a go, and we will see some rare 'intermediary' blooms this year I suspect in late May, when the flowers are out with the smallest of the leaves.

In other, more sheltered areas, we have a good show - especially on the Casita (above) which is ready this weekend, and by the Loggia (below).  

The ring of wisteria around the lily pond in the centre of the garden will need more sun to mature yet:  

Free-standing forms in the upper terraces are coming on and are about a week away, given some warmth.

 The weather has proved this year just how unpredictable things can be, with spring having arrived three weeks early on the average at Iford, and yet we are now looking at a late flowering of the wisteria!  It is as though the late frosts and the drought sent everything into suspended animation for a month.