17th August 2025

 

           Dear All,

Another week without rain, it is amazing how well some things have cropped. Tomatoes and Cucumbers have been exceptional as they are watered in the greenhouse but French Beans and recently Runner Beans have produced well and Figs have been outstanding with about 70 harvested so far.

After our crowded swim on Monday it was too hot to work outside so I worked on my Biographies talk for this year on Capability Brown.

Our privacy loving neighbours planted a hornbeam hedge a few years ago then husband departed and they have struggled to contain it and it grew to 8 feet which has had a serious effect on our garden. This year mother and daughter decided to reduce it but the trunks had grown too thick for them to handle so they trimmed what they could then left stumps hoping to find someone to finish the job. After a couple of weeks I decided to get out my chain saw and have a go. Initially my chainsaw was too blunt but after ordering a new chain it was an easy job to finish with Kate hanging on to the step ladder.

 

 

Hedge Pre-trimming

 

 

Post Trimming

 

Our Thursday walk started at La Pergola an Italian restaurant and pub at Harlton and took in Great and Little Eversden. Fortunately it was not as hot as previous days but still warm enough. It is incredible that by the second week of August harvest seems complete with no sign of any standing crops and most fields cleared of straw as well. Some of the lanes were littered with fallen leaves like a premature autumn and there was a remarkable white horse decorated with love hearts and messages so I guess there was a story to tell?        

 

 

Ascent from Little Eversdan

 

 

Post-Harvest fields

 

 

Pre-mature Autumn Leaves

 

 

Little Eversden Blue house

 

 

Serious Cracking

 

 

Decorated Horse

 

 

Path above Harlton

 

 

Bale Collection

 

We have a chapel picnic arranged for Sunday afternoon and so far about 40 have signed in so there has been a certain amount of preparation and shopping during the week.

On Friday it was funeral time again this time for Tony Hewitt who was Elsom Seeds vegetable manager, so I knew him from that and also we travelled down to Wisley together when we served on the RHS Vegetable Panel. The funeral was at Surfleet Crematorium, just north of Spalding and the reception afterwards was in the old Spalding Courthouse.

 

 

Spalding Old Courthouse

 

 

Interior

Best wishes

Mike & Kate