Next Tearoom Opening Times
Saturday June 12th - 2.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Sunday June 13th - 2.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
The year began well enough in the scented gardens here at The Priory, the beautiful and deliciously fragrant, Viola odorata, common name Sweet violet or Devon violet has surpassed my expectations as this is only its second season. The plants have clumped up very well and the fragrance was apparent without having to stoop to the ground, so my plans for early scent around the seating areas and medieval gardens are looking hopeful. Primroses, Primula vulgaris and cowslips primula veris, are also doing well and next year I should be able to start a program of crystallising these flowers for use in the tea rooms, perhaps we will run a workshop on this technique. The primrose was voted the county flower for Devon, so I have planted plenty of them at the front of the house, under the lavender. We now have the opportunity to see the difference between the better known Cowslips, and the Oxlips Primula, elatior which were harder to be certain of as there is often dispute as to the origin of this plant. I have planted them as part of the Shakespeare bank. “I KNOW A BANK WHEREON THE WILD THYME BLOWS, THE OXLIP AND THE NODDING VIOLET GROWS.” So far we only have a few native daffodils, and I plan as soon as there is time to dig up all the garden cultivars which have been planted by past owners of The Priory, along with all the doubtful and Spanish bluebells. Then I can risk starting a program of planting up native species. It worries me that there are so many garden cultivated daffodils planted in the countryside around Devon. Do the council not know what our delicate native Narcissus pseudonarcissus looks like? As for the plight of our native bluebell, who knows what will happen? There could well be a time not so far in the future when there are no pure native English bluebells left. This particular Spanish invasion looks set to beat us where the other failed.
Other plants in bloom this month are Pulmonaria officinalis, lungwort, and Helleborus orientalis, (The Lenten Rose), and Helleborus foetidus (Stinking hellebore), which is native to Britain.
We have had some serious losses in the garden caused by the prolonged low temperatures; amongst them are about three dozen Rosemaries, two dozen Thymes, several Myrtles, and almost the large Bay trees, but I think they may recover. Some of the sages also have to be replaced as they are too far gone to salvage and we thought we had put in so much gravel and sand for drainage that we couldn’t fail. Oh well that’s nature for you!! She certainly put us in our place this year.