A Year in the Life of Pythouse Walled Garden

A Gardening Year

2011-12-29T04:20:00.001-08:00

The gardening year is drawing to a close and I would like to pause to thank Pythouse garden and all the people who mind her for making a place for me here over the previous months.

Heather, the inspirational and hardworking head gardener, who has patiently answered my endless questions - even if she has done her best to dodge my camera.

And Mitch and his staff who have always made me welcome.

I have followed the garden from the first sprigs of spring through the sunshine and rain of a Wiltshire summer and autumn, to the bedding down frosts of the garden at Christmas time.

One of my greatest pleasures has been watching the children playing in the garden,

even if they shouldn't really wade barefoot into the beds!

Shopping in the kitchen garden shop is always much more enjoyable when you meet such rosy faced customers.

I would particularly like to thank Matt and Aggie who have fed me so well,

from breakfast through to ...

lunch ...

and when that was finished there was always cake!

I have talked with friends over late night suppers on a Thursday night

having first wandered around the garden with a glass of wine in my hand.

The year has been a time for sharing conversation under the apple trees

and sharing in the preparations for tea parties,

with spotty cups,

vintage floral china,

plus home made cup-cakes and peach balloons.

I have seen the potting shed decked out in festive bunting,

and have watched the lower orchard prepare for a summer wedding

complete with marquee, lights and country flowers.

It has been a year of enterprise, with markets and pop up shops

and flower workshops.

I have watched the seasons come and go

from sharp sunshine to ghostly mists

and as the year draws to a close

I have been very happy to pull a chair closer to the woodburning stove with more tea and cake close at hand.

So all that is left, is for me to wish Pythouse garden and all those who enjoy her many charms a very happy, prosperous and peaceful New Year.

Contemplating the Year

2011-12-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I was chatting to a couple who are about to embark on the renovation of an old farmhouse and they are contemplating the building of a walled garden, so that the outside as well as the inside, is in keeping with the original period of the house.

They are not sure if they will gain planning permission, but I hope they do as I know better than most what a special place a walled garden can be.

The conversation gets me contemplating too - but for me it is the changes I have seen occurring since I commenced this blog at the beginning of the gardening year that I dwell upon.

As a result, I start looking back at my photographs and marvel at how the garden has changed over the course of the year.

The apple trees in the orchard watched as the spring brought a profusion of early flowers and herbs, the boughs draped in colour during the Easter Fair ...

and now they quietly scatter their leaves as the last of the autumn shades fade.

The gate that leads to the bottom orchard and the bee hives has witnessed the preparation of the beds and the building of twig and twine trellising for beans and fruit.

There have been celebrations here in the sunshine, and towards the end of the summer the gate marked the entrance to a wedding marquee that was erected in the lower garden.

Lanterns were hung from the apple trees and the tables were decorated with summer flowers, some of which had been cut from the garden.

Now the path to the gate is cold and damp under foot and the garden leading down to it has been put to bed for the winter.

I turn instead to the Potting Shed cafe and kitchen shop.

We have decided rather than face the crush of Christmas shopping in Bath, we would be much better off shopping locally and what better place to start making the shopping list than over breakfast by the log burner at Pythouse House Garden.

Who would argue with me?!

DAISY AND KIM'S little SHOP

2011-11-13T02:38:00.001-08:00

There is something new to enjoy at Pythouse garden for the winter. A bit of retail therapy along with the coffee and the cake.

Daisy and Kim are taking over part of the Potting Shed for the winter (Thur - Sat) with their collection of - it has to be said - rather gorgeous second hand clothes and accessories for women and children.

Daisy used to be a stylist and Kim was an agent for models and actors - so both have a great eye for what looks good.

They started their business using mainly word of mouth, fitting their work around their young children - now they want to bring it to a wider audience and Pythouse seemed the perfect venue. They won't find me arguing with that.

I am particularly taken with a scarf celebrating the french royal gardeners ...

and with this much pink around I make a mental note to bring my daughter Libby here. She will love it.

I have a feeling she will also love the shoes!

The Ghostly Garden

2011-10-31T02:43:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to Pythouse walled garden and decide to call in at Sprout & Flower to see my friend Sarah and to buy some pumpkins.

Sarah - who I have always secretly thought was a white witch - has her broom parked outside the shop in between the pumpkins and the crate of heather.

She tells me business is good. And whilst I am there the shop is buzzing with customers looking for fruit and veg and fresh bread.

At Pythouse garden they are busy getting ready for a Halloween party.

Most of the pumpkins have now been decorated or Matt the chef has got his hands on them for a big batch of pumpkin soup.

There may not be many pumpkins left to buy but there are splashes of autumnal orange all around the garden.

And in the potting shed there are loops of Halloween streamers,

and ghoulish ghostly faces.

Perhaps my favourite though are the Halloween cup-cakes.

Not to be outdone we head home with our pumpkins,

although I have to admit I think 8 year old Elena, who is staying with us, makes a better job of it than I could have done!

Autumn Light

2011-10-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Autumn is definitely here. You can smell it in the sharpness of the late afternoon air.

Nothing compares to October afternoons when the sun starts to dip, shedding a radiant golden light across the garden.

The shadows lengthen

and the earthy browns turn to bronze and gold.

In the garden shop the colours of the gourds and tomatoes take on a luminous light

and outside on the tables the pinks, golds and purples of the floral china appear in startling clarity.

After a wander around the garden I return inside. I have the best of both worlds; the sunshine streaming on to the slate floor at my feet and the wood burning stove warming my back.

Plus time for tea and chat.

Perfect.

Mothers & Daughters

2011-10-02T10:27:00.001-07:00

I am running a workshop at Pythouse Walled Garden for mother and daughter - Ursula and Esther.

We are in the cool of the Potting Shed with a breeze coming in the open door, as the sun beats down on the garden outside.

It is time for autumnal colours. But with the weather this warm and wonderful, I have chosen bright seasonal shades - like this Cherry Brandy rose.

Esther is a natural!

On a day like today, everywhere you look the colours seem to sing out.

In the garden the parasols are bright buttons of colour.

With the piles of pumpkins adding an extra glow of glorious orange.When Ursula and Esther finish their workshop they sit in the sunshine with their family sampling Pythouse Garden cakes.

All around I can see mothers and daughters playing in the sunshine. And I do miss my daughters so.

Alex is currently in Australia, so is a long long way away. However I did get to lie in the sun with Libby in Hyde Park earlier in the week.

So I have to add some photos of her to make this mum feel better!

Cider with Rosie ...and Eddie

2011-09-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Or rather, lunch with Merle (Pea & Mint Soup followed by Apple Brownies). It seems at Pythouse they are ready to make the most of their surplus apples.

Whenever I see an apple press I can't help thinking of the Grundies.

(Archer's fans will be with me on this one)

I started listening to the Archers in my twenties when I used to drive home from my job in advertising in Paddington to my flat in Clapham, just around about 7pm each evening. (I wouldn't like you to think I was working that hard, it was just in the 80s you always went to the pub after work for a drink before heading home - think Mad Men with shoulder pads and a lot less style!)

I found the Archers became addictive - maybe a complete antidote to the craziness of the advertising industry I worked in.

But whatever it was it stuck - despite the raised eyebrows of my children and friends.

(And hasn't Joe Grundy done well since then - 90 not out! )

Rain Will Not Stop Play

2011-09-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

At the bottom of the orchard, past the beds of late summer fruits and leaks, the marquee is ready and waiting for the wedding guests.

The weather may be gloomy but it is certainly not going to spoil the preparations or the celebrations.

The lanterns are lit and Ted Martin Flowers has been busy decorating the tables.

Bunting hangs between topiary trees

I love the place names on ivy leaves (and so simple to do).

Dotted along the tables are Ted's signature bunches of flowers and herbs.

Snapdragons, roses and veronica are mixed with sage, rosemary and mint.

Rosemary is also used to decorate the table names.

The glasses and wine are ready - now we just need the guests.

Break out the Bunting - It's a Boy!

2011-09-11T01:48:00.000-07:00

As I drive to Pythouse I nearly crash as I spot a sign by the road near to Mitch's wife, Clementines' shop. On the chalk board are the words "It's a Boy!"

On Tuesday Clementine gave birth to Orlando, a brother for Joshua - and Dad delivered the baby. Mitch and Clementine had always planned a home birth but hoped that would include a midwife! As it turned out Mitch delivered his son just as the midwife came through the door.

As I chat to Mitch and congratulate him, my daughter Libby is distracted by the colour your own bunting.

She asks rather wistfully, "Is nineteen too old to be colouring in bunting?"

Absolutely not!

In Praise of Beetroot, Apple & Honey Soup

2011-09-05T09:06:00.001-07:00

I will come to the soup, but first, a wander around the garden.

The apples are ripe, the cabbages and leaks are going crazy, the celery is perfect and the sweetcorn is very nearly there.

In the flower beds it is the time of the dahlia. And the sweet peas just go on and on.

It seems I am not the only one taking photographs of the flowers.

Flowers seem to be the order of the day and I spot garden designer Robert out picking Cosmos.

Robert runs his garden design business from the plant nursery he has set up at Pythouse and he is now the proud owner of a Shepherd's hut ...or rather an office - complete with wood burning stove.

It took a crane to deliver the hut into the garden - with gardener Heather telling all those around to mind the cabbages.

The rain is just starting to fall as we head inside for lunch.

More flowers - this time some arrangements from Ted Martin Flowers in Tisbury (spotted them at 20 paces!) that are left over from a weekend party.

In amongst the shortbread and cakes, the dahlias make another colourful appearance.

Now, when it is time for that soup, what can I say?

Simply heavenly.

The Sun does Shine

2011-08-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

All my recent blogs have been set against grey rainy skies, so when the sun decides to shine I thought I should head straight over to the garden. Others have been there before me and I can see an empty bottle of wine on a table in the orchard.

I decide on tea (for a change) and after warming my legs in the sun feel inspired by the sweet peas on our table to go and pick a bunch for the friend I am seeing that night for supper.

As it turns out she was here for lunch (maybe it was her wine) and she had meant to pick some sweet peas for the supper table but had forgotten. I think that is called fate.

A Spot of Cooking

2011-08-21T03:45:00.001-07:00

It may be rainy but I am having a great day. We have guests coming for supper so we are taking time to meander around some of our favourite places to collect the ingredients.

We have been to Shaftesbury to buy a frying pan, Tisbury for the butcher and some flowers from Ted Martin Flowers and we have even had time for a pint at The Beckford Arms, before we head to Pythouse for the vegetables, fruit and cheese.

First I get side-tracked by the sweet peas ... maybe I need some of these too.

As we are looking at the vegetables we bump into manager, Mitch. He is delighted as he has just found out The Beckford Arms want him to supply their vegetables. An arrangement that I imagine will keep everybody happy - and Heather even busier.

Mitch invites us to stop for coffee and cake, but we have cooking to do so have to go on (although he does send the cake home with us!)

We are having beef cooked to an old Elizabeth David recipe with port, Guinness and red wine vinegar - sounds good to me.

My husband is in charge of the main course and I am doing the pudding - pears poached in rose wine with Pythouse gooseberry ice cream.

(I was going to photograph the finished result, but you know how it is ...the wine ..the company - I forgot to pick up my camera!)

Missing Pythouse

2011-08-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have been away for a while and it is with a feeling of childish excitement that I drive over to Pythouse Garden.

The cafe is closed for a birthday lunch and an art exhibition, but in the garden it is business as usual.

The recent weeks of sporadic sunshine and showers are just what the gardener ordered, and all around me the beds are looking plump and green.

In front of the cafe there has been a miraculous change in the pick-your-own flower beds. The sweet peas have engulfed the bamboo wigwams in a beautiful, fragrant tangled mess.

The cosmos is going crazy,

and the sunflowers are perfect for picking.

The obvious choice to grace an art exhibition!

I catch up with Heather, the head gardener, who is delighted with this year's progress. She has found the fruit and flowers are about a month early due to the hot spring weather, but she is not complaining. The apricots have been picked and the pears and kiwis are just about ready.

Fruit is on sale in the shop and you can also come and pick your own raspberries. Someone who has been doing just that is Jenny from the Chilmark village Gardening Club. She has had the smart idea to turn them into ice cream. Before I take anymore photos I grab a pot of her raspberry and her gooseberry ice cream. (I used to buy my ice cream from Pat Archer ....but since Clary has been ill ....)

Heather is particularly proud of her cabbages and leaks - and she has every right to be!

She tells me people have been coming to the garden to photograph them - what can I say?!

Also doing well is the beetroot, spinach, chard, and in the greenhouse and poly tunnels, the tomatoes and peppers.

Down the bottom of the garden the runner beans (my favourite) are just about ready and the firm cane trellises that I saw Heather's dad building earlier this year are completely covered. I have a feeling he will be back soon as Heather tells me she has plans for grapes next year which will need their own wooden framework.

Once some of the space near the rhubarb is cleared Heather is also planning some asparagus beds and at the top of the garden she is currently planting Red Russian Kale.

But for the time being it is mainly a season of harvesting and weeding.

The cart at the front of the shop is over flowing with produce.

And for once, a justly proud Heather, lets me take her photograph. I knew I would get her one day!

As we chat, in the background is the murmur of the lunch party and the chink of wine glasses.

It is good to know other people are enjoying the fruits (literally!) of her labour

(as well as the flowers).

It is 4 O'Clock.

2011-07-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Must be time for tea.

And if your are 4 years old, that means sandwiches, sausages and strawberries and lots of cake. Followed by pass the parcel. Whilst the grown ups eat the rest of the tea!

Getting Ready for a Wedding Tea Party

2011-07-10T03:11:00.001-07:00

The trestle tables are coming out of store and the Potting Shed is being swept and cleared.

Tea cups are lined up ready for the guests.

As the afternoon and the preparations get underway the sun starts to peep out from behind the grey clouds.

It is not long before the tables are set...

... the table plan is in place

and the flowers are arranged in jam jars.

As the sun comes out in earnest the heady fragrance of sweet peas begins to fill the area under the awning...

...that, and the gentle scent of lavender.

Before the guest arrive the staff head down to the orchard to grab a quick supper.

Whether your taste is for tea or Champagne (my preference!), everything is ready

Captain Jack in the Garden

2011-07-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

It may not be Glastonbury, but we have the rain, the mud and some music (and Captain Jack!)

The Anonymous Traveling Market is at Pythouse, complete with stalls of food, drink and crafts.

There are fewer than normal staff here today (the pull of Glastonbury was too much) but Mitch the manager is doing what he does best - managing.

Despite the misty damp weather the garden is full of visitors and their families.

I am here with my daughter Libby - and we are finding it hard to decide between the Paella or the Pythouse Farm lamb sausages with onion marmalade. In the end we go for the sausages.

Matt the chef tells me that the cafe has been quiet this week because of the persistent rain, so they have been out in the garden giving Heather a helping hand. He laughs as he says, "I think she likes it as much as I would if she started to potter about my kitchen!"

In amongst the stalls I find some pots and pans and watering cans, that a couple, Annie and John, have sourced from French markets and jumble sales ... or what ever the equivalent to a jumble sale is in France.

And whatever we may think of the rain, the garden loves it, and in the kitchen shop the latest produce is going on sale.

A Soft Morning

2011-06-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

In Ireland, 'a soft morning', describes a day of constant drizzle and mist, and this is what it is like when I called into Pythouse this weekend. A day for sitting inside, drinking tea, watching the rain and thinking how happy Heather the Head Gardener will be. And the cherries and the apricots and the beans and the kiwis and the sweetpeas ...

A day, also, for looking at the paintings hung in the Potting Shed in their most recent exhibition. Including this rather appropriately named landscape by Rachel Sargent.

As I walk through the garden to the Potting Shed the banks of herbs emit the most wonderful wafts of fragrance into the damp air.

Once inside out of the rain I ask Aggie about the herbs that she and Matt are using in the cooking at the moment.

There has been tarragon chicken on the menu accompanied by mini roast potatoes that Aggie tossed in four different herbs as she baked them. "I just went into the herb bed and gathered handfuls of rosemary, parsley and two types of thyme", she explains. I am just sorry I wasn't in for lunch on that day.

There are bundles of sage hung up on the doors and walls, and buckets of flowering purple sage on the wooden trestle table. Manager Mitch asks me if I am impressed with his flower arranging - and I am!

Some of the herbs are going to be used to create 'smudge sticks' - something I have never heard of before. Apparently you can roll the herbs tightly in cotton and burn them like incense sticks.

www.altnature.com/thegarden/smudge.htm

I will be interested to see how they get on with these, but for now I am happy to come across the herbs in the dishes they serve and in the chutneys and goodies Aggie makes for the Kitchen Garden Shop.

I am particularly pleased to see the range of Mr Hatton's chutneys. Mr Hatton came to work in the garden in the 1920s and became head gardener around 1945 - only retiring in 2002. The only time he took off was to go to the races, and when young, to play cricket.

It is good to see his name lives on.

The Cow Girl, Delphiniums & Dormouse

2011-06-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Every two years there is an Art's Trail that snakes its way through the Wyle valley and surrounding area, passing close to Pythouse Garden. Yellow signs the colour of oilseed rape direct you to art exhibitions in cottages, church halls and barns.

I should be inside working away on my computer, but what a waste that would be when I can be outside in the warm sunshine.

Some of my favourite exhibits are here on Ashley Wood Farm near to Tisbury. A gloriously abandoned friesian cow (complete with cowgirl) gambles past a ridiculously large and stolid eagle. I also discover this idyllically situated 'fisherman's lodge' which is let for short or long term holidays. As the name suggests it looks out over the luminous green waters of Fonthill Lake.

www.ashleywoodfarm.org.uk

Enough of art. Time for lunch at Pythouse.

A mixed plate of antipasto, plus a bag of scones to take home for tea.

But before I head home (to the computer) a wander through the delphiniums and lavender.

The only things missing are the geraniums ...

and the Dormouse.

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed

Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)

And all the day long he'd a wonderful view

Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

A Doctor came hurrying round and he said:
"Tut-tut", I am sorry to find you in bed.
Just say 'Ninety-nine' while I look at your chest ...
Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?"

The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied

(When he'd said "Ninety-nine") that he'd tried and he'd tried,

And much the most answering thing that he knew

Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head,

And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said:

"What the patient requires is a change," and he went

To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent.

The Dormouse lay there, and he gazed at the view

Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue),

And he knew that there was nothing he wanted instead

Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)

AA Milne

Heather's Helpers

2011-05-22T02:33:00.001-07:00

This is a time for weeding and watering. To help her, Heather has a band of supporters; Simon, Christopher and Bridget are regulars, as are Heather's dad, Sam, and her step-mum, Shirley.Sam, is busy building up the canes for the 400 bean plants that are waiting to be settled in, but he takes time to chat as I pass. It is clear he is very proud of Heather - he also lets slip he is not only proud of what she is achieving at Pythouse but also her skill with horses and motorcycles!
Shirley is a particularly welcome visitor to the garden as she brings a vast knowledge of vegetables with her - which is especially useful as Heather battles with the warm weather and lack of rain. The herbs and carrots continue to do well, not minding the dry conditions, but Heather is starting to worry about whether other root vegetables and fruit are going to plump up in the dry conditions, particularly the cherry, kiwi, pear and apricot trees that grow against the garden walls near to other much larger and thirstier trees. One bonuses though is some winter varieties of cabbage and spinach which she planted on a whim, are doing well in the balmy sunshine.

A few weeks ago this patch at the North edge of the garden was an expanse of bare chocolaty-coloured earth. Now the new crop of potatoes is bursting through. There are some early varieties that should be ready by June, with others to come on in the late summer. Heather has talked to chef, Matt, about the planting, so she has made sure he has some that will be good for baking, some for mash and others which make great chips.

With the continued sunshine the fruit is about a month ahead of normal. The blackcurrants are already beginning to turn and the gooseberry bushes are putting on vibrant fresh growth. I have a birthday to celebrate in the summer (and my daughter's 21st) and I start to wonder whether I could persuade Matt to make me some gooseberry fool (my favorite) for the party.

Under the leaves and in amongst the straw I can spot some early strawberries ...perhaps some strawberry fool too? Most of the fruit is netted to keep the butterflies and birds at bay, but some trees and bushes are left uncovered so they are allowed a treat too.

The espalier apple trees are starting to put fruit on, which will soon need to be thinned out. And in the greenhouse there are a mass of seedlings in boxes waiting to be planted. There are many varieties of peppers and chillies - the hot Jalapano capsicum, the juicy, bright red Beauty Bell and the long thin red pepper, Thor. Heather is also keen to grow snack sized cucumbers up against the inside of the glass but is waiting for dad, Sam, to help build a frame.

In the garden beds there are rows of beetroot and salsify - a thin parsnip like plant that is supposed to taste like a mix of asparagus and oysters - which will be ready later in the year. There are also carrots and onions that are now growing where the greedy cabbages were planted last year. By switching the varieties around, Heather is aiming to rebalance the nutrients in the soil. This week, the broad beans are being picked, as are the white and red radishes. Matt has already used a few in his recipe for radish soup.

The flower garden has not been forgotten; the sweetpeas are emerging by the side of their bamboo wigwams, dahlias have been tucked in the borders and sunflowers are almost ready to be planted out. These should all be available for people to pick later in the year (which I am pleased about as I have just offered to help a young friend with her wedding - and I think sweetpeas would be perfect mixed with stock, scabious and love in the mist). Heather also has foxgloves and delphiniums on the go (but they will not flower until next year) and is going to plant marigolds between the beans to encourage hoverflies which she hopes will eat the aphids.

In the poly tunnel Heather is about to take out the last of the mustard and lettuces and bring on the tomatoes (Beef Master, Golden Sunrise and Gardener's Delight) and aubergines. She starts talking about framing for the tomatoes and I can immediately see another job for Sam!

I once read an Australian book about men and their sheds. It seems girls need sheds too and Heather is delighted to show me the new addition to her garden.

I take a very quick picture as the bees are starting swarm from the hives in the orchards just below it. I am told when this happened before the lady who looks after the bees had to make a run for it, quickly removing her bee covered shirt as she went. I am also told the manager Mitch, very chivalrously, braved the bees and ran after her helping to cover her modesty.

Where was my camera then?!

Thursday with Friends

2011-05-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

It is an evening of long shadows and slanting golden light. I am at Pythouse to meet up with friends for supper. The Potting Shed Cafe is open on Thursday evenings for a 3 course set menu, at £20 a head.

A real bargain.

Before I head inside for supper by the wood burning stove (there is a real nip in the air) I spend some time happily wandering around the garden on my own.

On the dresser opposite the stove there are vases and jugs of flowers recently cut from the herbaceous border.

It is not long before the wine and conversation are flowing.

I am very much hoping that Matt will share some of these recipes with us - there was Carrot and Cumin soup, served with Chive Oil, followed by Confit Duck Leg, Cider Fondant Potato, Cream Cabbage and Sticky Thyme Jus.

Heaven.

And a treat of homemade Treacle Tart and Strawberry Ice Cream.

Thank you Matt.

Waiting for Rain, Hoping for Cake

2011-05-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

I have spent the week with farmers - it was in Rwanda, but that is another story (see www.flowershopstories.blogspot.com) and they have me convinced we need rain. This afternoon in Pythouse garden I think we are going to get it.

My farmer (and gardening friends) have assured me we need the rain now or we will be in for a very wet summer.

But before the rain descends, I selfishly hope that I can sit outside, chat to my friend Sonja and eat cake.

The chives edge the borders in puffs of purple

and the herbaceous border is starting to fill with salmon poppies.

And luckily for us, waitress Ali, is starting to fill our plates with cake.

The cakes are baked by a lady called Glenda.

This is a woman I need to meet.

Sonja goes for the rhubarb and ginger, I opt for the plum and orange.

The garden and shop are quiet today and I ask where everyone is.

It seems most of the staff and manager, Mitch, have headed to nearby Shaftesbury for a food festival.

So Sonja and I head there too and are soon walking between the packed stalls that are groaning with local produce, cider, more cider

and flower pots full of brightly painted flowers.

We don't manage to find the Pythouse crew. But we do find more cake.

And we are safely home before the rain pours down.

The Road to Pythouse Garden

2011-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunken made,

Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,

The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands

GK Chesterton

A Very Happy Easter

2011-04-25T05:27:00.001-07:00

The garden is decked out in its finery for Easter.

I feel I should be wearing an Easter Bonnet!

The bunting stirs gently in the breeze and the sun has definitely come out to play. As have many from the surrounding villages.

Some people have travelled further and I overhear two families exchanging views of bringing children up in London - the pressure for schools, the pressure, it seems, on just about everything.

Oh, how much nicer to spend your time sitting in the garden.

Someone is very keen to see the Easter lambs. I don't enquire too closely whether Matt the chef has been to visit them yet.

I even spot the Easter Bunny.

In the shade of the apple tree there is face painting,

and in the distance I can see Keira has a customer for the Easter egg hunt.

A number of local businesses have set up stalls in the garden and the Potting Shed. A group of woodland artisans are promoting their baskets - they make everything from yurts to coffins and will also teach you, as they run basket making classes (I guess the coffin making comes later!).

Joanna, who helps waitress in the Potting Shed,

has a stall of her wonderfully wacky jewelery

and Joanna persuades fellow waitress Jenny to model for her.

Their are stalls selling, cushions and pictures and eco-friendly toys. Plus Olivia Boon's fascinators and hats. Very royal wedding.

I linger longest by the local wines from Fonthill Glebe Wines. John, who helps pick, bottle (and drink) the wine persuades me to try the light and fruity red

"A little like myself forty years ago!"

A natural step from the wine to the food.

Matt and Aggie are serving a barbecue with home grown salads and at the stall next to them is local ice cream. Perfect.

Hats & Herbs

2011-04-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

I first meet Aggie when she is collecting herbs for today's lunch. Aggie has just joined Pythouse to cook alongside head chef, Matt. She tells me she is happy cooking most things but has a particular passion for Vegetarian cookery. "I just LOVE vegetables!"

Well, I would say she is in the right place.

In just a week I can see a huge difference in the garden.

The shades of green are richer and more limey and the budding espalier apple trees make the garden look like it has been dressed in apple blossom bunting.

The strawberry beds are beginning to fill out,

and the broad beans are flashing their black-eyed flowers.

In the borders nearby there are citrus coloured wall flowers and frilly plum tulips.

It is a day for hats, cold white wine,

and lunch in the orchard with friends

What to choose? Duck liver Parfait and Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney?

or Fennel Salami & Pesto Bruschetta?

Why not half each?

Followed by a walk around the garden.

The Shy Chef

2011-04-08T10:28:00.001-07:00

Is it any wonder on a day such as this, that I head over to Pythouse Garden at the earliest opportunity? I am planning on catching up with head chef, Matt, and it is not long before we are sat in the sun dwelling (it has to be said a bit smugly) on previous lives spent in air conditioned offices and stressful, strip-lit kitchens.

Matt isn't really a shy chef, but he is reluctant to have his photograph taken today. I think he appreciates that during my gardening year I will insist on capturing him for the blog. It is just a matter of time! What he is certainly not shy about, is sharing his enthusiasm for his plans for the kitchen, the menus and the shop's deli produce.

He is working closely with Heather (the shy gardener ... she doesn't stand a chance either) and he is passionate about following the seasons and bringing the garden produce to the table in fresh and interesting ways. They both feel the food will evolve as the garden evolves; an exciting year of experiment for them - and us.

Matt has a huge amount of experience for one so young (maybe it is me, but chefs and policeman are looking remarkably youthful these days). He has cooked in city restaurants with bars and delis, for prestigious caterers, in country hotels with walled gardens, and has built the reputation for food in rambling beamed pubs. But when he came to see Pythouse Kitchen Garden he could not resist the opportunity to create exceptional food in such wonderful surroundings .

Matt views the garden and potting shed as blank canvases on which he can paint his gastronomic mark. However, he is keen not to take himself our his creations too seriously. "That would be out of keeping with the garden and the people" he explains, "The food should be fun and exciting, but not pretentious."

Matt started his own box of recipes when he was 16 and has been adding to this ever since. Sometimes he comes to new ideas by mulling over old favourites and adding a twist, at times it is a new combination that strikes him. Or it may be that the cooking just develops; as it did today when he created his Beetroot, apple & honey soup. "I knew that apple would be a good compliment to the beetroot but wanted to soften the tang, which is where the honey came in." Luckily for us he has promised to share some of his recipes in the course of the year.

The garden is just starting to respond to the spring sunshine that is warming the sandy soil. The turnips have just come up, the potatoes are now planted and in the herb beds, chives are emerging from a carpet of pale blue germander speedwell. Soon there will be a multitude of ingredients for Matt to choose from.

As the garden settles into growth it is time for small feet to head for the daisies rather than to be pottering in the busy beds.

I reluctantly leave the garden for the day, passing the closed kitchen door behind which the shy chef is busy scheming.

To Mums with Love

2011-04-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

It is Mothers' Day, and as this is the day I can have anything I want (or that's what I keep telling everyone) I have a table reserved for lunch at Pythouse.

My girls know me so well. Champagne and chocolates.

And cards that make me cry.

My florist friend Jennifer has been busy planting up vintage teacups with violas, pansies and scilla. These Mother's Day gifts are displayed for sale on the dresser amongst the china and the cakes.

Matt, the chef, has been busy too. I have already spotted the Parma Violet meringues on the menu which are to be served with Eton Mess.

But first a wander around the garden to see how things are progressing.

Like mother, like daughter.

The narcissi and daffodils are trumpeting a final cheerful blast, over the heads of lightly swaying muscari.

Inside the Potting Shed cafe Jennifer has captured a few to help decorate the tables.

In the garden the fresh lime of new leaves is now clearly visible.

The borders are beginning to fill up with plump herbs and the first of the wall flowers.

Even the rosemary thinks it is about time to start putting on some flowers.

Whilst inside the Potting Shed I am starting to think about my lunch.

Salmon Roulade, Roast Lamb and Apple Crumble with Earl Gray Ice-cream.

Around me I can hear a number of families murmuring ....'Are you enjoying that Mum?"

How could I fail to be enjoying myself? Good food, great setting ...

and what this mum wants most on Mothers' Day, my daughters by my side.

(Even if Alex has to hobble there!)

Heather in the Garden

2011-03-27T12:20:00.001-07:00

I join Heather the Gardener as she is planting out peas in soil rich with manure from the organic estate farm. She tells me she is working the garden with as little spraying as possible and will be using netting rather than insecticide to protect her crops. Heather (and Jasmine her dog) started at Pythouse in September and since then she has done a huge amount of work clearing weeds, moving rubble and rubbish and preparing the ground. One of the constant hazards when weeding are fragment of glass from the greenhouses that once stood at the top of this 18th century kitchen garden.

The ancient greenhouses are gone, but Heather has many plans for adding to the structure of the garden as well as the planting. A new shed is coming soon and she hopes one day to be able to renovate the wall at the bottom of the garden. She explains she would like to grow varieties of buddleia and ceanothus against the wall to attract butterflies; part of encouraging conservation in the area. But all of this will take time. As someone who started with just a wheelbarrow and a spade as her only equipment, she realises these things get added to gradually.

Heather's main work is within the walls of the kitchen garden where she is introducing a no dig system. This will help maintain good soil structure, and by keeping paths between the rows of planting she will be able to keep on top of the weeding. When this year's crop is over another load of manure will be delivered from the estate farm to build up the beds. Heather already has an order in for another 30 tons! Beyond the garden wall are the orchard and beehives which Heather hopes to incorporate into the garden soon - although the gate will have to be kept firmly shut in the evening to keep the local badgers out.

In previous years there has been rather a glut of some particular crops; last autumn they couldn't give marrows away and the parsnip and beetroot plagues certainly tested the ingenuity of the chef. Heather plans a larger number of crops, each with 2 or 3 varieties to bring more texture and colour to the menus and to the shelves of the kitchen garden shop.

Her current planting list reads like racing form, with wonderful names such as Oarsman, Bunyards Exhibition, January King, Freckles, Red Brunswick, Golden Bear and Solent Wight. So far, the garlic is in, as are the leaks, chard, spinach, cabbages, mustard, broad beans (my favourite) celeriac, onions and lettuces. And Heather is also chitting her potatoes. This is where I have to make a confession. I am a very poor gardener, so poor that I did not know that letting your seed potatoes sprout before planting is called chitting. So I might as well be honest now, I am going to write about gardening in this blog (bit difficult not to!) but it will be as a complete beginner. A beginner who is really keen to garden vicariously and learn all she can over the year.

One thing I do know a little about are flowers and I am delighted to hear that Heather has plans for growing perennials which can be picked for the shop and will be a fabulous source of flowers for people planning celebrations and parties in the garden. So far the sweet peas are in, but there will be many more varieties to come. I wonder if she will be planting any heather?

Three Friends

2011-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Three friends, a birthday to celebrate, and a sensational spring day.

What more could you ask for.

We are not the only ones enjoying the sunshine. As we head to a table by the wall I can see three small girls chasing each other around the vegetable beds.

It is so much more fun with three.

I know I shouldn't ... I'm not supposed to...

but I really want to feel what the earth feels like between my toes ...

Older (but not necessarily wiser) I really want to sip Champagne in the sunshine with my friends.

And then it is back to work, but not before my friend Jane has bought some skimmia plants for her garden.

As Jane and Michelle are browsing amongst the plants I sit on a low stone wall and stare out over the garden. My daydream is interrupted by a man sitting in the orchard answering his mobile phone. His conversation is not quiet, he paces to and fro as he speaks, his voice rises above the gentle murmur of the garden. Am I cross? Do I want to have a sharp word with him? (well, perhaps not a sharp word ... I am too English for that) Do I want to tut meaningfully? Well, not really, he is speaking Italian. I have no idea what he is saying, but it sounds magnificent.

Before we finally drag ourselves back to work I introduce myself to Heather the gardener who has been industriously hoeing beds whilst we have been playing. I am coming back to have coffee with Heather on Friday to find out more about her plans for the garden.

I can't wait.

Flowers for Flora & Blossom for Blossom

2011-03-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Now that is a sight you don't see everyday. Weaving through the country lanes near to Pythouse is a big red London bus.

It is taking guests to Flora and Charlie's wedding at St John's in the village of Tisbury. Later, guests will climb aboard to wind their way to the Garden for the wedding celebrations.

Earlier in the day I had popped into Ted Martin Flowers to get a glimpse of Flora's wedding bouquet. It was having a drink of water next to a box of tissue-wrapped rose buttonholes.

A heavenly mix of roses and daisies.

As the bride arrives at the church I spot the bridesmaid, daisies in her hair, carrying the bouquet for her mum.

Then it is a quick pause for a photo, and Flora, her children and her friends all enter the church.

I on the other hand, head up to the Garden to see how Mitch and his team are getting on.

All is ready and waiting and Mitch and his staff are catching a few moments in the sunshine to grab something to eat.

The Champagne glasses are lined up in the orchard.

And the bunting is hung under the awning.

The posies for the tables are displayed in simple tin cans and were delivered from Ted's flower shop yesterday.

I catch the heady scent of hyacinths and stock as I wander between the tables with my camera.

Every place setting is different, and the mixed colours of the vintage china give the tables an eccentric old English feel.

I fall in love with these exotic, turquoise and raspberry birds perched on golden branches.

Say Yes

I Love You

Kiss Me

Lucky Lips

Mitch tells me that Charlie's nickname for Flora is 'Blossom', so he is delighted that the blossom growing on the trees up the side of the Potting Shed has decided to come out in her honour.

Mitch explains that Heather, the gardener, has to help the blossom pollinate as few bees make their way under the awning.

Heather does this by going from flower to flower with a paint brush.

(Mitch is convinced she should buzz as she does this!)

I take one last look around at the place settings, the garden, the glasses and the cake.

You may wonder why I am not waiting to photograph such a beautiful bride in this glorious setting. Well the problem is, England are playing Ireland in the rugby and in my Anglo-Irish household that is sacrosanct!

The Vicar and The Labradoodle

2011-03-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

I am in the garden with my friend, Reverend Anne, and her Labradoodle (such a great name). The garden welcomes well behaved dogs (and children) and leaves a bowl of water out for them - the dogs that is.

Anne last visited Pythouse in January, when she joined us for a lunch in the garden's Potting Shed to celebrate our wedding. At that time the snow was just clearing, but now the daffodils and primroses are beginning to brighten the borders and hedgerows. Anne particularly admires some purple potted primulas in a tray by the wall. She, is retired from the church now, but confesses she always loved Advent and Lent as she had to wear purple - "just my colour'!

It is a day for sipping wine in the surprisingly warm spring sunshine.

I am mesmerised by the image of the upside down garden in the wine glass.

I am also mesmerised by the Spiced Dorset Apple Cake and Ice cream that Anne orders with her coffee. It's good to see Vicars enjoy the odd bit of sin too.

Always Start with Breakfast

2011-03-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

That is what my Mum always told me, and who am I to argue?

So on the first day of my new blog I decide to head to Pythouse garden for a Sunday breakfast. It seems a very good place to start.

It is a clear, clean, bright spring day and the garden looks stripped and scrubbed ready for the new gardening year.

Even the paths seem brushed and ready.

Few plants appear to have got wind of the change in the weather, which makes the bobbing hellebores all the more welcome.

But first breakfast.

As I head through the garden shop to the cafe I bump into the Flower family. The children are having a wonderful time feasting on nuts that mum, Sadie, peels for them.

Sadie brings me up to date with the pick-your-own flower farm that she runs nearby in Hatch. The sweet pea trenches are being dug and they hope to see the aliums by April. The wild flower meadow should be blooming in May, with annuals coming on in June.

I head past the wood burning stove to join my friend Jennifer. Some of you will know florist Jennifer from my books and flower shop blog - I have no doubt she will be helping me with this project too.

What to choose? What to choose?

As we chat over a cup of tea, Jennifer cuts up tags for some knitted tea cosies she has made for sale in the cafe.

When the poached eggs and bacon arrive I decide Mothers are always right.

Breakfast is a very good way to start.