Gardening Group

Friends of Oxleas Woodlands
3 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Friday 9th May, 2025

Jackwood House Garden

It's been less than a month since we were last in Jackwood House Garden but the growth of the plants has been incredible! Whereby last time we were able to weed amongst the individual plants now we have to push our way between the foliage to find the gaps.

Again, we split into two teams. The first team were weeding the remaining flower beds to ensure our chosen plants don't have additional competition for water and light. A great job was done, attracting many compliments. There was even time to plant a few more seedlings in the herb bed around the stag beetle pyramid. Water is scarce already, so we are grateful for the new waterbutts which collected what little rain we had this winter.

The garden today is dominated by the froth of cow parsley over all that wonderful new growth. If you look more closely though, you'll still see the traces of earlier spring and the hints of the coming summer. If you look down amongst the foliage, you can find seed heads of cowslip, primrose, hellebore and snowdrop waiting for some passing bird to eat them. Look elsewhere, and you can see the valerian and the cranesbills coming into bloom (can you find all the kinds of cranesbill we have?). You'll find flowers starting on the sage and the alliums in the central bed, and just a hint at the lavender flowers to come. Around the edges, you may still see some flowers left on the barrenworts, and flowers just starting on the potentilla. In the shadier beds, look out for fern fronds in the middle of uncurling.

The second team of volunteers were working up on the terrace. We finally completed the wood chip laying over the old beds, having dug out as much bramble, thistle and bindweed as possible. Each month we will need to return to remove those that persist, but they will be deterred by the wood chip and it should get easier. We then dug out the old compost, moving it to the new pen which will be periodically emptied by the council. Unfortunately, the remains of unwanted weeds means it can't be used on our beds. Finally, we gave the 2012 commemorative plaque a fresh lick of paint.

Here the transplanted old roses are starting to bloom in the sheltered warmth of the red brick wall. At the other end, near the alcoves, allium and cornflower are flowering with the geraniums spreading ready for their flowers later in the year.