ALL READY FOR THE PLANT SALE!!

Hello, a busy couple of days here at the nursery - preparing for the Suffolk Group of the National Conservation for Plants and Gardens (NCCPG!!) Autumn Plant Sale at Helmingham Hall.

This is an annual event - well-supported by local gardeners and nurseries alike. I have been busy collecting together as much nice stuff as I can - a very easy task with all the lovely stuff on the sales areas!!

If you are in the local area do come and see us - I am sure you will find something nice for your own garden!! The sale is from 10.30 - 4.00 - at Helmingham Hall which is on the B1077 near Debenham.

Hope to see you there!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

RAIN AT LAST!!

Hello - well, I got my wish! Obviously the raindance paid off!! We have had a very nice dull wet day here at Crown Nursery - I think the first for many months. It has been a steady rain too - just right to penetrate the ground and not run off.

As I type this, it is pouring down - hooray, hooray!! Of course, we need a lot lot more -but it is a start - and it has eased our watering burden considerably - for a few days at least!!

The strange nature of our weather sysyems nowadays was illustrated by a couple of customers from Gloucestershire - on holiday in Suffolk - who visited the nursery this afternoon - they were astonished by how dry and wilted everything is up here - compared to a very wet summer they have experienced in their beautiful part of the world - it just goes to show how a few hundred miles makes all the difference!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

STILL CRYING OUT FOR RAIN!!

Hello - I do not know what we have done wrong in Suffolk this year - but we are seriously suffering in drought conditions at the moment. It is ridiculous - because the rest of the country has had nothing but rain all summer - but any visitor to this part of the world - will see that we are in deep need of that liquid gold!

The rivers are dried up - even larger trees are showing stress - many of the Hazel nuts are about to lose their leaves - and autumn is definitely coming very early to East Anglia this year. As I write there is a Tuscan blue sky - and 20C - yes, it is lovely to sit in - but I am a plantsman and countryman through and through - and I want rain - and lots of it!!!

Anybody know a good raindance?!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
RICHARD

PLUM PRUNING TIME!

Hello, - now really is your last chance to get your stone fruit trees pruned before they shut down for winter.
Ideally, they should have been pruned at the end of August - or as soon as the last fruit has been picked - but there is still just about time. The critical thing is that the tree still has leaves on it - and is still actively working so can heal the pruning cuts before the bad weather. It is worth bearing in mind that plums,gages and damsons crop perfectly well without pruning - but the crop is better when the branches are thinned out - as with other fruits -the best crop occurs on 2 year-old wood - and at the base of 1 year-old stuff - so a thin-out will promote the new growth.
I did my trees last weekend - and I suppose that over half the foliage has gone - but the cuts do heal in the warm sun - and the tree will bear better fruit next year as a result.

There still remain a lot of brown mummified fruit on people's plum trees - a left-over of brown rotted fruit from early on in the summer - this must be removed - not left on the tree - otherwise it will cause re-infection next year. The other final thing I do with my plums is to rake up and dispose of the old leaves as they fall - they are frequently smothered in rust - and will simply cause problems next year.

There now - my plum trees are ready for winter - but luckily my freezer is full of Czar and Victorias - so I can still enjoy the fruit of the summer in pies for a long time yet!!
Until next time,
RICHARD

THE JOY OF SEPTEMBER!

Hello - here we are - it's September - my favourite month of the year! It is amazing how the weather seems to change from the August Bank Holiday Weekend - the nights are definitely pulling in now and there is a slight nip to the morning air.

But, that should not be a reason to shudder and think winter is on the way! September - at least in Suffolk - often has beautiful warm afternoons - and is the beginning of the autumn colour on many trees and shrubs. It also is the real kick-off for apples and pears - every week now a variety will be ready for picking - it is one of the real pleasures of my job!

At last - after weeks of drought - we did actually have some rain the other night - yes, only a quarter of an inch - but it is a start! And amazingly it did make a difference - (if you are reading this and are under floodwater - you have my sympathy - but it is like a desert here in Suffolk) - the grass actually has a tint of green - and the leaves are slightly plumper. That was until we caught the tail end of Hurricane Bill on Wednesday -a real Gale-Force 7 wind - which of course dried up some of that moisture - and we have had to put up with that wind all week - knocking things over - but hey - that is nursery life!
Time moves on - and a lot of members of staff are on holiday -but we have an excellent addition to our ranks for a few weeks - young Harry is with us on work experience. A smart lad - and very enthusiastic - he is spending time with all the members of nursery staff - to get a flavour of nursery work. During his day with me yesterday - we picked several more varieties of apples - and a few pears for the Apple Tasting Shed. The huge apple in the photo above left fascinated Harry - such a large apple hanging from such a small tree!! It is Charles Ross - a seldom seen old variety - used as a cooker or a sharp dessert apple.

That is in stark contrast to the photo opposite - this is one of our popular local apples - SAINT EDMUND'S PIPPIN - raised in Bury St Edmunds. Techically an early russet type - it is extremely sweet - if a little dry. As with so many of these early types - they will not keep - maybe a month in the fridge if you are lucky.

We also picked James Grieve - that classic Scottish variety - and a few GREENSLEEVES - plus RED DEVIL. The latter has been very popular at Crown Nursery recently - the red-stained flesh is very attractive. We also had a few of the early pears - namely BETH and WILLIAMS BON CHRETIEN. It is a superb year for pears it seems - with bumper crops on all varieties. These are all in the apple shed for tasting - along with DISCOVERY and TYDEMANS EARLY WORCESTER from last week. Do come along and try them!!

We are currently proof-reading our new fruit catalogue - which should be available in a few weeks time. From now on, I will be picking and storing the apples as they come into season - also picking for long-term storage - and for our annual APPLE DAY on OCTOBER 24th - hope to see you there!!

Until next time,
RICHARD